Some eight gold medals won at international tournaments by famous Chinese athletes, including the world's best women football player Sun Wen and diving champion Xiong Ni, will be auctioned in February to raise funds for "Project Hope."
It will be the first auction held by "Project Hope" this year, a foundation founded in 1989 to collect charity funds to help impoverished children return to schooling.
The foundation has since established over 8,000 hope primary schools and help subsidized some 2.3 million children. Starting in the year 2000, the foundation turned its focus towards improving teaching quality and school facilities in impoverished regions.
Also to be auctioned, along with the eight gold medals, are some bronze artifacts currently being collected by a local temple in Shanghai.
(Xinhua 01/29/01)