“​Natural China” Program

In April, 2008, the Institute together with The Nature Conservancy and 2 Chinese environmental NGOs, the Alxa Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology (SEE) and the China Environmental Culture Promotion Association, launched “Natural China”, a multi-faceted program developed to both inform people about China’s natural assets, its nature reserves and efforts to protect them and to engage the Chinese public through collaboration, partnerships and presentations that encourage leadership and further participation in the environmental sector. 

The concerts, co-presented with Beijing's National Centre for Performing Arts and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, were multi-media concerts of Haydn's "The Seasons" that took place April 3 and 6, respectively. Musicians Maestro John Nelson and Metropolitan Opera singers Ying Huang, Shen Yang and Marc Heller were accompanied by projected award-winning photographs taken of China's nature reserves from a photo competition sponsored by the Beijing Olympic Committee, the State Forestry Administration and The Nature Conservancy.
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Also invited and recognized at the Beijing concert were 10 award recipients of the 2007 SEE-TNC Eco-Award program which highlights and supports grassroots environmental projects across China. They were selected from 219 entrants by over 500,000 online voters in China. A portion of the night’s proceeds went to help support those environmental initiators.

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Press Conference

The Natural China Events were launched on April 1, 2008 with a Press Conference at the State Council Information Office where over 30 major media outlets participated including:

Xinhua News Agency
China News Agency
People’s Daily
Science and Technology Daily 
Science Times
Green Times
China Business News
Beijing People’s Radio
Beijing TV
China Central Television-Channel 9 (international channel in English)
Yunnan daily
Sina.com and Sohu.com (the top 2 internet portals)

VIP Reception

A special VIP reception was held before the concert in Beijing, attended by many high ranking officials from government agencies including:

• C. H. Tung, Vice Chair of CPPCC (the top political advisory body)
• Jia Zhibang, Minister of the State Forestry Administration
• Zhu Lieke, Vice Minister of the State Forestry Administration
• Pan Yue, Vice Minister of Ministry of Environmental Protection
• Li Zhaoxing, Former Foreign Minister
• Vice Minister from the Ministry of Culture
• Wang Guoqing, Vice Minister of SCIO
• Wu Qidi, Vice Minister of Education 
• Li Daoyu, CPPCC member, Former Ambassador to U.S.

In Shanghai, attendees at the concert included:

• Chen Dong, municipal party leader of cultural affairs 
• Xue Pei Jian, municipal party leader of Shangai Media Group
• Yang Xiaodu, head of United Front and former vice mayor of Shanghai

Photo exhibitions of China’s nature reserves drawn from entries of the 2008 China Nature Reserves photo contest ran during the months of July and August, 2008 in China and Olympic-designated spaces. This was sponsored by the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and China’s State Forestry Administration.

In addition, CCTV and the Shanghai Arts Channel broadcast the concert, allowing millions of viewers to experience the launching event for Natural China.

Video

Media Coverage

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Oriental Morning Post 
Jiefang Daily 
Morning News　
Morning News　
Oriental Morning Post　
Xinmin Evening　
Xinmin Evening　
Wenhui News　
Shanghai noon news　
Beijing Evening News　
Beijing Daily　
legal Daily (Beijing)　
Beijing Youth Daily　
China Daily: Sounds of the seasons paint a big picture　​