92-year-old man sells home to support new Ninghai school

Chen Shaozong(right), aged 92, donates more than 2.2 million yuan from the sale of his ancestral home to Taoyuan No 2 Middle School in Ningbo's Ninghai county on May 31. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

Chen Shaozong, aged 92, recently donated more than 2.2 million yuan ($338,461) from the sale of his ancestral home to Taoyuan No 2 Middle School in Ningbo's Ninghai county.

Born in Ninghai, Chen worked as an engineer at a shipbuilding company in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province after graduating from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

From 2005 to August 2012, he was engaged in ship development and design at the Dalian Ship Design and Research Center of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. In May 2011, he was hired as a special expert at the Dalian Academician Workstation.

During his career, Chen designed numerous ships, including bulk cargo ships, oil tankers, and ore carriers.

In 1990, he won the first prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. Starting from 1992, he became a recipient of a special allowance granted by the State Council.

Chen's donation is in line with the wishes of his father, who served as the first head of the Ninghai education bureau during the Minguo period (1912-49).

The money will be used to build Taoyuan No 2 Middle School. The school, with a total investment of 423.42 million yuan, plans to enroll 36 classes and 1,620 students after completing construction in 2023.

Official statistics show that the Ninghai People's Education Foundation received donations by 224 individuals and enterprises in 2020, with a combined value of 82 million yuan.