The Way of Business and the Benevolent Heart: ​

Mr. Li Jinyuan’s Entrepreneurial Legend and Universal Compassion ​

2025-06-13 16:30:00 ​

In 1992, a determined young man from Cangzhou arrived in Tianjin carrying a dream. His name was Li Jinyuan. Over the next three decades, he would go on to write a legendary business story—one forged with iron will and heartfelt compassion. Compared to the renowned roar of Zhenhai from his hometown that echoed across China, the vast commercial empire Li Jinyuan later built—spanning 224 countries and regions—was even more awe-inspiring in scale. The names “Tiens Group” and “Li Jinyuan” resounded across the globe. His story is not only a remarkable chronicle of personal perseverance, but also a spiritual epic representing the essence of Chinese private entrepreneurship. On October 19, 2004, Mr. Li Jinyuan was invited to share this moving journey of benevolence and business on CCTV’s program Xiangyue.

Tempered by the Ice Lake, Reborn from the Cocoon ​

In 1993, Li Jinyuan, then a newcomer to the business world, staked his entire fortune on an unfamiliar field—“Bone Ginseng,” a high-tech nutritional supplement. He paid 800,000 yuan for the formula and invested 12 million yuan to build a factory. This rising business star showed remarkable courage and boldness. But reality struck hard: after three consecutive months of test runs and more than 1.8 million yuan spent on raw materials, the product still hadn’t rolled off the production line. Meanwhile, the formula’s inventor had already vanished—hope dissolved in an instant.

On a freezing winter night in Wuqing, Tianjin, with temperatures at minus 8°C, a solitary figure approached the icy lake at two or three in the morning. Li Jinyuan stripped down and plunged into the bone-chilling water. The “cold sauna” was his way of staying alert and calm—an act of awakening, and more importantly, a ritual to temper his will.

In the icy water, his thoughts were unusually clear: invest another 4 million—go all in with no way back!

When expert Mr. Zheng proposed a new technical process, this man—already bankrupt—once again showed extraordinary decisiveness: “I’ve studied the process every day. I believe this time, we’ll make it!”

When perseverance is embedded in every attempt, and unwavering resolve runs through every detail, breakthroughs become inevitable—the improved product far exceeded expectations!

When the first batch of finished products rolled out of the factory, Li Jinyuan was so thrilled he couldn’t sleep the entire night.

Mr. Li Jinyuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors, accepted an interview with the CCTV program Xiangyue (Township Covenant).

Selling Cars to Alleviate Difficulties: The Warmth of an Entrepreneur ​

The halo of success had barely settled when even harsher trials followed. Tiens' high-quality products were warmly welcomed upon release, but though sales soared, payments did not return. This caused the company’s capital chain to nearly collapse, pushing the enterprise to the brink of desperation. In this darkest moment, Mr. Li Jinyuan made a deeply moving decision: he sold his beloved Mercedes-Benz and switched to a modest Xiali—just to ensure that employee wages could be paid on time.

In a late-night phone call, this tough man—who had never shed tears even when beaten as a child—broke down sobbing to his third uncle. The family even began discussing arrangements for the care of his four children: the eldest daughter entrusted to his elder brother, the second to his elder sister, the third to their grandparents, and the youngest to his younger sister... Yet despite countless hardships and dangers, his innate tenacity and unyielding spirit led him to persist.

“When the company was small, it belonged to me. After it grows, it belongs to society, to everyone, and even to the nation.”

This simple statement reflects the sense of duty and responsibility shouldered by a private entrepreneur in the face of adversity.

The Xiali car that Mr. Li Jinyuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors, switched to is now on display at the Tiens Group Museum.

Breaking the Deadlock and Venturing Abroad: Lions Roam the World ​

The turning point came in 1995. When traditional sales channels reached an impasse, Li Jinyuan decisively introduced a network-based sales model, breathing new life into Tiens. The marketing network rapidly expanded nationwide, and sales surged. However, in 1998, a shift in national policy dealt Tiens another heavy blow. Facing industry-wide adjustments, distributors began demanding returns and refunds. Although the reasons were not related to product quality, Li Jinyuan demonstrated admirable integrity: “If there’s a return, it must be honored.” Tiens became one of the few companies at the time that did not owe its distributors a single cent.

