"If you have contributed to your country and society, you will be respected by the State and the people and then you will be very happy," Xiao said.

He said 20 percent of the students at his university come from poor families, with about three-quarters of those from very impoverished households.

Xiao said his wife and only daughter, who is in her 50s, also support his donation to assist the poor students.

Born into a poor family, Xiao had 13 brothers and sisters. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was only 8 years old. Xiao enrolled at the university in 1959 and graduated in July 1965.

"In addition to free tuition and free accommodation, I used to be given a grant of 1 to 3 yuan a month at that time," said Xiao.

Xiao was assigned a job in Xinxing county in the western part of Guangdong after he graduated. After spending 19 years in the remote county, he returned to the university and focused on teaching and clinical work.

"It was the Party, the government and university teachers who helped me complete my university studies," he said, adding that everything he has now he owes to them.

Xiao said now he has the capacity to do so, he wants to repay society and the country by helping poor students.

Though he has given financial support to many students from poor families, he said the act of making a donation is enough.

He hopes to live to 100 and his last ambition is to raise general awareness about health issues and healthcare. He hopes Chinese people become the healthiest and longest-living people in the world.

Wang Yuexia in Guangzhou contributed to this story.