The parents of a teen vandal from Jiangsu province have apologized to the public for the graffiti their son scratched on a stone sculpture in an ancient temple in Egypt, which triggered an online uproar as Internet users dubbed it a "loss of face" for all Chinese people.

Graffiti on the defaced Egyptian artifact says "Ding Jinhao was here". provided to china daily

A micro blogger found the Chinese characters carved on a cameo at the Luxor Temple, one of Egypt's most renowned archaeological sites, in early May. The characters say "Ding Jinhao was here".

The micro blog, posted on Friday night, triggered heated discussion online as the act of vandalism was condemned as being disrespectful to cultural relics.

Ding Jinhao's parents, who live in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, apologized for his behavior on Saturday and asked for forgiveness from the public after angry Internet users discovered and revealed the identity of the young man, aged 14, a middle school student in Nanjing.

"We want to apologize to the Egyptian people and to people who have paid attention to this case across China," Ding's mother said in Modern Express, a local newspaper.

Ding has realized the seriousness of his misconduct, according to his mother.

His father said they felt regretful after news about the case was spread online.

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