Earthquake aid

Shen recalled how anxious she was after the Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008 as she followed the news. She was especially concerned about the safety of the school children. "Seeing the rows of schoolbags lined up beside the debris I couldn't sleep," she said.

A news report saying that all the students from a local school, which was built to withstand high-magnitude earthquakes, had survived, caught Shen's attention. She decided to build a safe school for the children.

Shen sold her house on June 12 and went to Dujiangyan nine days later.

"My father died when I was 8 and my mother raised my four siblings and me with the help of neighbors and friends. So when I had a spare apartment, I thought I'd love to share," said Shen, referring to the proceeds from its sale.

Shen's daughter-in-law, Shi Yan, said the family supported her decision. "If she passes on her property to her own grandchildren she is the grandmother of two kids. But if she donates it to others she's the grandmother of thousands of children," Shi said.

Shen said the primary school, which was constructed with the 4.5 million yuan she earned from the apartment sale, could stand a magnitude 9 earthquake. It now ranks among the top 10 in Dujiangyan academically.

"Some parents in neighboring villages also hope to send their children to our school," said Shen, who goes to the school each year to see if there is anything she can help with, such as donations for students from low-income families.

Shen also uses her connections in the education field to take the Dujiangyan teachers to Shanghai for training each year.