Situated on Yan An Road the world-renowned "Marble House", construct in 1918, China Welfare Institute Children's Palace (CWICP), set up on June 1st, 1953 by Mme. Soong Ching Ling and inscribed by Chairman Mao, is the first after-school activity center in China.

Guided by Soong's educational thoughts for children, with qualified teachers, good educational environment and according to children's characters, CWICP has organized not only hundred sorts of interest groups such as dance, choir, orchestra, traditional musical instruments, piano, violin, calligraphy, painting, sculpture, drama, computer, environment protection, model-making, photography etc, but also many amateur clubs, mass activities and social practice activities. Children from 5 to 16 throughout the city taking part in different kinds of groups and activities once or twice a week have enlarged their knowledge and improved their artistic and moral accomplishment leading them to the road of success.

CWICP has supplied large number of professional persons and cultivated groups of constructive people with great talent. The famous artist Mr. Chen Yi fei, the singer Huang Ying, Chinese youngest doctor of computer Mr. Li Jing and youngest research fellow of Microsoft Asia Research Institute Mr. Li Cong were once group members of Children's Palace.

In the past 50 years, thousands upon thousands children have spent their golden childhood here and Children's Palace has become a paradise for the children and also a base for cultivating versatile persons.

The CWI Children's Palace Little Companion Art Troupe, established in 1955, has a member of 600 little actors and actresses aged from 6 to 16, in 7 divisions of dance, choir, drama & puppet, keyboard instrument, orchestra, traditional Chinese instruments, calligraphy, arts & crafts. As one of the best national children's art troupe, it attended many important performances home and aboard in recent years, such as '99 Fortune Forum, APEC, ADB and etc. In June 2002 the troupe, led by Mr. Chen Liangyu (Mayor of Shanghai), went to Paris to attend the performances of bidding for EXPO 2010 and won great success. Since the establishment of the art troupe, it has visited and performed in more than 20 countries and regions: the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Swaziland, Australia, DPR of Korea, Japan, China Taiwan, China Hong Kong & Macao and has been awarded the title of " Chinese Little Ambassadors".

Children's Computer Activity Center, set up on June 1st 1983, is the first educational center to popularize the knowledge of computer for children in our country. In the past years, thousands of children who were trained by this center obtained the certificate of programmer; tens of them are advanced programmers now. They won gold awards in the international IT Competitions many times. The center has formed teaching characters of cultivating children's interest first then the innovative abilities. In June 1998, cooperated with Intel Company, the Intel Little Companion Workshop was set up. It has enriched the content of computer activities and promoted the popularization of the computer education.

In 1999 CWICP and Hong Kong Kadoorie Charitable Foundations set up "China Welfare Institute Mobile Children's Palace". "Mobile Children's Palace" spent 3 million Yuan (about 380 thousand USD) donated by Charitable Foundations establishing Children's Computer Center and Multi-media Library in mountainous areas such as Kai and Peiling County, Chongqing, Jinzhai county, Anhui Province, Jian and Yanan county, Jiangxi Province and Aksu of Xinjiang and also sent service groups to hold training courses for local teachers, to organize science and art activities for children.

Furthermore, "Mobile Children's Palace" spent 400 thousand Yuan (about 50 thousand USD) as Grant-in-aid handed out to 400 children in Wenchang area, Hainan Province, helping those excellent children to join the after-school education.

Children's Palace, as a showplace of children's cultural exchange, since its establishment, has received more than 60 heads of states and chief executives, ten thousands of distinguished guests and friends from all over the world. In the past 2 years, we received many VIPs: Howard Kook-- Governor of Jamaica; Vice-President of Parliament Guatemala; President of San Marino; Chief Auditor of Venezuela; Governor of New South Whales of Australia and so on. The visiting of Children's Palace left a deep and beautiful impression on all of them.

As the status of international metropolis of Shanghai, the International Department of CWICP was set up in September 2001. It has offered many traditional courses such as calligraphy, Chinese painting, Martial arts, paper-cutting and etc. More and more children from other countries and regions have the opportunity to understand the Chinese traditional culture while they are having culture exchange with our children.
Now the extension project of CWICP-the comprehensive building, concerned by all levels of our government, began to construct on March 31st, 2003. It is estimated to complete at the end of 2004. At that time, Children's Palace will be a paradise and after-school culture center with modern teaching ideas and perfect facilities for more children.

Add: 64 Yan An Road (w), Shanghai 200040, China
Tel: 0086-21-62481850
Fax: 0086-21-62481907