Behind the figures on the two philanthropist lists recently released in China, a conspicuous questionh emerges: What motivates these Chinese "new rich" to donate to charities?

Huang Rulun, ranked at the top of the two "Most Generous Chinese Mainland Philanthropists "lists, is regarded as the most generous individual in China. This 54-year-old real estate magnate is estimated to have contributed nearly 400 million yuan (US$48 million), accounting for 26 per cent of his wealth. He also occupied first place on these two lists last year.

Praised as "China's Carnegie" for his generous donations, Huang should be regarded as a philanthropist with deep roots in traditional Chinese culture, in his family background as well as his motivations for donating.

"I am deeply influenced by Confucius' saying that successful people should give, as well as by the old book entitled 'Yi Jing' (Book of Changes). I donate because I like giving," said Huang, who ascribes his success in business partly to his belief in Confucianism.

Confucian belief

Born in a farming family from East China's Fujian Province, Huang is proud that one of his forebears studied with an ancient Confucian scholar named Zhu Xi, who is well-known to most Chinese. He believes that orthodox Confucian theory has been passed down in his family in the form of ancestral traditions and ethics. Huang emphasized that as a boy, he was determined to repay the people who loved him and helped him.

He mainly donates to education, poverty alleviation and health causes, much of the money going to his hometown.

"Charity could be viewed as one of the traditions of China," said a sociologist named Gu Xiaoming in Shanghai's Fudan University. "While the Western philanthropists are commonly motivated by Protestantism, Confucianism is a power leading the Chinese people to donate." In retrospect, Gu said, the early Chinese entrepreneurs who emerged at the beginning of the 20th century had an admirable attitude to helping the poor, resulting from an understanding of traditional culture.

Yu Pengnian, an 83-year-old philanthropist presents similar thoughts rooted in Confucianism. "For me, money is only something external," he said. "Traditional Confucianism always calls for us to help others. Giving a hand to the people who need it is a source of happiness."

Similar experiences

As the list-maker Hoogewerf observed, the common motivation behind these entrepreneurs' donations is their similar experiences of being poor. "Actually, nearly all the listed philanthropists had a tough time 20 years ago when there were no rich people in China," he said. "After success and affluence, their hard experiences have made them more likely to help people in poverty."

Having built his business from nothing, Yu recalled his early tough times in Hong Kong. "I migrated to Hong Kong when I was 28. At the beginning, I had to work more than 10 hours every day and sleep on the floor because I had no money and no one to depend on," he said.

As a successful businessman, Yu is now the oldest philanthropist and the second most generous on the two lists. He has made special donations to patients with cataracts because he once suffered from the same disease. "Unlike Nobel, I like to support the poor because I used to be poor and I understand the misery of poor people," he said.

Huang left school at the age of 15 and started various small businesses. He later emigrated to the Philippines, like many others in his hometown. He has shown a special enthusiasm for supporting educational causes. One of Huang's donations was made after he watched a television programme depicting the poor quality of school buildings, shabbily dressed students and unpaid poor teachers in the city of Chongqing.

Li Jinyuan, an entrepreneur who now possesses a large-scale direct sales business in China and abroad, once encountered failures and frustrations in his life. It is reported that he went from wealth to poverty several times, which has given him a placid attitude to wealth.

"I consider my wealth as a kind of responsibility," Li said. He has maintained frugal living habits even as he became concerned with charities and eventually set up a fund in Hong Kong. "When I see people in trouble or needing help, I often make myself give them a hand," he said.

Chinese philanthropists can make donations through three different channels: directly to individuals; to charitable foundations; and by setting up their own funds. For most Chinese entrepreneurs who are not professional philanthropists, managing their donations effectively remains a problem they have not enough time and capability to deal with.

"We used to offer cash to the poor in temples as a way of donating," said Huang Tao, Huang Rulun's son who also assists him in running the business. "Even now some of his donations result from a casual decision. He often writes a check after hearing of some disaster or shortage of money somewhere," he added.

Huang turned down his son's suggestion that he establish a special charitable foundation, saying he prefers direct donations because he is quite busy with his own business.

"Furthermore, I am more accomplished in creating a fortune than running a foundation," he said.