A MUG owned by late Chinese pop singer, Yao Beina, has been auctioned for 71,700 yuan (US$11,565) in an online charity auction of Yao’s personal articles.

    Yao died of breast cancer at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital at the age of 33 earlier this year. She became the 964th cornea donor in Shenzhen after her father, Yao Feng, acted for her Jan. 9 to sign a will of donation.

    Yao’s 93 personal articles were put under the hammer Sunday night to raise funds for Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County Middle School in Xinjiang.

    A fan gave Yao the mug in December 2013, and it was one of Yao’s favorites, according to her father.

    A person, who was using the same family name as Yao on the Internet, acquired the mug in the auction.

    All 93 items were sold at the auction. A travel suitcase was auctioned for 21,600 yuan and a painting created and signed by Yao sold for 49,600 yuan, according to a report on yesterday’s Shenzhen Evening News.

    The online auction lasted until 10 p.m. Monday.

    A second stage of the online auction has started, the paper said.

    Yao, who sang the theme song for the Chinese version of the TV drama “The Back Palace: Legend of Zhen Huan,” became famous in China after she showed up as a contestant on the reality talent show “The Voice of China” in 2013.

    Her death has brought breast cancer awareness into the spotlight again, following American actress Angelina Jolie’s decision to undergo a double mastectomy.

    (Martin Li)