Li began collecting folk art sculptures when he was young. The first pieces in his collection were two gate piers that stood in front of his house. The stone piers were carved with historical designs, and Li thought of them as his two friends. During his childhood, he woule sometimes even sit beside them and tell them stories. When Li was seven, the city told Li's family to get rid of the piers so that the street could be rebuilt. Rather than throwing them away, Li's father allowed his son to keep them.