What first looked like a ludicrously rich beggar turned out to be the story of a man trying to help people with disabilities, though some are not convinced by his “heart of gold.”

At around 19:00 on November 7 a “beggar” at the Nanning’s Xianhu Tianchishan Plaza attracted the attention of those around him for two reasons: one, he was driving a car, and two he was begging for 100 million RMB. 

The man, named Wangjiang, drove his car into the plaza, got out and then placed a bowl, a dog and a bird cage on the hood of the car. Written on the bird cage was a sign “I have a dream, my dream is to fly” and a balloon tied to the dog had the words “I am true” written on it. In the bowl were 1 RMB and 100 RMB notes and next to the car stood a TV, which played an interview he gave to the media on loop. With all these props it’s hard to tell if this is more sales pitch or art installation, but it really doesn’t seem like begging.     

Wangjiang currently manages two blind massage parlors, earning 20,000 RMB. According to him, these business ventures meant he spent a great deal of his time talking to people with disabilities, and this made him want to help them. After some thought, Wangjiang decided the best way to fundraise was to go around the country and beg for the money to help these people. And how much did he need? Well, according to him, 100 million RMB will do. He wants to purchase a building, turn it into a restaurant, and provide jobs for people with disabilities.  

So, he bought a car and, in May this year, set off around China. He started in Chengdu and has been to Chongqing, Guiyang, Kunming, and Nanning; his next stop is Haikou. He has so far raised 50,000 RMB, while promising that he has not used any of the donations to pay for his living costs. 

This sounds like the tale of man trying to do a good deed, but netizens, it seems, are not the ‘cup half full’ type of people that we are. Many have questioned the money, “100 million RMB restaurant. Is it made of gold? If it is a charity restaurant, why does he need 100 million RMB?” seem to be popular questions. Some citizens think that Wangjiang calling the journalists was purely for propaganda reasons and to raise his profile. Of the tactic, one lawyer said, “This kind of charitable fundraising practice should be licensed, otherwise it is illegal.”

Source: society.people.com.cn

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Beggar in China