Books are wonderful things, but any reader knows that if you hang onto them all, the pile will grow and grow until it's taken over the entire house. Rather than throwing them away or selling them for a pittance, take them to new charity chicken wing restaurant, Love Roasted Chicken Wing (Aixin Kaochi), where they can be exchanged for chuan'er and good feelings.

Tian Gang is the owner of two such charity chicken wing restaurants. After finishing his MBA program at a graduate school in Canada, he came back to China in 2004 and has since worked for several well-known IT companies. But Tian says he still felt compelled to give back to the community, and decided the best way to do that was to open his two restaurants, one in Zhongguancun and one in Baiziwan, where he offers a 0.2 yuan discount on chuan'er chicken wings (normally 5 yuan) to anyone who brings in books for migrant workers' children.

"I've been thinking about doing some public welfare things for a very long time," Tian said. "This is my dream. But after I worked for those big companies, I found what I've been doing is gradually breaking away from my dream; what's more, I wanted to start my own business, so after I met two men from Shandong Province that can do delicious roast chicken wings, I opened my charity restaurant."

Charity theme

There are two theme days in these restaurants now; every Tuesday is Aid the Poor Students Day and every Saturday is the Aid Children with Leukemia Day.

"One of the Shandong brothers had a very good academic record but he gave up study after he finished the compulsory education because of poverty. His father died, leaving his mother, older sister and him at home. As the only man at home, he then came to Beijing to earn money in order to let his older sister go to college," Tian said, explaining the motivation behind "aid for poor students day."

Regarding the "aid for children with leukemia day," Tian said, "My little sister died of leukemia when she was only 6 years old, so I want to help those poor children who are suffering from the same disease."

Besides offering a 0.2 yuan discount on every chicken wing skewer on the theme days, Tian also donates 0.1 yuan per skewer to charity. "So far, I've donated 530 yuan to the Children's Hope Foundation and I will donate more to other foundations in the future," Tian said.

Leading by example

Zhang Hongxin, a senior middle school teacher, supports Tian's program and brought her 10-year-old boy along to participate. "We've spent 400 yuan to buy some school supplies for poor children after I read about it on the Web earlier this month," Zhang said. "My boy was very happy when he heard that he can offer help to his peers and told me that he would take out his New Year's money to buy books and stationery for them."

"I was surprised that he would say that, because he usually says that I should not interfere in his New Year's money," she continued. "So I think this is a good platform to educate children to do charity, and I will mobilize people to support Tian as well."

Love Roasted Chicken Wing:

Address: No 84, Baofusi, Zhongguancun Nandajie, Handian district

Tel: 6261-2625

Address: A 16, Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang district

Tel: 156-1148-7539