Ding Jinhao's parents apologised for the graffiti at a temple in Egypt
The parents of a Chinese teenager exposed and condemned by internet users for vandalising ancient Egyptian artwork have apologised, reports say.
On Friday a micro-blogger posted a photo of graffiti at a temple complex in Luxor, Egypt, which said: "Ding Jinhao was here".
Angry internet users then managed to identify the teen, posting his date of birth and school online, reports said.
His mother told a local paper they were sorry for his actions.
Luxor is home to a large temple complex, located on the bank of the Nile River, believed to be some 3,500 years old.
'Too much pressure'"We want to apologise to the Egyptian people and to people who have paid attention to this case across China," Mr Ding's mother told local newspaper Modern Express on Saturday.
She added that the teen, now a middle school student in Nanjing, committed the act when he was younger and had realised the seriousness of his actions.
Ding Jinhao's father also appealed for the public to let his son be, saying: "This is too much pressure for him to take."
The boy's identification led to the hacking of his primary school's website, the Global Times newspaper said.
The incident comes as another example of the growing phenomenon of Chinese internet users exposing private information about those perceived of wrongdoing.
In recent months a number of officials have been felled or shamed by information made public via micro-blogs.
The incident also comes days after Wang Yang, one of China's four vice-premiers, said on 17 May that the "uncivilised behaviour" of some Chinese tourists was harming the country's image.
Chinese tourists spent $102bn (£67bn) overseas last year, up 40% on the year before, and the UN World Tourism Organisation says China is now the single biggest source of global tourism income.
今天以最喜欢的一句话结尾:The life is simple. You make a choice, and do not look back. That is enough!