Faye Wong (R) and her husband Li Yapeng attend a charity banquet for their Smile Angel Foundation in Shanghai on Saturday, December 8, 2007. [Photo: yule.sohu.com]

A slew of Chinese celebrities gathered on Saturday and raised record proceeds at a charity banquet for the Smile Angel Foundation, which was founded by former pop diva Faye Wong and her actor husband Li Yapeng.

Stars from every corner of the entertainment industry joined entrepreneurs and socialites at the Hyatt on the Bund hotel in Shanghai, where more than 20 million yuan (US$2.7 million) was collected through auctions and donations.

Last year's event only raised 8.45 million yuan, with all proceeds going to surgery for poor children with harelips.

There was particularly fierce bidding at Saturday's auction of 17 pieces of art donated by their acclaimed creators.

Stars were invited to present the artwork to the winners.

Faye Wong and her husband also made a rare appearance together to present special awards to the highest contributors.

At the end of the night, Hong Kong actress Carina Lau, an ambassador for the charity banquet, handed a check with the proceeds to the Chinese Red Cross Foundation.

Other stars, including mainland singer Vicki Zhao Wei, Hong Kong singer Eason Chan, and Taiwan rock star Chang Chen Yue, lit up the night with live performances.

Mainland pop singer and new mother Na Ying also showed off her voice.

The Smile Angel Foundation was established in 2006 shortly after the birth of Faye Wong and Li Yapeng's first child, Li Yan, who suffers from a cleft lip. The foundation has ever since been helping children with cleft lips whose families cannot afford treatment.