In 1998, Chen's focus shifted to education and its role in poverty alleviation after he assumed the post of chairman of the Guangzhou committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

He sought donations for teacher training, building a new high school, cultivating children from ethnic backgrounds and renovating school and kindergarten buildings. More than 30,000 students have graduated from the high school in the past 17 years.

He launched an education foundation specially for Baise in 2011, which has raised more than 140 million yuan ($21.5 million), including 220,000 yuan of his own money, and helped 31,000 children.

Chen was named vice-chairman of the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation in 2005, after he retired from the CPPCC Guangzhou committee, with his efforts extending to earthquake stricken areas and many other poverty-plagued regions.

His contribution was recognized, winning him the title of National Poverty Alleviation Champion in 1998 and Outstanding Person in National East-West Poverty Alleviation Coordination in 2004.

The keys to poverty alleviation, Chen said, are understanding its importance, empathy toward poverty-stricken people, choosing the right solutions, tough measures, and a down-to-earth working style.

"If you don't shed tears, you don't have deep feelings. In poverty relief work, you can never have a sense of superiority and complain that people are lazy and uncivilized. This is not right."

In terms of tough measures, Chen recalled relocating people and providing access to roads, water, power, radio and TV and renovating thatched houses.

"Back then, when we built a road in Baise, an official at a provincial level was required to take the responsibility for 1 kilometer and a city-level official, 500 meters. No matter what, the road had to be completed."