Beijing Expo 2019 Unveils Its Second Group of Image Ambassadors

The unveiling ceremony of Beijing Expo 2019’s second group of image ambassadors and the launch ceremony of the Beijing Expo Action kicked off at Shougang Sports Mansion in Beijing on December 21, 2018. Following CCTV anchorwoman Dong Qing, conservation biologist Prof. Lu Zhi and renowned actor Liu Jin became the second group of image ambassadors for Beijing Expo 2019. At the event, the two image ambassadors and other distinguished participants launched the Beijing Expo Action to disseminate and practice the concept of ecological progress, as a move to welcome the expo to open the next year. It is reported that the theme documentary for the expo, Chinese Plants That Change the World, had recently finished shooting and entered the stage of post-production. The documentary will be aired on TV and online platforms simultaneously when Beijing Expo 2019 opens. 

Second Group of Image Ambassadors Unveiled 

At the event, Wang Hong, vice director and secretary general of the Executive Committee of Beijing Expo 2019 and vice mayor of Beijing, awarded Lu Zhi the certificate of appointment, while that for Liu Jin was awarded by Yu Junsheng, vice secretary general of the Municipal Party Committee of Beijing and deputy director of the committee’s Publicity Department. With the help of the influence of those image ambassadors, Beijing Expo 2019 is expected to reach every corner of China and the world at large, so as to share China’s ideas and experience on green development and erect the country’s image as an active advocate of green development worldwide. 

Prof. Lu Zhi is a conservation biologist and executive director of the Center for Nature and Society at Peking University and founder of Shanshui Conservation Center. Since 1985, she has been dedicated to research, practice, capacity building and policy advocacy for nature conservation in China. Lu noted that the theme of Beijing Expo 2019, “Live Green, Live Better,” highly conforms to the ecological concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, which is a persistent dream she has pursued. “I hope Beijing Expo 2019 will become a platform to disseminate the concept of ecological progress and provide an opportunity for China to display its achievements in ecological restoration to the world,” she said. “I wish more and more people join in the campaign of nature conservation through paying attention to and participating in the expo.”

Liu Jin, a famous TV, film and drama actor, is noted for playing Premier Zhou Enlai in many works. Besides performing, he began to participate in the Action for Green China, a nationwide environmental protection campaign jointly launched by organizations including the National Forestation Commission. Since then, Liu has devoted himself to ecological protection and other public welfare activities. He has consecutively served as image ambassador for information environment, Green China and the State Oceanic Administration. When talking about his appointment as an image ambassador of Beijing Expo 2019, Liu said, “I wish using my status as an image ambassador of the expo to inspire more people to practice green lifestyles and make contributions to our common beautiful homeland.”

High Expectation for the Documentary Chinese Plants That Change the World

As China’s first documentary film on plants, the theme documentary of Beijing Expo 2019, Chinese Plants That Change the World, completed shooting after two years of efforts. According to Li Chengcai, chief director of the documentary, the film involves a crew of nearly 200 people, who traveled specialized landforms including plateaus, snow-capped mountains, deserts and rainforests in 30 Chinese provinces and seven foreign countries, shooting footages totaling 1,200 hours. “This is a comprehensive exploration of the world of plants and an overall review of Chinese plants’ impact on human society,” Li commented. “It is also a gift to Mother Nature and a salute to human creativity.”

Zhou Ye, one of the directors of the documentary, shared his unforgettable memories of the process of film shooting at the event. The crew visited Tibet several times in a couple of months to shoot the blooming Noble rhubarb, a herbaceous plant growing on plateaus. They once went deep into a no-man zone in Yunnan Province’s Gaoligong Mountain and erected a 50-kilogram steel cable as tall as 30 meters to shoot alpine azaleas. They spent three months recording the life circle of a lotus seed by using underwater time-lapse photographing technique to record. As the seed sprouting in the water, it looks like a human newborn—a heartwarming, inspiring and impressive scene. In addition, the crew trekked far to Madagascar, an island country in southeastern Africa, to search evidences proving the wellbeing the sweet wormwood, a plant indigenous to China, brought to local residents. All of these are showcased in the documentary Chinese Plants That Change the World. “To record those unique lives, our crew visited and worked in many places unlivable for humans,” Zhou recalled. “We once slept in cowsheds, hugging each other to keep warm. We supported each other on slippery stones in a running river. We endured wind, frost, rain, snow and hail together with plants in the wilderness. The process was painful and arduous, but it also made us feel excited and even passionate because such a life enabled us to integrate into nature and experience the power of plants.”

Expo Site Enters the Stage of Operation Management and Exhibitor Service

Beijing Expo 2019 is scheduled to open on April 29 next year. At present, relevant construction projects are proceeding smoothly. The four major pavilions have begun interior decoration and equipment installation, with their outdoor projects being on the verge of completion. The green house of the Plant Pavilion has finished plant cultivation. Infrastructure projects are ready for operation. Except for some seasonal flowers that need to be planted next spring, all public green spaces have been completed. To date, 110 official exhibitors and over 120 non-official exhibitors have confirmed to participate in the expo. Construction of the Expo Site has been close to completion, with the focus of work shift toward operation management and exhibitor service. Four months later, Beijing Expo 2019 will kick off as scheduled to explore a new horizon of world horticulture, erect a new model of ecological conservation, showcase new achievements of China’s reform and opening up and modernization, and present a new image of Beijing as the capital of a major country in this new era. 

Leaders of the Organizing Committee and Executive Committee for Beijing Expo 2019 also attended the event.