BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- A couple of senior Chinese scientists donated their life savings of 1.5 million yuan ($223,000) to the education foundation of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences to establish a scholarship on Tuesday.

Wedding picture of Zheng Ruyong and Huang He (Photo: Scientist magazine)

Zheng Ruyong, an 88-year-old academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and her husband Huang He, also a scientist in his 90s, set up the scholarship to encourage young students to pursue scientific studies.

Zheng, born in Hong Kong in 1931, entered CAS in 1953 to become a mycologist. Her research on powdery mildew has reached the world advanced level.

She suffered from bone rarefaction and lumbar disease as a result of longtime work in front of a microscope. Over the past 15 years, she stood more than eight hours every day to continue her research.

From 2012 to 2018, Zheng donated a total of 300,000 yuan to the Beijing Haiying Spinal Health Foundation to help surgical treatment of poor children suffering from spinal diseases.

Living a simple life, the couple donated all their savings to help young students and sick children.