About Us
Founder's Profile
Xiaojie Zheng (Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation) is a dedicated explorer and advocate for professional assistance to the blind, and a practitioner of ethical principles. She is the founder of Beijing HongDanDan Education and Cultural Exchange Center and Beijing HongDanDan Visually Impaired Service Center. Zheng previously worked on satellite recovery projects at the Ministry of Aerospace Industry. In 1996, she joined a South Korean company as an executive in China, and in 1999, she became involved in domestic television drama production and distribution. As an independent producer, she funded and produced the first Chinese TV program with accessible content, “Life Online,” featuring stories of people with disabilities. Over the past two decades, she has been committed to the mission of “exploring the world together with visually impaired friends,” dedicating herself to the professional development and promotion of assistance to the blind. Through the initiative “Xinmu Cinema,” she volunteers to narrate movies for blind individuals, embodying her commitment to ethical principles and enlightenment.
Introduction to the Organization
The HongDanDan Foundation is a charitable organization with 20 years of professional disability assistance experience. Committed to enhancing the quality of life for over 85 million disabled individuals in China, the foundation is dedicated to promoting the concept of professional disability assistance services and creating inclusive support environments for disabled people.
The Xinmu Foundation, officially known as “Beijing Xinmu Disability Assistance Foundation,” was established on March 21, 2018, approved by the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau. It is a non-public fundraising foundation, abbreviated as “Xinmu Foundation.” The foundation was jointly initiated by the Beijing HongDanDan Education and Culture Exchange Center and alumni from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. The initial fund of 2 million RMB was contributed by the Beijing HongDanDan Education and Culture Exchange Center, alumni from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, and compassionate volunteers.
The Xinmu Foundation serves as a platform for Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business alumni and their families to engage in philanthropic activities. It also carries the mission of promoting the spirit of public welfare of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, exploring innovative philanthropic models, leveraging the power of various stakeholders to participate in social innovation. With the advantage of entrepreneurial management and the years of experience in disability assistance from the HOngDanDan Education and Culture Exchange Center, the foundation aims to mobilize social forces to support and assist people with disabilities, creating inclusive support environments for the disabled community.
Vision
Walking Together, Sharing Life
Mission
The aspirations of people with disabilities for a better life are our striving goals
Values
Integrity, dedication, respect, happiness, professionalism, inclusiveness
Origin
The foundation’s predecessor, the Beijing HongDanDan visually impaired service center (referred to as Hongdandan), was registered with the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau in May 2013. It is dedicated to providing accessible cultural products and services for visually impaired individuals through “visual narration,” as well as advocating for and creating inclusive support environments. The organization was evaluated as a 5A-level social organization by the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau in 2019.
In the year 2000, Ms. Zheng Xiaojie, as an independent producer, invested and fundraised to jointly produce the first special program in China featuring stories of disabled people, titled “Life Online,” in collaboration with China Education Television. On July 30, 2003, Ms. Zheng Xiaojie invested and established the “Beijing Hongdandan Education and Culture Exchange Center.” On September 25, 2007, the Beijing Hongdandan Education and Culture Exchange Center, in collaboration with the Beijing Youth Development Foundation, co-established the “Beijing Youth Care and Experience Fund.” On May 21, 2013, the Beijing Hongdandan Education and Culture Exchange Center was approved and registered by the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau as a private non-enterprise unit named the “Beijing HongDanDan Visually Impaired Service Center.” On March 21, 2018, jointly initiated by the Beijing Hongdandan Education and Culture Exchange Center, alumni of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, and enthusiastic volunteers, the Beijing Xinmu Foundation was approved and registered by the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau.
Management framework
- The foundation was established in March 2018 in Beijing, with 12 directors and 3 supervisors.
- All members come from volunteers who have participated in HongDanDan's disability assistance services.
- Project implementation and evaluation prioritize the participation of donating companies, individuals, and beneficiaries
- The utilization of donated funds is reported to donors and publicly disclosed on a regular basis each year.
- Provide disability assistance training for donating companies and tailor public welfare projects.
- Set up special disability assistance funds for partner companies.
The execution team includes: Project Department, Fundraising Department, Donor Maintenance, Volunteer Management.
