JINAN -- Taiwanese businessman Liu Zhucheng says that some of the happiest moments of his life have been the semi-annual gatherings that he has held with his kids. Not his actual children, but youngsters whose education has been improved by Liu's charitable actions.

The 67-year-old Liu started helping children from poor families to pay for schooling 10 years ago in east China's Shandong Province.

He has provided financial support for 135 children so far, all of whom are orphans or are from single-parent families. Many of them made it all the way from elementary school to college with Liu's assistance.

Liu knows the struggles these children deal with, as he was born to a poor family and lost his parents during his childhood. He funded his own postgraduate studies with help from friends and relatives, going on to study abroad in Britain with the help of a scholarship.

At the age of 50, Liu quit his job as a civil servant and shifted to the business sector, hoping to offer a better life for his five daughters, three of whom were adopted from poor families.

With limited start-up capital, Liu started his business 15 years ago in Shandong. Just five years after breaking ground, Liu saw his business prosper and realized that he had a chance to give back to society.

Liu does so in the form of semi-annual gatherings with his children, disbursing 6,000 yuan (around 933 U.S. dollars) to each child to cover their living expenses for one year. Liu also pays for their school tuition.