Li Jisheng is interewed at home in Guangzhou city of Guangdong province, Oct 30, 2013. [Photo/CFP]

A 93-year-old veteran, who was once under media spotlights for being a nude model at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, now makes a living by picking up garbage and selling them, Nanfang Daily reported. The news attracted wide sympathy online.

Li Jisheng is a veteran of the Korean War. In 1995, he left his home in Henan province, came to Guangzhou alone, and started working as a nude model at the academy, a career that lasted for more than 10 years. His fame was at its peak when, in 2005, CCTV aired his story, and later French and American directors made his story into documentary films. He was once invited for a photo shoot in Spain. But as he grew older, the academy stopped hiring him. The 93-year-old said his children back in Henan were indifferent to him, but he will go back home one day, when he can no longer pick up garbage for a living.