The Chen Xiaoxu Charity Foundation doesn't have the 50 million yuan initial fund (US$6.4 million) as was formerly claimed, Chen's father has said. The Foundation was set up on May 16 at the will of the famous late actress and business celebrity to help poor students and patients.

Chen's father made the remark at a mourning gathering that was held recently in Daguanyuan, the filming place in Beijing of the 1987 version of the A Dream of Red Mansions TV series.

Chen died of breast cancer at 6:57 p.m. on May 13 at the age of 42 in Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong Province.

Chen's father said that there is only a fraction of the amount of money that was previously claimed to be available to set up the foundation. He said he could only manage to gather a few million yuan.

Hao Guang, brother of Chen Xiaoxu's husband, who is currently running Chen's advertising company, said the company doesn't have capital amounting to 200 million yuan (US$25 million), as people widely thought.

Hao said he doesn't know much about the charity foundation and had little contact with Chen Xiaoxu after she took tonsure in February.

A member of staff who works at Chen's advertising company said the shortage in capital for the charity foundation may have resulted because it was set up in a hurry. However, they said they thought the money may be available later.

Born in Anshan City in northeast China's Liaoning Province, the comely Chen beat other contestants in 1985 to win herself the role of Lin Daiyu, heroine of the novel A Dream of Red Mansions. Her role in the TV series brought her national fame.
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(CRI.cn June 4, 2007)