Jack Ma: Charity changes yourself, then the world

Chairman's speech outlines reasons for giving money, time, and talent

When Alibaba Group Holding Ltd in 2009 moved into a new headquarters in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang province, the e-commerce giant held a special "house-warming" event by inviting some of its employees to swim in a race across the city's Qiantang River.

When some of the employees finished the contest, they were found wearing all kinds of plastic bags and other garbage they had picked up in the water. Shocked by the environment in which they live and the water they drink, Alibaba employees started to take action to make the change from that day on.