An Anhui University student spent three months begging in order to conduct in-depth research into begging groups for his thesis, and he has now written a 40,000-word diary, Xin'an Evening News reports.

It's not unusual to see different kinds of people begging in the streets, but did you ever imagine you would see a postgraduate devote three months of his life to begging? With the intention of conducting in-depth research into begging groups for his thesis, Chen Yong, a 25 year-old majoring in sociology at Anhui University, has now written a 40,000-word diary of his 3 months of life as a beggar, Xin'an Evening News reports.

Chen Yong, a quiet and attractive young man, made up his mind to tackle the original theme of life as a beggar as the topic of his thesis. After the two had talked the idea over, his tutor backed the decision, saying: "The public is ambivalent about beggars and the issue of giving them money; it is often believed that some are confidence tricksters who don't need the money. So it made sense for Chen Yong to conduct in-depth quantitative research and address some psychological questions."

"I have been suffering for months," Chen Yong was quoted by the newspaper as saying. "On the night of December 4, I had to sleep in an underpass with fellow beggars." Despite contact with them by day and night, the beggars would not reveal where they often stay for the nights. The recent arrival of colder weather gave Chen a good chance for a closer contact with some of them when they stayed in the underpass for the night.

By getting to know the beggars, Chen Yong obtained many effective photos, including someone wearing a broad grin and striking a number of different poses. But he also had unfortunate experiences, and was forced to show his understanding when one beggar beat him with a crutch.

"When talking to a beggar, I asked dozens of questions I had tried to memorize." Chen Yong explained that in order to complete a structured piece of research and finish his paper, where 80 questions were listed, he had to ask each beggar many questions, but he struggled to remember more than sixty with any individual. He has now written a 40,000-word begging diary laying the foundations for his thesis.

Chen Yong discovered that most of the beggars live a poor spiritual life, but there are also many newspaper or magazine readers; they also need dignity, although some people believe they lack self-respect.

One particular beggar, who busked for money by playing the erhu (Chinese fiddle), was greatly excited by the news that Chen Yong was a university student. He took comfort from his acquaintanceship with Chen Yong's, after he heard a passer-by saying of him: "What sense does it make to live like this man?"

(China.org.cn by Jessica Zhang, December 8, 2008)