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Chinese pianist Lang Lang hosted a fundraising event at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Oct. 24, Friday, for his foundation that benefits young music lovers, China Daily reported.
There were approximately 100 guests in the event, including American philanthropist and former Citigroup chief executive and chairman Sandy Weill.
The event was able to raise $1.15 million.
"It could be better. But exceeding $1 million is not too bad," the 32-year-old pianist said.
He added: "The more supporters like us who are involved in helping those who are in need, the easier it gets to push this mission forward."
Prior to the fundraising event, the Chinese pianist performed in the UN Headquarters' General Assembly Hall as part of the commemoration of the birth of the UN on Oct. 24, 1945, China Central Television reported.
In recent years, several public figures including some Chinese billionaires in China have actively participated in various philanthropic activities through financial donations.
With 190 billionaires, China is the second country with the largest number of billionaires in the world, next to the United States with 571, according to Swiss bank UBS and Singapore-based consulting firm Wealth-X.
According to "Fundraising for a Cause" author Lu Yong, becoming a part of philanthropic initiatives is a "logical step" for many business people in China because it can help them raise their social profile.
Lu explained, "As more Chinese people are getting rich, philanthropic awareness is shared among the rich Chinese who are looking for a different social recognition through charitable donations."
Furthermore, the author said that some Chinese would donate money to other countries instead of China because of the lack of philanthropic practices in their home country, among many reasons.
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy's founding dean Eugene R. Tempel said that human potential is enhanced by "anything that philanthropy does to improve higher education or make it more accessible."
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is the first school in the world devoted to teaching philanthropy.
