During my trip to China I was offered the opportunity to visit Beijing’s Children Discovery Museum, a 0-to-7-year-old early childhood education project jointly developed by Lao Niu Brother & Sister Foundation together with China National Children’s Center, China Philanthropy Research Institute, and Beijing Normal University. By creating this museum in Beijing, and a similar one in Inner Mongolia, Lao Niu Foundation sought to introduce innovative and interactive exploration to Chinese children, through advanced design concepts and practice models commonly found in children’s museums in the United States and Europe, while combining Chinese traditional culture in the model. Since opening on June 1, 2005, Lao Niu Children’s Discover Museum is the first large-scale children’s museum in Beijing.

Lao Niu Foundation  is a non-public foundation engaged in public welfare and philanthropy, which was established in 2004 by Niu Gensheng and his family. Mr. Niu (the founder, former chairman, and president of Mengniu Dairy Group) and his family donated their corporate shares and the majority of their dividends to create the foundation. The Foundation is registered with the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region’s Department of Civil Affairs and supervised by the Financial Affairs Office.  

The vision of the Lao Niu Foundation is to “have grateful hearts and improve oneself by helping others,” and to “be responsible for the earth under heaven by nurturing both people and nature.” The Foundation’s mission is founded on the belief that “education is fundamental to the nation, the environment is fundamental to life, and philanthropy is fundamental to society.” The three primary focuses of the Foundation are environmental protection, cultural education, and championing the development of China’s philanthropic sector.

I was thrilled to meet Ben NIU, Board Chairman of Laoniu Brother & Sister Foundation and Xiaopeng CHEN, Secretary General of Laoniu Foundation during the conference Philanthropy in Childhood Education in China which they supported .