Yao Ming builds school in quake-hit Sichuan

Source: Xinhua | 09-16-2008 09:03

CHENGDU, Sichuan Province, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- NBA star Yao Ming's two-day visit of the earthquake-hit Sichuan Province ended on Monday.

The Chinese sports icon on Sunday attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a primary school in Guangyuan, which will be built with the money from "The Yao Ming Foundation".

Chinese basketball star Yao Ming mourn for the victims of  the Wenchuan quake in front of the ruins of the Beichuan  Middle School in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province, southwestern  China, Sept. 14, 2008. Yao Ming made a charity tour of southwest  China's Sichuan Sunday which was devastated by a deadly earthquake on May 12, attended the foundation ceremony of a hope primary school in Guangyuan City and mourned for the quake victims at  the ruins of the Beichuan Middle School. (Xinhua Photo)

Yao launched the foundation after a deadly earthquake devastated the southwestern Chinese province on May 12 and killed over 70,000 people.

Yao also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a school to be built by China Life Insurance Company.

In his two-day visit to Sichuan, Yao Ming visited Beichuan, one of the worst-hit areas by the 8.0-magnitude earthquake, spent the Mid-autumn Festival with quake-affected children and played basketball with students who study and live in tents in Mianyang.

Yao Ming made a charity tour of southwest China's Sichuan  Sunday which was devastated by a deadly earthquake on May 12,  attended the foundation ceremony of a hope primary school in  Guangyuan City and mourned for the quake victims at the ruins  of the Beichuan Middle School. (Xinhua Photo)

"People in the disaster-hit areas are strong and optimistic," said Yao Ming on Monday.

Zhang Mingji, who heads "Yao's Team" of Chinese and American agents, said Yao's foundation has collected 25 million yuan (3.7 million U.S. dollars).

Editor:Xiong Qu