appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Zoey Zhang

China’s “most devoted fraudster” has returned to public attention after mainland media revisited his case of forging hospital payment slips to keep his wife alive.
Liao Dan, a former factory worker in Beijing with only a secondary school education, had been living on the margins of the city with his wife, Du Jinling, and their son after their workplaces shut down.
Their hardship worsened in 2007, when Du was diagnosed with severe uraemia and told she needed dialysis three times a week to survive.
The treatment cost more than 5,000 yuan (US$730) a month, according to The Beijing News.

Within weeks, Liao had spent the family’s savings and was forced to take his wife home from the hospital.
He tried to seek medical insurance reimbursement, but Du was ineligible because she did not have a Beijing household registration.
Liao, who had diabetes himself and once suffered severe ulcers on both feet, was trapped between poverty, illness and a system he could not navigate.
While paying hospital fees one day, he noticed a loophole. Staff appeared to check only whether a receipt carried an official seal, without closely verifying the amount paid.

Desperate, Liao turned the loophole into a crime. After contacting a fake-seal maker, he forged the hospital stamp and began submitting doctored receipts instead of paying the full fees.
The deception lasted four years, allowing Du’s dialysis to continue uninterrupted.
The scheme unravelled in September 2011, when the hospital upgraded its billing system and discovered missing payment records. Investigators later found 49 forged receipts involving more than 172,000 yuan (US$25,000).

In court, Liao pleaded guilty. Reports said he covered his face and wept as he told the judge: “I had been pushed to the point where there was no other way. I only wanted my wife to live.”
The case stirred nationwide sympathy, many described it as a tragic love story and dubbed Liao China’s “most devoted fraudster”.
An official from Zhuhai in southern China and other well-wishers donated more than 500,000 yuan (US$73,000), allowing Liao to repay the hospital, with the rest used for Du’s treatment.
In December 2012, Liao was convicted of fraud and given a three-year jail sentence, suspended for four years, plus a 3,000-yuan (US$440) fine.
The ruling allowed him to remain at home and care for his wife while undergoing community correction.
Liao told the media that he was uneducated and did not know how to define love.
“I only felt that a person must have a conscience. She was ill. I could not just leave her to die.”
However, Du died of multiple organ failure in May 2016.
Liao told the media that her death came so suddenly she left no final words, leaving him feeling “empty inside.”

“No matter how difficult life became, we never once thought of divorce. Every yuan I had went towards keeping her alive,” he added.
The story has recently resurfaced online, with related videos drawing millions of views and over 400,000 likes.
One online user asked: “If medical insurance had been more accessible to migrant residents at the time, would Liao have been forced down an illegal path?”
“Liao’s case helped push the medical insurance system to improve. Today, dialysis for uraemia patients can be reimbursed by up to 90 per cent,” said another.
Some reports from mainland sources indicated that Liao died of illness in 2020; however, this information has not yet been verified by authoritative sources.


American donated US$5,000 to China farmer for tree planting decades ago invited to view forest

Every dog has its day: stray puppy steals the show at Chinese university sports event

China ‘most devoted fraudster’ fakes records to give wife free dialysis; reignites medical debate

China inventor creates sword-shaped aerial vehicle, bringing flying sword in fantasy novels to life

Trending in China

A man dubbed China’s “most devoted fraudster” forged documents to give wife free dialysis treatments; his case resurfaced recently, reigniting national debate over medical insurance and compassion. Photo: Baidu

Loyal husband, Liao Dan, above, struggles to hold back his tears beside a group of reporters. Photo: Baidu

Liao, left, sitting in court in front of the presiding judge who showed leniency towards him. Photo: Baidu

Liao wipes away his tears. He says he is unable to define the meaning of love, but knew he could not leave his wife’s side.  Photo: Baidu

Liao, right, cares for his wife, who died of multiple organ failure in May 2016. Photo: Baidu

Jensen Huang’s visit to China spicy noodle shop prompts launch of ‘leather jacket’ set meal

Jensen Huang’s recent visit to a spicy noodle shop in Beijing has prompted the eatery to launch a unique ‘leather jacket’ set meal. Photo: Weibo

