Launched by the Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Teams of CUHK and Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology (XUAT), the Village Rebuild Demonstration Project in Maan Qiao Village of Sichuan was awarded the Jury Commendation for Innovation in 2011, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. Dr. Qiu Baoxing, Vice-Minister of Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of PRC (MOHURD); Dr. Zhao Hui, Director of MOHURD; Prof. Edward Ng, chairman of Wu Zhi Qiao Charitable Foundation and professor of School of Architecture of CUHK; and other project members attended the award ceremony held at the Ministry on 21 December 2011.

The Maan Qiao Village, Xinan Township, Huili County, Sichuan Province, is a poor village in the region sustaining the most damage after the earthquake on 30 August 2008. About 90% of the houses collapsed. CUHK and XUAT launched the rebuild project, which included Wu Zhi Qiao bridge building, assistance to villagers to build their rammed-earth houses, village community centre construction, basic infrastructure improvement and other public health educational programmes.