THE Singapore Sun has spread her warmth in the rural areas of China.

Local singer Sun Ho recently donated $70,000 to a rundown primary school in Sha Ping village in Henan Province, the China news website Sina.com reported.

This is the fourth school that she has helped, with contributions ranging from $40,000 to $70,000 per school, said her publicist, Ms Melissa Lam.

Earlier, she made donations to two schools in Chongqing and Guizhou, and sponsored a school computer laboratory in Liaoning.

Ms Lam said the total amount of the singer's donations comes to about $200,000.

The contributions are largely from Sun's album royalties. The singer has released five Chinese CDs since 2002.

Her latest album, Embrace, sold more than 100,000 copies in Taiwan earlier this year, said Ms Lam.

A magazine in China praised Sun's philanthropic efforts and labelled her 'Angel Of Love'.

Sun, who has a 2-year-old son, told The New Paper that helping less fortunate children is something close to her heart.

PASSIONATE

She said in a short interview through her publicist that she is 'especially passionate' about educating the young because she believes it is crucial to building the foundation of a successful life.

'Children born into situations of poverty are given the key to dream of a better future for themselves when they receive the knowledge and the better prospects that a good education brings,' she said.

Sun is now touring in the US and preparing for her new English album.

Her donation to the school in the Henan village has allowed it to build a new three-storey block with 16 classrooms, reported Sina.com. This means it can accommodate 800 more students, in addition to its current intake of 500.

The village is home to about 3,300 people, most of whom are poorly educated and earn about RMB$1,500 a year ($300).

To thank the big-hearted singer, the school has renamed its new building Yao Shan Hua Duo Primary, after Sun's Chinese name Hao Shan. Its students gave Sun a warm welcome when she visited during the official opening of the new building last month.

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