Memorial planned for the late charity activist

A memorial service for the deceased Zhang Jingdi, a retired French-language teacher in Shanghai and a charity enthusiast, will be held this Friday at 10am.

Through his close ties with the local expatriate community, Zhang raised more than 5 million yuan (US$760,000) from foreign friends to help needy people in the city in the past 20 years.

He died of kidney cancer at age 86 in the Zhongshan Hospital on August 9.

His family is now inviting both Chinese and foreign friends to attend the memorial service to be held in the Binhai Guyuan Cemetery in the coastal Fengxian District.

Buses are prepared to take attendants to the cemetery. Pickup points are Lujiabang Road Station Exit 1 for Metro Line 8 and 9 and Century Avenue Station Exit 7 for Metro Line 2, 4, 6 and 9. Last bus leaves before 8am.

Zhang was named a "Charity Star" by the municipal government for his contribution to philanthropy. He battled with kidney cancer for nearly six months and even he was very ill, he still tried to help the needy people, his family said.

More than a dozen foreign readers of Shanghai Daily donated blood to help Zhang after learning that he suffered anemia following a surgery and his AB-negative blood type is rare among Chinese but more common among Caucasians.


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