Special concert held in Shanghai

The 92-year-old Chinese musician and philanthropist Cao Peng conducted a concert performed by autistic children in Shanghai on April 2 in celebration of World Autism Awareness Day. The concert was held by the Shanghai Caopeng Music Center, Shanghai Charity Foundation and the Shanghai Education Development Foundation. The China Children and Teenagers' Fund donated musical instruments worth about 280,000 yuan ($40,679) to an educational fund for the Shanghai Education Development Foundation at the concert.

Free access given to eight theme parks

China's ocean parks operator, Haichang Ocean Park Holdings Ltd, announced it would give free access to its eight theme parks for autistic children and their parents in April. Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park, one of the theme parks, will hold underwater dance performances given by artists. These will involve a light show with dolphins and white whales. The company has since 2015 marked April as Autistic Children's Month.

KFC gesture for Guangzhou families

A KFC restaurant in Guangzhou, capital of southern China's Guangdong province, invited local sanitation workers and their children to paint with coffee grounds and play music in late March. The manager of Guangdong KFC said the event helped children learn more about environmental protection and allowed them to spend time with their busy parents. Graduates from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts also exhibited their coffee-ground paintings at the KFC. Locals were invited to take-away coffee grounds for no charge at ten KFC restaurants in Guangzhou.

Art exhibition helps those with autism

A hundred works that won a national art competition for children with mental disabilities were exhibited in Beijing from April 2 to 4. Winners also played the piano, performed dances and recited at the event. Zhang Yanling, founder of Golden Wings Funds of China's Social Welfare Foundation, one of the organizers, said the event helped autistic children. She said it promoted early detection of the condition, early intervention, rehabilitation and art training of autistic children. Aixin Life Insurance Co Ltd, which Zhang was in charge of, donated 200,000 yuan ($29,056) to an art fund for the winners.

Maserati support for Dai project

Italian luxury carmaker Maserati announced in April it was supporting a project to protect the intangible cultural heritage of Dai paper. The project involves 800 years of history of the Dai ethnic group. Maserati is involved in the project together with Xihan Action, a Shanghai-based community organization focusing on traditional handicraft protection. The company invited businessmen, car owners, photographers and journalists to experience the paper making process in Xishuangbanna in Southwest China's Yunnan province, the birthplace of Dai paper. More promotional events will be held in major cities of China.

China Daily