Yao Ming receives a student's painting as a gift from the NBA-Yao Foundation School in Hefeng, Sichuan province, Nov 4, 2013. [Photo by Huang Zhiling/chinadaily.com.cn]

Li Ming, an 11-year-old pupil in the NBA-Yao Foundation Primary School in Hefeng, Sichuan province, was excited on Nov 4 as she sat next to former NBA star Yao Ming.

"A crowd of people from the town surrounded the school gate and stood outside the window of our classroom in order to glimpse at the basketball legend. But he talked with me for quite a long time and appreciated my painting in my classroom," she said.

Yao arrived in the town to unveil the rural school, to which the foundation donated 860,000 yuan ($141,000) to rebuild its gate and playground, and build a new teaching building.

The school, formerly known as the Lixin Primary School, was set up in 1957.

"Before its reconstruction started last year, the school did not have a decent playground and the campus was muddy when it rained," said Li Mingxing, a 12-year-old boy and one of dozens of students on the playground dribbling basketballs to welcome Yao.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Yao said he was very happy to see more and more children entitled to good teaching facilities.

"It is the first NBA-Yao Foundation Primary School. It is hoped there will be more cooperation between the NBA and the Yao Foundation and each child in need will have a rosy future," he said.