Bai Fang Li

Bai Fangli was a Chinese pedicab driver in Tianjin who donated 350,000 yuan (US$54,958 in 2015) over a span of 18 years to enable more than 300 poor students to continue with their studies.

Background Bai Fangli was born in Hebei and lived with his wife and his daughter, Bai Jinfeng. He also lived in a shabby house in the outskirts of Tianjin and ate humble food, according to local media.

Illness and death In May 2005, Bai was sent to a hospital, where he was found to have lung cancer. He had been in a deep coma for about 20 days prior. His health eventually worsened, and he died in that same year at the age of 92.

After hearing that Bai was seriously ill, Nankai University students folded 99 paper cranes in early September 2005 to pray for him.