As the one-year anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake draws near, various activities are being held to mark the occasion. On Sunday, a charity event was launched in the town of YingXiu in Wenchuan County. The activity was meant to show the role of charities in the rebuilding process. But as CCTV reporter Han Bin finds out, quake reconstruction needs long-term commitment from society.

Walking in the name of charity.

International movie star Jet Li, joined by a group of volunteers, including public figures and entrepreneurs, was on hand for the walk at the epicenter of the Wenchuan earthquake. The One Foundation, a charity project launched by Li, initiated the activity, saying that it aims to call for continuous charity donations in the quake-hit areas.

Jet Li, president of ONE foundation, said, "I think donations should be sent to many poor places in China, not only the quake-hit regions. I hope to send out this message through the walking activity, with some walking on location, while others following the route on the Internet. Donations from the One Foundation to the quake areas will be a long-term project."

Launched less than 3 years ago, the One Foundation has become one of the most successful charity organizations in China. Its popularity has grown as it has rallied over one million donors to help with the earthquake relief efforts. The "Walk in Wenchuan" is the organization's latest move to raise funds. Although the activity will not result in new donations for the quake areas, Jet Li hopes the activity will promote the charitable sense of giving and sharing throughout the country.

Chen Gang, officialof ABA Prefecture, said, "I hope social donations to us will continue in the long term. I hope they will be arranged in an orderly way and well targeted to different groups of survivors."

An earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale struck parts of Southwest China in May of last year, leaving nearly 90,000 people dead or missing. Reconstruction will take a long time. Despite remarkable government contributions, survivors in remote areas are still living in hard conditions. This is where the NGOs could really help out.

President of the Red Cross Society of China, Gu Changjiang believes that the earthquake has helped awaken China's charity atmosphere. Donations throughout China surpassed 100 billion yuan over the past decade.

The current financial situation has had a negative impact on charitable donations. But as Gu Changjiang says, the Wenchuan earthquake has created a flood of charity that will hopefully continue to grow.

The reality is that compared with last year's donations to the earthquake areas, there's been a sharp reduction of contributions from enterprises and individuals this year. Reconstruction for the devastation needs more support from society. The role of charity in rebuilding hope and lives in these areas will hopefully be better accepted by the public in the long run.

(CCTV May 11, 2009)