A 71-year-old man in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region who won a lottery jackpot of 5 million yuan (US$617,000) has donated all of the money to charity.

Surnamed Wang, the old man was a retired worker with the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in Changji, said sources with the Welfare Lottery Centre of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

His pension was 600 yuan (US$74) per month, local media reported.

"My only wish to make use of the prize for myself is to buy a new radio," Wang, wearing an old cotton-wadded coat, was quoted by the Xinjiang Economic Daily as saying.

On November 21 when Wang arrived at the lottery complex in Urumqi to receive his prize, he donated the first batch of 500,000 yuan (US$61,600) to a charity project set up by the centre.

It aims to finance schooling of students in poverty.

The real income for Wang from the prize was 4 million yuan (US$493,000) after he paid personal income tax of 1 million yuan (US$123,000) according to law.

He donated the remaining 3.5 million yuan (US$437,000) to charity affairs through a Catholic organization, sources with the Xinjiang Welfare Lottery Centre said.

"I donated the money because I want to help others I am very happy to do something for society," he was quoted by the Xinjiang Economic Daily as saying.

"Too much money means nothing to me. But this money will be very helpful for those in need."

He said the monthly income of 600 yuan (US$74) from his pension was enough for him.

Staff at the lottery centre said Wang was unlike the normally extremely excited or nervous winners when he arrived to claim his prize.

Wang came to Xinjiang in 1956 from north China's Henan Province. He had been engaged in farming and stock raising before retirement.

His wife has passed away.

Wang revealed he did not tell his only daughter, who lived outside Changji, that he had won the prize.

"My daughter lives in a good condition," he was quoted as saying.

"I will not leave a single penny to her. Those people that urgently need help deserve the prize."

Although his pension is merely 600 yuan per month, Wang claimed he never said no to others who wanted to borrow money from him if he could afford it.

He began to buy welfare lottery tickets in 2003 when he learned that receipts would help those in need.

The biggest prize he received ahead of the 5 million (US$617,000) was less than 10 yuan (US$1.2), sources said.

(China Daily December 2, 2005)