NANCHANG, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The death of a beggar who performed good deeds in his entire life has led to huge public mourning in a village in east China's Jiangxi Province.

The beggar, known by his nickname "Anhui Man" as he came from neighboring Anhui Province, was even buried among ancestral tombs only for locals of Wantou Village.

"He has been living a stray life in our village since I was a child," said village head Xu Nengyou, 54. "He was always holding a basket with a broken bowl in his left hand, and a pair of chopsticks in his right hand."

In the eyes of local villagers, Anhui Man was always ready to help others.

"When children fell on the ground, he would always go over to help them up," said villager Xu Xingyun. "The small deeds made him popular in the village."

"Even though was a beggar his entire life, he donated most of his money to impoverished villagers," Xu Nengyou said.

When Anhui Man died earlier this month, locals were shocked and devastated.

"He was a kind man," Xu Xingyun said. "He was always taking care of others in the village."

Locals started a charity to raise money for the man's burial, with an urn and burial clothes bought for him.

"He was the only non-local to be buried in our ancestral tombs because we consider him family," Xu Nengyou said.