Daryl Ng, deputy chairman of Sino Group and director of the Ng Teng Fong Foundation, delivers a speech at the stele launching ceremony in Beijing, June 7, 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

A stele bearing the inscription "Love China and Protect the Great Wall" was unveiled at the Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing's northwestern Yanqing district on June 7, acknowledging the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation's contributions to preserving the iconic structure.

The Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation has donated 20 million yuan ($2.76 million) to the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation since 2019 to support the preservation and protection of the Great Wall. The funds have been allocated for repairing and restoring lookout towers No. 2, 3, 4, 67, 68 and 69, as well as reinforcing the side walls near these towers.

The Great Wall, a national icon and the world's largest natural and cultural heritage site, stretches over 2,000 kilometers across 404 counties in 15 provinces and regions in China.

"I would like to express my respect towards Yanqing's locals who have taken the initiative over the years to protect the Great Wall and promote its culture," said Daryl Ng, deputy chairman of Sino Group, director of the Ng Teng Fong Foundation, and standing committee member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, at the stele unveiling ceremony. "We must carry forward Great Wall culture, tell its story well to more people, and encourage concerted efforts to protect it."

In addition to financial support, Ng said he would act as a bridge between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, aiming to foster a greater sense of national identity by encouraging more Hong Kong youth to participate in conservation work and gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and history. His foundation has organized regular visits for young people in Hong Kong to the Great Wall and other historical and cultural heritage sites in China.

University students from Hong Kong attend the stele launching ceremony in Beijing, June 7, 2024. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Lau Wing Tung, a Chinese University of Hong Kong student, embarked on her first trip to Beijing this June to experience the national cultural treasures firsthand, alongside other university students from Hong Kong, thanks to the program.

"Although climbing the Great Wall was no easy feat, this experience has a compelling analogy with the journey of learning," Lau Wing Tung told China.org.cn at the ceremony. "The harder it is to get through the process, the greater the satisfaction one can get when they reach the summit. When I finally arrived at a beacon tower, I was impressed by the spectacular and breathtaking landscapes. By imagining how my ancestors fought against foreign invaders over the Great Wall, I felt touched by their sacrifices in protecting our motherland."

The Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, established in 2010 in memory of Sino Group founder Ng Teng Fong, is dedicated to supporting China's social undertakings in education, medical care, culture and sports.

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