Sowing seeds of charity

The recent multiple charity events in Shanghai, in which 20,000 student volunteers raised money on the streets in chilly weather, have not only warmed the hearts of millions of people in the city, they are also expected to inspire in many more elsewhere the ideal of giving back to society.

In fact, the country has never seen a public zest for charity equal to the one last year when people from all walks of life - individuals and companies, rich and poor - rushed to offer their time and money to help the victims of the winter storms and devastating Sichuan earthquake.

Charity is a worthy cause because it encourages the public to aid the poor, sick and helpless through generous acts or donations. It conforms both to traditional Chinese values and today's motto of achieving common prosperity and building a harmonious society.