A ceremony was held on February 25th at the NIT School of Media and Design to commemorate the establishment of the Tongtai Humanism Memorial Research Institute. This institute has been co-established by NIT and Ningbo Tongtai Cemetery Investment Co. Ltd. Signing the agreement were Professor Zheng Di, Vice-President of NIT, and Sha Li, Chairman of Tongtai.

The establishment of this institute is a milestone in the advancement of research on cemetery commemoration culture, and represents a new stage of institutional development, professionalism, and academicism. Not only is it a major achievement in the networking activities of local academic institutions and business enterprises, but it is also of major significance for the preservation and continuation of traditional culture in Ningbo. The new institute has already initiated several public welfare and culture-related projects, including the ;Volunteers of Eastern China anti-Japanese veterans martyr park project and the ;Tongtai Cup life-themed micro-film contest.

The Tongtai Jialing Cemetery is a local, urban ;life memorial park which seeks to preserve the countrys funeral culture, promote filial piety, and emphasize other core social values. As Ningbos only reform pilot base for funeral culture in China, the institute will serve the public welfare and support the advancement of scientific and humanistic ideas and traditions. One project that is currently in the planning stages is a museum dedicated to the life of Zhou Xundian, a famous war veteran and legendary pilot from Ningbo.