Jensen Huang, above, tucks into a bowl of noodles outside the Beijing shop. Photo: Weibo

Nvidia CEO Huang using his chopsticks to gather up a mouthful of the shop’s signature dish. Photo: Weibo

A smile begins to form on Huang’s face as he enjoys the dish on the street. Photo: Weibo

Done with his noodle dish, Huang tucks into a yogurt dessert. Photo: Weibo

A specially made sign outside the shop advertising the Jensen Huang-inspired dish. Photo: Weibo

Eagle-eyed internet users speculated on the reason for Huang’s discoloured fingernail, above. Photo: Threads

Chinese man who lost a leg and an arm inspires many by competing in bodybuilding

A Chinese man who lost a leg and an arm inspires many by competing in bodybuilding, earning massive admiration. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Disabled former athlete, Liu Xinju, above, takes a photograph of himself in a mirror. Photo: Douyin

Liu works on his leg muscles in the gym which allows him to exercise for free. Photo: Douyin

Liu in a determined mood as he lifts weights in the gymnasium. Photo: Douyin

Liu shows the prosthetic limb which replaced the leg he lost in the road accident. Photo: Douyin

China teacher slams student’s complaint about lack of benches in smoking area, reignites debate

A university student in China complained about the lack of benches in the smoking area, reigniting heated debates about public smoking. Photo: Shutterstock

Two female students enjoy a cigarette in a campus smoking area. Photo: Handout

A young person puffs on a cigarette on the street in Shanghai. Photo: Shutterstock

A no smoking sign attached to a lamp post in China. Photo: Shutterstock

Legacy in ink: how calligraphy links China’s political heritage to academic institutions

Chinese university plaques display calligraphic titles created by political leaders like Mao Zedong, reflecting both the country’s political history and cultural appreciation. Photo: Shutterstock

Calligraphy, an esteemed art of writing, is a cherished traditional Chinese art form that has historically been valued above other artistic disciplines. Photo: Shutterstock

Chairman Mao Zedong (1893–1976) is depicted writing with a brush at his desk in a cave headquarters in northwest China during the Chinese Civil War in 1948. Photo: FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Tsinghua University, above, established in 1911, originally had its name inscribed by Qing dynasty official Natong. Photo: Zhihu

The China Foreign Affairs University, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, features a unique inscription by China’s first premier, Zhou Enlai, who played a crucial role in founding the institution. Photo: Handout

Ancient China elites used water fans, ice to cool down in summer; folks had bamboo pillows

Before air conditioning, ancient Chinese elites used water fans and ice to cool down in summer, while commoners relied on bamboo pillows and meditation. Photo: Sohu

The invention of ice boxes, above, or their modern equivalents, marked a sophisticated response to summer heat, with devices dating back over 2,400 years. Photo: Baidu

As air conditioning transitions from a luxury to a necessity, especially during prolonged heatwaves, ancient methods retain relevance. Photo: Shutterstock

Some ice boxes featured a double-layered design: wine was placed in an inner container surrounded by ice, allowing the elite to enjoy chilled beverages in the summer heat. Photo: Baidu

For emperors, summer comfort was nearly architectural; during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), special halls were built beside water sources to enhance royal leisure. Photo: Baidu

A modern interior reminiscent of an ancient ice house reflects the historical, often underground structures designed to store ice harvested in winter, enabling the preservation of food and drinks throughout the summer months. Photo: Baidu

During the Song dynasty (960–1279), commoners slept on bamboo pillows and used long woven bamboo bolsters known as “bamboo wives” to stay cool. Photo: Baidu

News

People & Culture

China Personalities

Unemployed ex-factory worker who struggles to define meaning of love stays loyal to wife until the day she dies


Unemployed ex-factory worker who struggles to define meaning of love stays loyal to wife until the day she dies.


Scams and swindles

Disease

China ‘most devoted fraudster’ fakes records to give wife free dialysis; reignites medical debate

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Unemployed ex-factory worker who struggles to define meaning of love stays loyal to wife until the day she dies

Unemployed ex-factory worker who struggles to define meaning of love stays loyal to wife until the day she dies