China's billionaire litter-picker

As he picks up rubbish in the street every morning, wearing an orange T-shirt, Zhong Congrong looks like any other ordinary senior citizen.

But Zhong is actually a billionaire, who owns three enterprises in Chongqing, and who drives around in a Mercedes-Benz SUV.

For the past three years, Zhong Congrong has been voluntarily picking up rubbish in his local community, wearing a T-shirt carrying environmental slogans. Even the cars parked in his villa proclaim eco-friendly messages. 

Zhong picks up rubbish in the street every morning. [Photo: cqnews.net]

As he passes by restaurants, supermarkets and bus stops, he plays recorded slogans, such as, "No litter on the street, no litter for the next generation."

Speaking to cqnews.net, Zhong said that picking up rubbish is his favorite hobby, which has not only turned him into a steadier person but also improved his ability to communicate with others.

Zhong’s actions have also impressed many foreigners. [Photo: cqnews.net]

Zhong was initially motivated by a stranger he encountered in Sanya during a family trip to Hainan in 2015, who was picking up rubbish voluntarily on the beach. Zhong discovered that the 70-year-old stranger was a former professor from Tsinghua University, who started picking up rubbish after he retired.

The billionaire businessman was so touched by the old man, that when he returned home and saw all the rubbish on the streets in his community, he decided to become a volunteer litter-picker himself. "I not only pick up rubbish myself, but also tell others to protect the environment," he says. He has also distributed 2,000 orange T-shirts bearing environmental slogans to all his employees.

Zhong has distributed the T-shirts to his employees. [Photo: cqnews.net]

The reaction hasn't been all good. Some have criticized Zhong for being so public about his actions, which he says frustrates him. But he says it won't make him give up.

Last year, Zhong was given a "Best People in China" award by China’s Central Guidance Commission on Building Spiritual Civilization.