Funding Channels
The funding channels mainly come from the government, corporations, foundations, and the public. Since the establishment of the foundation’s predecessor “Hongdandan” in 2003, approximately 20 million yuan has been raised, with donations from entrepreneurs exceeding 14 million yuan. Over 10 world’s top 500 companies have provided continuous support, including CCTV, Agricultural Bank of China, China Youth Travel Service, Tencent, Alibaba, Bayer, Bosch, Microsoft, HSBC, UBS, Morgan Stanley, UPS, and others. 90% of the funds raised are used for cultural assistance projects for people with disabilities, while the remaining 10% is used for the organization’s operation.
Innovative Projects
The predecessor of the foundation, Beijing HongDanDan Educational and Cultural Exchange Center, was established in 2003. Over the past 19 years, it has been dedicated to visually impaired cultural services and has created several highly innovative projects. The implementation of these projects has also filled the gaps in the field of disability services in China.
- The first accessible TV program in China, "Life Online," was created in 2000
- Pioneered the radio program "Seeing the World with Heart and Mind," produced with the participation of visually impaired youth, in 2003 (awarded the Chinese Charity Award)
- Pioneered "Xinmu Cinema," where movies are described for the blind, in 2004 (awarded the Government Gold Award)
- Pioneered the "Three Days of Darkness" Care and Experience Project in 2005 (awarded the Government Gold Award)
- Established the first non-governmental blind library in China, the "Xinmu Library," in 2006 (awarded the Government Gold Award)
- Pioneered the "Happy Integration" fitness program for the blind and the sighted in 2009 (awarded the Government Gold Award)
- Pioneered the "Blind Children Reading Assistance Program" covering 105 blind schools/special schools in 2011
- First Beijing Blind Film Festival (2018)
- Set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Audience for an Audio Described Film Screening (Multiple Venues) (2019)
Historical Achievements
- As of September 24, 2022, there have been 1,074 movie sessions narrated for blind friends, with the participation of 46,843 blind audience members and 11,433 volunteers
- The reading services provided by Xinmu Library cover 105 blind/ special schools nationwide, with 1,000 audio books available. Approximately 8,000 visually impaired students benefit from these services each year, with the involvement of around 50,000 volunteers.
- Organized ten editions of the Blind Fun Sports Games, involving approximately 1,000 visually impaired participants and around 3,000 volunteers
- Held the "Three Days of Darkness" Care and Experience Project for over 200 sessions, with participation from more than 10,000 individuals
- The "Seeing the World with Heart" Radio Training Program provided training to 42 visually impaired youth, with 7 individuals obtaining the National Language Committee's Level 1 Certificate for Mandarin Proficiency. Approximately two-thirds of the students found employment in fields related to voice work
Honors and Awards
The Beijing HongDanDan Education and Cultural Exchange Center was established in 2003. Over the past 17 years, it has been dedicated to providing cultural services for the visually impaired. Using audio narration technology, the center offers accessible cultural products for the visually impaired community and advocates for an inclusive environment that supports their integration into society. It has gained increasing support and participation from the visually impaired community and has also received numerous honors and awards.
On December 5, 2008, the “Seeing the World with Heart – Film Project for the Visually Impaired” was honored with the “Chinese Charity Award: Most Influential Project Prize.” Xiaojie Zheng, the director of the center, along with other awardees, received an audience with national leaders such as Jintao Hu at the Great Hall of the People
In 2009, Ms. Zheng Xiaojie’s article titled “The Birth and Sustainable Development of Xinmu Cinema: A Perspective from Mission Priority” was included in the book “The Practice of Drucker in China.”
On December 3, 2010, at the “Good Deeds for the World” – the Third Capital Charity Evening, the HongDanDan Blind Aid Project was honored with the “Rainbow Heart” Special Project Award
In September 2011, “Xinmu Cinema” was recognized as one of the top ten public service brands in the first Beijing Social Organization Public Service Brand Evaluation
On December 28, 2011, the narrator of the films, Weili Wang(Dawei), was invited to attend the “Beijing Exemplars 2011” award ceremony and was honored as one of the “Top Ten Exemplary Models of Beijing 2011
On December 22, 2012, HongDanDan was invited to the “China Social Innovation Award” ceremony, where the Xinmu Cinema project was honored with the second edition of the China Social Innovation Award.
