Jackie in Hebei

A group of celebrities led by actor Jackie Chan went to a remote impoverished township in north China's Hebei province on Thursday and donated three million yuan worth of clothes, quilts, medicines, food and drink to local villagers.

According to Wang Zhiyong, head of Wangjiawan township, Jackie Chan Charity Foundation donated 400,000 yuan last year to build a motor-pumped well in a village to combat the severe drought that was plaguing the area for years. The well was put into use last December and started providing water to more than 200 residents in four villages.

Jackie Chan said he got to know Wangjiawan township and its poverty from news reports and that he then called on other celebrities through Weibo, a popular social networking website in China, to donate together.

"I have to say 'thank you' to the reporters who have reported the poverty in this place. I hope they can cover more impoverished places like here. China is so big that my charity fund and I are not able to know the hardships everywhere. We can only get to know these impoverished areas through news reports. That is why I have to say 'Thank you' to the media," said Jackie Chan.

Jackie Chan has devoted himself to action movies for decades. His recent movie "Chinese Zodiac 12" was on the list of China's top three of highest box office at the end of 2012. Besides his success as a movie actor, Jackie Chan is also well known for his charity. He started his charity foundation in 2008.

SOURCE: http://www.todaysthv.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=241686