Xiong Shuihua, a multimillionaire who is 54 years of age, has recently decided to put his money back where he believes it is needed most – his home village of Xiongkeng in southern China. A mogul in the construction and steel trades, Xiong is now improving the lives of people who are in the shoes he once filled.
By running down all the old flats and building new apartments and villas, 72 families can now live (more than) comfortably in the same village.
“‘I earned more money than I knew what to do with, and I didn’t want to forget my roots,” Xiong said. He added, “I always pay my debts, and wanted to make sure the people who helped me when I was younger and my family were paid back.” The luxury flats also have playgrounds, outdoor sitting areas, neatly paved walkways, and the like. It is somewhere I think anybody would consider living in.
Additionally, as if that wasn’t a kind enough gesture already, Xiong has decided to essentially provide some sort of social security for the elderly. He is paying for three meals a day for the village’s senior citizens. An incredible donation by someone who is truly passionate about China’s modernization.
Source: http://www.superstarlifestyle.com/multimillionaire-builds-luxury-homes-for-everyone-in-his-old-town-completely-for-free/
How big is this village?
Such philanthropy is not new to China, where there is at least some tradition of noblesse oblige. An example is Shantou University, with an extraordinarily beautiful campus funded by an ex-pat, the Hong Kong muli-billionaire Li Ka-shing. There are likewise clan shrines across China. But that need not imply that this is the norm (cf. the repeated Doonesbury comic theme on the efforts of a group of billionaires to convince their peers to give back a little…Carnegie in the US was quoted as saying the greatest sin he could commit would be to die rich rather than working to give it all away.)
This actually does not surprise me as Chinese culture seems so deeply rooted in family, good values (despite government corruption) and tradition. With harmony being a core Chinese value, it is understandable that accruing significant wealth would lead one to give back and make even his “debts.”
http://carnegietsinghua.org/publications/?fa=53613
This is really interesting that one man can make such a difference for his home town and in fact provide these people with such benefits. If this can turn into a common practice it would be really interesting to see how the rural section would improve. Granted it did help that he was a construction and steel mogul, making the improvements that he offered easier by nature. It was really nice for him to offer “some sort of social security for the elderly” since this is not a common practice by the government of China.
What a great article. This is a great story but it really highlights the wealth extremes that can be found in China. This grand gesture will surely change his village forever.