The courtyard of Yuhu Elementary School in the UNESCO World Heritage site in Lijiang, Yunnan, that Li Xiaodong designed.[Photo provided to China Daily]

In designing the school he built on the idea of a traditional Naxi courtyard, using an old maple tree as its center and dividing the yard into two parts by adopting a Z-shaped layout.

A water area was created at the entrance to the school, not only to adjust the humidity of the whole space, but also to produce reflections of the surroundings that form a harmonious picture with the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain far away. The school, which was built with the help of 160 students and nearly 1,300 villagers, opened in 2007 and has won the appreciation not only of villagers, but many international awards as well.

Li's other projects, apart from Liyuan Library, include an elementary school in Yuhu and Bridge School in the village of Xiaoshi, Fujian province.

Asked why he chooses to work on projects in rural area, Li said: "Because I can realize my architectural ideas without interference from other people. Commercial projects in cities tend to be very complicated, and architects have to listen to the advice of investors.

"My projects in rural areas are an exploration of architectural design and are processes of experimentation and investigation."