A chef in Beijing has won 10 million yuan (US$1.3 million) on the Chinese lottery after buying 100 of 214 winning tickets just before the Chinese New Year, the Beijing Times reported on Monday.

The Chongqing-born cook, who has requested anonymity from the lottery organizers, bought 100 Sports Lottery tickets for two yuan each from a Beijing lottery vendor with the same number "56470" on February 15. Each ticket won 100,000 yuan (US$ 13,000).

The new addition to the millionaire ranks said he was not a regular buyer of lottery tickets and had no secret for guessing the right numbers. He said he just wanted to try his luck during the festival.

China's lottery sales reached 81.93 billion yuan in 2006 after it launched the first lottery in June 1987. China has two lotteries - the China Welfare Lottery and China Sports Lottery.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)