An education foundation in the name of Qi Gong was set up by the Beijing Normal University on July 26, the 93th anniversary of the birth of the noted Chinese calligrapher.

Qi died of illness on June 30, at the age of 93. Since then, people including his students and business people have donated over 8 million yuan (about US$1 million) and over 100 calligraphic works to the foundation.

The foundation will launch a number of programs to award scholars, teachers and students, and to encourage people to contribute to the development of the country's education, science and cultural sectors, said Liu Chuansheng, the secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) committee of the Beijing-based Normal University.

Qi was a prestigious educator, master of the Chinese culture and artist. In 1991, he donated more than 1.63 million yuan (about US$200,000) to set up a foundation to award hardworking students.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2005)