Man pays way for needy to make festival journeys
0 
A man from Northwest China has become an anonymous hero after launching a charity campaign to help needy migrants get home for Spring Festival, China's most important holiday, which falls on February 3 this year.
"I'm not from a wealthy or powerful family and I don't want to be famous," said Wang Le (not his real name), 23, a businessman from Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province. "I just want to lend a helping hand to those in need, with a train ticket home or a gift for their family."
Wang posted "Let me help you if you are penniless and unable to go home" at mop.com, a popular portal, on January 13, saying he was willing to pay for train tickets, bus fares or gifts for anyone too poor to afford a trip home.
In his posting, Wang left only his contact details on the QQ chat site and a screen name, "Shabby Jeans."
The posting, which many Internet users described as "the first ray of sunshine" they saw in the New Year, has received almost 2 million clicks and been followed by 10,000 responses.
In under two weeks, Wang has remitted more than 10,000 yuan ($1,519) to more than 60 people. For every remittance, he posts a photocopy of the remittance notice on mop.com, with the receiver's name and bank account blurred.
For everyone who asks for financial support, Wang requests a photocopy of their ID and chats with the applicant, to confirm the applicant is really in poverty.
Many people who came for help were troubled by the scarcity of train tickets rather than the fares. "They thought I was a scalper who could obtain tickets for them. I have repeated up to 100 times I am not."
While the majority of Internet users show respect, Wang's posting also drew skepticism and even hostile comments, saying he was "either a swindler or an avid profiteer advertising his private business."
Go to Forum >>0 Comments