Viking River Cruises To Sponsor a Second School in Jingzhou, China

Viking River Cruises to Sponsor Education in China.

For over 85 years, Cenhe Primary School has enhanced the lives and aspirations of many rural Chinese. This success is due not only to housing and educating the students, but also providing them with Hope.

Shashi No.2 Viking Hope School, Hubei Province.

It is in honour of that tradition that and a commitment to give back to the places we visit that Viking River Cruises decided to convert Cenhe Primary School into Shashi No.2 Viking Hope School in 2005.

Beginning in October 2004, Viking River Cruises was honoured to work alongside the local educational administration to set the groundwork for this humanitarian investment.

Viking River Cruises has continued to invest in the school’s infrastructure and equipment.
Believing that education is one of the best paths to achievement, Viking River Cruises is dedicated to this institution to provide its students with the best education possible.

Viking River Cruises will not only invest in the physical building itself, but also in the eager students of this great developing country.

Students welcoming passenger of the Viking China Fleet

It is our hope that this institution will strengthen the bridge of friendship with people from all over the world and further cultural exchange.

About Jingzhou:
Jingzhou City of Hubei Province, located near the middle reaches of Yangtze River, is in the centre of Jianghan Plain. To the east is Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province, to the west Yichang and the Three Gorges, to the south Hunan Province and to the north Jingmen another city in Hubei Province.

NIE LIANG (聂 亮), Chairman of Viking Hope School and Nicolas C. Solari, Hotel General Manager from Viking.

Jingzhou enjoys a long history and ancient civilization. With the old name of Jiangling, Jingzhou is one of the 24 famous cities of culture history published by the State Council. The city is regarded in archaeology and tourism "a rare complete ancient city in south China". Many precious relics, excavated in Jingzhou, with great value for archaeology, scientific study and display, are called "Nation's Treasure".The national economy of Jingzhou is developing in every aspect and the city has great comprehensive economic strength. The main agricultural and sideline products grown in Jingzhou play an important part in Hubei Province and China.

The industry in Jingzhou has begun to take shape. A complete industrial system with textile, chemistry, auto parts, food, building material, construction, electronics and metallurgy is already formed. Being an experimental city for the national comprehensive reform and an opening city along the Yangtze River, the investment environment of Jingzhou is perfect.

Nicolas showing the project of the new playground

In the city there are built the Shashi Airport, the Shashi Port of Yangtze River and Yihuang Highway. With Customs and Commodity Inspection Institution, Jingzhou provides convenience for direct import and export.

About the Project Hope:
The founder of Project Hope, mission is to raise much-needed funds for the improvement of educational conditions in China's poor areas and promote youth development in China. Its goal is to safeguard the educational rights of children in poor areas. In line with government policy of raising educational funds from a variety of sources, Project Hope mobilizes Chinese and foreign materials and financial resources to help bring dropouts back to school, to improve educational facilities and to promote primary education in China's poverty- stricken areas".

Seeking non-governmental financial and physical support in both China and overseas for the improvement of primary education in economically underdeveloped regions in China, Project Hope tries to help enrol in school those school age children who can not go to school or drop out of school because of poverty.

Nicolas with the children

It tries to improve the educational conditions, the classroom and school facilities in particular in underdeveloped rural areas. Furthermore, Project Hope tries to contribute to poverty reduction in local areas by contributing agricultural and technical knowledge and skills to the curricula and instruction of its Hope Primary Schools and encouraging the schools' participation in business operations.
As a non-governmental charitable project, it has special political and educational legitimacy, power, and influence in China. The phrase "Project Hope" has become a household word among the Chinese people.

Press Releases:

Viking River Cruises pflegt Patenschaft fr Grundschule in Jingzhou