Two years ago, the sports teacher relocated from a small city in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang to the Chinese metropolis.

"Principally, there should be no night flights at Yichun airport, " said the notice from China Southern's Heilongjiang branch that was posted online.

During years in Beijing spent on his own petition on a Heilongjiang case, Li became active in assisting other petitioners with their cases, offering advice and legal aid.

In 2007, the northernmost province of Heilongjiang reported a summer drought, which is almost unheard of in what is usually a flood season.

Li shot six photographs of the scene, of which the Heilongjiang Daily published two.