On July 3, 2013, the “Care and Experience” project initiated by HongDanDan was recognized as an outstanding service project purchased by the Beijing Municipal Government in 2012.
In December 2013, film narrator Weili Wang(Dawei) was selected for the “Chinese Good People List” and nominated as the 2013 “CCTV Annual Charity Figure.”
On December 5, 2014, the HongDanDan Blind Safe Travel Volunteer Service Project was honored as an outstanding volunteer service project in Beijing Xicheng District.
In 2014, Ms. Zheng Xiaojie, the founder of HongDanDan, was honored with the “March 8 Red Flag Medal” in Beijing.
“The Xinmu Library” was awarded the Gold Prize for Public Service Brand by Beijing Social Organizations in 2014.
“Three Days of Darkness” was honored with the Silver Award for Public Service Brand by Beijing Social Organizations in 2014.
On September 26, 2016, HongDanDan was selected by the Xicheng District as a “Distinctive Reading Space” in the area.
On October 21, 2016, the “Happy Integration: Walk Alongside the Visually Impaired” was honored with the Gold Award for Public Service Project in the third Beijing Social Organizations Public Service Project competition.
On September 19, 2018, the “Three Days of Darkness” care and experience project was honored with the Gold Award for Public Service Project in the fourth Beijing Social Organizations Public Service Project competition.
On June 29, 2019, the Beijing Xinmu Aid Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “Xinmu Foundation”) successfully initiated the event titled “Guinness World Record for the Largest Audience in ‘Xinmu Cinema’ Voice-Narrated Film Screening (1260 people across multiple venues).” The event, featuring live narration by 21 film narrators, took place simultaneously in 11 cities across the country. A record-breaking 1260 blindfolded and visually impaired audience members watched the documentary film “Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge,” marking a new chapter in achieving a “World’s Most” title. The event successfully combined philanthropy initiatives with Guinness World Records, creating a record in the process.
Patent
The Beijing HongDanDan Education and Cultural Exchange Center owns 88 trademarks, according to publicly available information.
The Beijing HongDanDan Education and Cultural Exchange Center holds one patent for the exterior design of the “Assisting the Blind in Recognizing Banknotes Signature Card” under the trademarks HongDanDan, Xinmu, Xinmu Cinema, and Xinmu Library.
Board of Directors and Supervisory Board Members
Weili Wang(Dawei), Chairman of the Beijing Xinmu Foundation, and founder as well as Chief Film Narrator of "Xinmu Cinema."
Hua Zhao, Vice Chairman of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is a Senior Lecturer at the Peter F.Drucker Academy (China).
Xiaojie Zheng, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the Founder of the Beijing HongDanDan Visually Impaired Service Center.
Xiao Lu, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the Assistant General Manager of Beijing 21 North Advertising Co., Ltd.
Qing Li, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the General Manager of Wuhan Tianyuan Mingtai Automotive Service Co., Ltd.
Lina Dong, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is a Trainer at the Beijing HongDanDan Visually Impaired Service Center.
Anfan Mo, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the General Manager of Beijing HydroPower New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
Tao Zhang, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the Chairman of Shenzhen Yangming Heyi Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd.
Zhiyun Kuang, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is a Director at Zhifan (Shanghai) Investment Management Co., Ltd.
Congyin Cheng, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the Chairman of Shenzhen Suhua Future Water Celery Industry Co., Ltd.
Dejiang Zhang, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the Chairman of Beijing Wansheng Capital Management Co., Ltd.
Jianshe Liu, Board Member of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the Chairman of Wuhan Kangyanggu Health Industry Co., Ltd.
Ming Liu, Supervisor of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is a lawyer at Beijing Kyoto Law Firm.
Xuejun Wang, Supervisor of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the Senior Marketing Director for the China Region at Hongxie Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Yiru Li, Supervisor of Beijing Xinmu Foundation, is the Chief Financial Officer at Jiangxi Yingkexing Network Information Co., Ltd.