Harbin, the capital city of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, is hosting a wide range of activities focusing on protecting biodiversity and the environment with the theme “Our Beautiful Home.”

The activities began on Oct 29 and are an important component of the Franco-Chinese Month of the Environment 2020, which is also taking place in other Chinese cities to influence more people.

The opening ceremony was held at Harbin’s West Red Square. 

Nadège Le Lan, consul general of the French Consulate General in Shenyang, made a speech in fluent Chinese. She said that the Franco-Chinese Month of the Environment was founded by the French Embassy in China in 2014. 

The month-long event includes various activities covering a range of different disciplines related to the environment. It aims to promote awareness of environmental issues and strengthen cooperation between the two countries in environmental protection.

This year’s edition centers on biodiversity conservation.

Harbin, as an international city, has organized nine activities with advanced environmental protection ideas. They are mainly focused on art, public welfare and positive experiences and are intended to encourage people to build beautiful homes and actively participate in urban ecological protection. The goal is to promote environmental conservation in China’s northern border region.

Among the activities, three art exhibitions that had made a splash in Paris will also allow visitors in Harbin to take a new look at environmental protection. The exhibits include photography shows and an interactive game that uses augmented reality technology. They reflect French artists’ insights on biology and combine nature with modern art to create superb aesthetic value.

These activities are accompanied by concrete actions promoting environmental awareness. The Harbin Youth Environmental Protection Cultural and Creative Base has been established to stimulate creative ideas from young people on environmental protection and cultural innovation. Harbin Women’s Federation established a garbage classification training base, which will help companies teach their staff garbage sorting skills. 

An environmental protection alliance of businesses with more than 100 members released an initiative at the opening ceremony. The coalition will have pollution-free and biodegradable eco-friendly products for visitors to try during the event. 

According to the organizer, there will also be a creative catwalk show featuring clothing made with environmentally friendly materials and waste items.