Rural student outreach at sprawling new Kempinski

After performing a waist- drum dance dance at a Christmas lighting ceremony in at Kempinski’s sprawling new complex in the outskirts of Beijing the Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, Beijing and Yanqi Island last week, fourth grader Wang Heng just couldn’t wait to open a Christmas stocking and fish out gifts offered by the hotel — candy wrapped in colorful packages and a signature red Christmas hat.

Every one of the 40-pupil performing troupe from a mountainous primary school in rural Beijing was given such a gift. For most of the children who live on the outskirts of the country’s capital, it was the first Christmas present they ever received.

Like Wang, many of them opened it over the a dinner provided by the Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, Beijing and Yanqi Islandthe hotel. Some even hesitated leaving the gifts momentarily when vis-iting the washroom. Her schoolmates who didn’t come to the hotel for the performance “must have admired me to death,” Wang said to other members of the troupe sitting close to her as she counted the candy.

But the hotel also prepared Christmas presents not only for the performing troupe but also for the rest of the 360 pupils back in the school to celebrate the festival, according to its public relations manager Becky Chen.

Part of the hotel’s new corporate social responsibility program unveiled after the Christmas lighting ceremony, it is the a partnership for of a rural education outreach with initiative with the school in Huairou district where the hotel is located will bring its pupils more opportunities, Chen said.

"We are not doing a charity or donations, but offering the kids more opportunities to showcase their talent or abil-ity abilities in public and expose them to an international atmosphere. Such experiences experience will help boost confidence and benefit their growth,"Chen said.