20 Year Success Story: Zeng Yunshi’s journey

6 February 2026

As ACTAsia celebrates its 20^th anniversary in 2026, we are honoured to highlight individuals who have grown alongside the organisation, contributing their time, skills, and care over many years. One such individual is Zeng Yunshi, a longtime volunteer and illustrator whose relationship with ACTAsia began in her teenage years and continues today.

Zeng Yunshi is a talented illustrator from Guangzhou whose career spans graphic design, event planning, illustration, and toy design. In addition to ACTAsia’s 20^th anniversary, 2026 will also mark Yunshi’s 30^th birthday. Her story is one of proactivity, artistic versatility, and long-standing commitment to education, compassion, and respect for life in all its forms.

Introducing Zeng Yunshi 

Animals have shaped Yunshi’s understanding of care and responsibility from an early age. Growing up, she witnessed many of the challenges animals face – neglect, abandonment, and harm – which led her to reflect on how people relate to other living beings.

She reflects on early memories of befriending ducklings in kindergarten and the formative relationship of adopting a puppy named ‘Little Flower’ in elementary school and caring for the animal throughout its long life.  It was from a young age that Yunshi came to understand animals and humans as natural allies, interdependent and mutually supportive in the world of sentient beings. 

 “My experiences with animals inspired me to view life through a new lens. I aspire to live authentically, embracing every moment of existence. Even pain is an essential part of life,” Yunshi shares. 

Yunshi’s Journey with ACTAsia

As a teenager, Yunshi worked at a children’s playground, where she observed how differently children treated animals. Some showed tenderness and care, while others acted thoughtlessly or even violently. These moments reinforced her belief in the importance of an education founded in care and compassion. 

“Empathy, responsibility, and critical thinking not only reduce violence and conflict but also teach people to distinguish between good and evil. This lets them protect themselves, others and the world.”

In 2012, while still in middle school, Yunshi came across ACTAsia’s Fur Free campaign on Weibo. She was immediately drawn to ACTAsia’s Caring for Life education philosophy and proactively reached out, hoping to support the organisation through her artistic skills.

Over the past 14 years, Yunshi has contributed illustrations to numerous ACTAsia initiatives, including the Caring for Life Children’s Education Handbook, the Sustainable Fur-Free Fashion campaign, and New Year charity posters. Her work has provided consistent and meaningful creative support for ACTAsia’s education and advocacy efforts.

Through her collaboration with ACTAsia and her own creative practice, Yunshi has developed a strong artistic philosophy of tenderness and hope. Whether she is creating original picture books or illustrating for various ACTAsia projects, Yunshi strives to create a light, positive atmosphere that leaves viewers feeling “as if the whole world has become a better place.” 

This approach echoes ACTAsia’s core values of empathy, integrity, respect, collaboration, and sustainability. It also reflects the goals of Caring for Life, which nurtures empathy, responsibility, and critical thinking in children. As Yunshi explains, these qualities enable children to “discern right from wrong,” extend help to others in critical moments, and understand that “loving oneself comes before loving others.”

Looking Ahead: Growing Together with Kindness

Today, Yunshi continues to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a picture book illustrator. She actively participates in competitions and continues to create stories for children. She believes that it is only through maintaining kindness and positive energy within herself that her work can genuinely touch others. 

Yunshi maintains that meaningful change often begins in the small, quotidian moments. Her long-term collaboration with ACTAsia reflects this belief. She values ACTAsia’s commitment to addressing the root causes of social challenges: advocating for dialogue, education, and action. This approach helps build a world where people treat one another, animals, and the environment with greater care.

ACTAsia is incredibly proud to share Yunshi’s story. That she has dedicated herself to public welfare since her teenage years is of deep significance. Yunshi has grown from a young volunteer into a creative professional, all while dedicating herself to just causes. Individuals like Yunshi, coming from diverse backgrounds and guided by sincerity and dedication, have brought strength and warmth to ACTAsia at every stage of its development.

Join Us in Action 

As ACTAsia marks 20 years of education, compassion, and action, we invite you to support our important educational initiatives. By equipping children, consumers, and professionals with empathy, responsibility, and critical thinking, we can address the root causes of animal cruelty, environmental destruction and interpersonal harm. Together, we can work toward a more compassionate and sustainable future.

Please consider donating today.