Chinese Nobel laureate declines villa from philanthropist

Mo Yan, the first Chinese to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, has declined a philanthropist’s offer of a villa, saying he cannot accept things not earned from his sweat.

According to a report from China News Service Wednesday, Chen Guangbiao, one of China`s most ostentatious businessmen and philanthropists, recently wrote on Sina Weibo, China`s version of Twitter, that he would give one of his two villas in Beijing to Mo.

In an interview on behalf of the Nobel laureate, however, Mo’s elder brother kindly declined the offer, mentioning the Chinese proverb, “One should not receive a reward for doing nothing”

The reason Chen proposed to give Mo a villa is the latter lives in a 91-square-meter house with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter and maid. The writer earns an income soley from his job as vice chairman of the government-run Chinese Writers` Association.

Supposed to receive royalties from his novels, Mo has no proper earnings due to widespread piracy, his wife said.

His home in Gaomi, Shandong Province, looks shabby for that of a renowned author. Located on the fifth floor of a six-story apartment, the unit has furniture that is extremely old except for a 40-inch TV.

Mo said in an interview that he want to use the 8 million Swedish krona (1.2 million dollars) in Nobel prize money to buy a house in Beijing. But whether he can afford one in the Chinese capital with that sum alone is doubtful.

Many say, however, that it is a matter of time before he becomes rich since he has become an international celebrity.

koh@donga.com