Frugal professor gives all for poor students

TCM expert who refuses to spend money on himself makes generous donation to fund

Money is better spent changing people's lives than being kept in a drawer or a bank, according to Xiao Xinhe, a senior professor at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in Guangdong province.

Xiao, 83, has touched the hearts of many teachers and students at his university through his acts of generosity. He has donated a total of 700,000 yuan ($100,000) to a university fund to aid students from poor families. This month alone, the senior traditional Chinese medicine practitioner has given 200,000 yuan.

"If I can help others, my life can become more meaningful," Xiao said.

In addition to his own donations, Xiao calls on his well-off friends to make a financial contribution to help poor students. So far, 28 of his friends have donated more than 760,000 yuan to the fund.

Despite his largesse, one of Xiao's colleagues said the professor is "too mean to buy himself new clothes" and always likes to have small denominations of money in his pocket. He is jokingly nicknamed the "stingy professor", said the colleague.

Xiao usually eats in the university canteen, but he never spends more than 8 yuan on a meal.

"I just eat enough for sustenance, I don't care what I eat," said Xiao who is a deputy director of a university working committee that cares for the next generation of students and also a professor at Guangzhou University of Elderly Cadres.

Xiao said he is indifferent about money. He rides an old bike when he goes to work, visits patients or goes shopping.

He said he has ridden the secondhand bike that he purchased for 45 yuan for more than 25 years. If parts of the bicycle break he has them repaired.

In addition to giving lectures, he sees patients three times a week, with six patients each time. Xiao, a member of the Communist Party of China, said his consultation fees, teaching payments, bank interest, and 8 percent of his pension are donated to the fund every month.

"I have a monthly pension of about 10,000 yuan and that is enough for me to live on," he said.