A statue in Hangzhou Library dedicated to an extraordinary soul: Wei Sihao韦思浩, the "scavenger" scholar.
By day, he collected recyclables on the streets of Hangzhou. By night, he buried his head in books at the Hangzhou Library. Every single time before he touched a page, he would carefully wash his hands out of sheer respect for knowledge.
When critics questioned why a scavenger was allowed inside, the library gave a beautiful reply: "We are a public institution. Knowledge belongs to everyone, without tiers or classes."
The moving truth only unfolded after he tragically passed away in a car accident in 2015. Wei wasn’t just a scavenger—he was a retired school teacher who chose this humble life to quietly donate every penny he made to support underprivileged students.
In 2018, the public crowdfunded this bronze statue inside the library to honor his memory.