Wang Jianlin donates RMB 1bn towards opening of cultural heritage site
16.12.2015
The Jinling Da Bao En Temple Heritage Park in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, was officially unveiled to the public on December 16.
The Park was constructed thanks to a donation of RMB 1 billion from Wanda Group's Chairman Wang Jianlin. As a major philanthropic cultural project in Nanjing, the Jinling Da Bao En Temple Park is also China's largest project in passing on the culture of "gratitude".
Jinling Da Bao En Temple and its porcelain tower were built by Emperor Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), to express his gratitude towards his mother. Together with the Colosseum, the Tomb of Alexander the Great, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, among others, it has been listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World by sinologists. The porcelain tower in Da Bao En Temple was destroyed in 1856 during the Taiping Rebellion.
In 2007, the Nanjing municipal government initiated its reconstruction. From the underground palace of Changgan Temple, on which Da Bao En Temple was subsequently constructed, amazing discoveries were excavated, including Buddha bone, sarira, the "Emperor Ashoka Stupa" as well as a large number of national grade artifacts and sacred relics which have been rated as China's 10 archaeological discoveries in 2010.
According to archaeologists, Da Bao En Temple it is not only a cultural ruin but a sacred place for gratitude as it was built as a result of gratitude.
At the end of 2010, Wang Jianlin, who is deeply influenced by Confucianism and passionate about philanthropy, learned that the project lacked funding, and donated RMB 1 billion towards the China Charity Federation for the purpose of constructing the Ruins of the Da Bao En Temple Park. The donation is the largest ever made in the history of philanthropy in China. When discussing his original intention, Mr. Wang said that present day China should increasingly turn towards traditional Chinese culture, particularly to the passing on of the cultures of gratitude, filial piety, and philanthropy. He is not a Buddhist, and Jinling Da Bao En Temple Park is not a temple, but a sacred place for spreading traditional Chinese culture. In particular, the culture of gratitude and the advocacy of filial piety that the Temple Park embodies form the core ideology of Chinese culture.
Wanda has consistently supported charitable donations and has donated an aggregate of more than Rmb4 billion in cash by now. As the company grows, Wanda will make more donations in the future, and will primarily focus on education and helping the poor.
Jinling Da Bao En Temple Park occupies a site of about 13.3 hectares. The part for which construction has been completed and opened to the public is the core area of the Park, including conservation of the ruins, a group of Buddhist cultural museums, and the Da Bao En Porcelain Tower, among others.
The Park will also hold a grand gratitude festival annually to advocate gratitude and to promote activities concerned with filial piety and respect of the elderly.