Authorities in a remote city in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have denied reports that they deported a German volunteer who has been teaching in the area for more than ten years.

An official newspaper in Hechi City revealed Thursday that Eckart Loewe, or Lu Anke in Chinese, is living and working as usual and has celebrated Children's Day with local kids, China News Service reported Friday.

Rumors of Lu's deportation circulated on the Internet after he took down his blog without specifying why, arousing concerns among netizens.

Earlier reports said Lu had run into trouble in Hechi since he didn't have a valid teaching certificate.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1968, Lu first came to China in 1990 and has volunteered as a teacher in several mountainous villages in the Guangxi autonomous region since 1997. He is currently teaching nature and arts in a primary school in Donglan County of Hechi. He has also translated foreign education books and starred in TV shows in his spare time.

The man became well-known earlier this year after sharing his altruistic story during an interview with a CCTV talk show host.

Lu told the newspaper he closed the blog only to avoid growing interest from the media and other supporters after the interview.

"Everything is fine for me. I have gotten along well with my students and the local residents," he said.

Lu also asked the media and the public not to press local authorities regarding his certificate, saying he is looking for a solution through an official channel.

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