True strength lies in seeing opportunity amid crisis. As the domestic market underwent transformation, Li Jinyuan had already turned his gaze to the global stage. In his own words, it was “using a thousand pounds to pry four liang”—inch by inch forcing open the doors to the international market. Today, Tiens products are sold in 224 countries and regions, reaching 57 million households. Millions of people of different skin colors are jointly writing the legend of this Chinese brand. From the health industry to cross-border social e-commerce, from educational investment to modern logistics, Tiens Group has grown into a diversified multinational powerhouse.

Tiens Group's Global Business Map

Kind Motherly Demeanor, Boundless Love, and the Path of Charity ​

At the annual meeting in Germany, Mr. Li Jinyuan's grand gesture of rewarding employees with 100 BMWs, 30 planes, and 40 yachts amazed the world with the bold spirit of a Chinese entrepreneur. Yet behind the iron-willed and formidable business magnate lies a boundless tenderness and compassion for those in need. His profound benevolence stirs admiration, but few know that this philanthropic spirit was nurtured by the example of an ordinary rural mother.

“Refugees from Shandong, trembling from the cold—my mother not only invited them in for a meal but also gave them dry food for the road...” These childhood memories are deeply etched in Li Jinyuan’s heart. On a trip to Tibet, he donated his entire travel budget of 200,000 yuan and even emptied the wallets of his companions to help others. The Tiens Group Museum records a charitable footprint totaling as much as 3 billion U.S. dollars. Some laugh at him for “donating to the point of madness,” not realizing that this is a son’s greatest tribute to his mother—and the most sincere continuation of her boundless love.

Investing 10 million RMB to treat children with congenital heart disease

The scene of his mother’s passing became a lifelong sorrow. On the eve of his trip abroad, sensing something amiss, Li Jinyuan gently caressed his sleeping mother’s hand and her kind, loving face. As a patriotic entrepreneur bearing responsibilities to his employees, his company, and his country, he had to leave behind the warmth of his family, forcing himself to hold back tears as he turned away. When the tragic news came over the phone from overseas, this iron-willed man of business broke down in tears. The carefully chosen gift he had bought in Hong Kong could only be offered to his departed mother. In that moment, even heaven and earth seemed to mourn—grieving not only for the loss of a kind-hearted mother, but also for the piercing pain buried in the heart of a man of both valor and tenderness. The sorrow of “a child wishing to care, but the parent no longer present” transformed into a deeper, unwavering devotion: every step of Tiens' growth must give back to the land that raised him.

Lion Soul Forever: The Spiritual Totem of a Chinese Enterprise ​

Standing at the headquarters of Tiens Group, the sculpture—its form and spirit inherited from the Cangzhou Iron Lion—shines with brilliance. Li Jinyuan often said that one must be as bold and enterprising as a lion, but even more, possess the compassion of a mother. From an initial investment of 12 million yuan to a global business empire worth tens of billions, from selling his car to pay salaries to charitable donations totaling three billion U.S. dollars, this entrepreneur spent over thirty years demonstrating the principle that “the way of business is the way of benevolence.”

When asked about his view on wealth, Li Jinyuan gave a thought-provoking answer: “When your money reaches a certain amount, you feel the weight of responsibility even more than the money itself.” With his heart devoted to both country and humanity, the spot among China’s top 500 companies was never the destination, but the starting point from which he would lead Tiens Group toward the world’s top 500. In an era obsessed with quick success and short-term gains, the story of Tiens Group reminds us: true business legends are always built upon a foundation of enduring spirit.

Mr. Li Jinyuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors

After enduring thousands of years of wind and rain, the Cangzhou Iron Lion still stands proudly, not only showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient artisans but also symbolizing the resilient and unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation. Li Jinyuan and the Tiens Group he founded are a modern embodiment of this very spirit—marked by the lion’s courage and relentless drive, coupled with a childlike sincerity and deep patriotism. This may well represent the most moving image of Chinese entrepreneurs and the essence of Chinese commercial civilization.