Chinese library erects statue for altruistic rubbish collector

HANGZHOU, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- A statue of elderly man absorbed in a book, with a bamboo stick and plastic bottles beside him, was erected at the Hangzhou Public Library on Tuesday.

The 1.95-meter-tall half-body statue at the library in capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, commemorates Wei Sihao, a rubbish collector who secretly donated money to poor rural students for more than 20 years.

After Wei passed away following a car accident in 2015, his family discovered his secret. Wei, a retired teacher, had donated most of his pension to poor students, and even collected garbage to support his philanthropy.

Wei loved reading. He was a frequent visitor to the library and always carefully washed his hands before reading books.

After his death, several organizations jointly launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a statue of him.

"The statue shows Wei's personality and spirit -- simple but tough," said Zhu Bingren, the designer.

In addition, a reading fund dedicated to supporting poor students was also launched on Tuesday, with Zhu and Wei's children donating 110,000 yuan (about 17,200 U.S. dollars).

"The best way to commemorate my father is by carrying forward his selfless spirit and continuing his unfinished work," said Wei's daughter. Enditem