12 June, 2018 – The Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation has pledged RMB 10 million to the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation to support restoration of the Great Wall. Mr Daryl Ng, Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Deputy Chairman of Sino Group, attended the donation ceremony held in Badaling, Yanqing, Beijing on 8 June 2018. It was graced by Mr Xiao-Jie Li, Chairman of the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation and other esteemed guests.

The donation will be used to support the repair of a 1,255-metre section of the Great Wall, including restoring numbers 67, 68 and 69 lookout towers and reinforcing the side walls near these towers. The construction of this section of the Great Wall dated back to 1515, during the reign of Emperor Wu Zong of the Ming Dynasty. It is a precious illustration of the Great Wall development in the Ming Dynasty, and is crucial to heritage conservation and history studies. The China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation has pledged to adopt the principle of ‘minimal intervention’ for restoration with the original parts, materials, forms, craftsmanship and dimension preserved as much as possible and practical in order to conserve the important cultural heritage, sustain the historical information and enrich the conservation and research in Yanqing area.

The launch of the ‘Ng Teng Fong / Sino Visits to the Great Wall for Hong Kong Youth’ project was also announced at the donation ceremony with the aim of helping to foster sense of national identity.

Mr Daryl Ng, Director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and Deputy Chairman of Sino Group, said, ‘heritage conservation is one of the Sino Group’s foci in corporate social responsibility. We strive to promote conservation of cultural heritage to help to deepen appreciation of history and foster a sense of belonging. As a national icon and the world’s largest cultural heritage, the Great Wall needs support in restoration. The Group has participated in the restoration of Tai O Heritage Hotel in Hong Kong and The Fullerton Heritage in Singapore. We hope these experiences are of use as we contribute to the restoration of the Great Wall. Additionally, as a Hong Kong member of the Beijing Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, I hope to act as a bridge between the two places to foster the sense of belonging by encouraging Hong Kong youth participation in conservation work and understanding Chinese culture and history through the “Visits to the Great Wall for Hong Kong Youth” project.’

Download speech here.

About the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation
The Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation was established in 2010 in memory of the late founder of Sino Group, Mr Ng Teng Fong. The Foundation is a steadfast advocate of education, youth development and community services. In the past years, the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation has supported over 200 local non-governmental organisations and social enterprises. In addition to supporting good causes such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the National Gallery of Singapore and restoration of the Great Wall, the Foundation provides financial assistance for students from underprivileged families in Mainland China and Hong Kong through the Ng Teng Fong Scholarships. It also supports scholastic initiatives of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University in Mainland China as well as the National University of Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

http://www.sino.com/NTFCF