Earth Hour event celebrated around the world

Earth Hour was initiated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2007 as a way to highlight the problems caused by global climate change. 

It is marked on the last Saturday of March, and starts at 8.30 in the evening local time. The WWF urges every individual, community, school, enterprise and government in the world to show their support by turning lights off for an hour, so that more people will come to realize the importance of climate change.

Landmark buildings in the world response to the Earth Hour event in 2017

The London Eye.[Photo: thepaper.cn]

Sydney Opera House.[Photo: thepaper.cn]

Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.[Photo: thepaper.cn]

The Bund in Shanghai.[Photo: thepaper.cn]

Grand Palace in Bankok, Thailand.[Photo: thepaper.cn]

West Lake in Hangzhou. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

Earth Hour event celebrated in China in 2017

On March 25 this year, the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres delivered a video speech, saying that the UN headquarters in New York would also turn off its lights for an hour to show its firm support for a world facing climate change together.

The overall theme of Earth Hour 2017 is "Climate, Humans and Society." In China it was held under the theme of "Blue future" which advocates green travel, purchasing sustainable products and leading a sustainable life among the public.

A poster for the WWF's "Earth Hour" event that says "lanse 'We' lai," which sounds similar to "blue future" in Chinese. [Photo: Courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund]Famous Chinese actress, Li Bingbing, as a global ambassador for Earth Hour, said in an interview with China Global Television News (CGTN), that more and more people are joining in the activity in China, and are willing to share their experiences on social media. "Living on this earth is our privilege, it is our responsibility to protect it," added Li.

Citizens in Shanghai taking part in an Earth Hour related activity, on March 25, 2017. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

Kids draw pictures about environmental protection as Earth Hour is observed in Shanghai, on March 25, 2017. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

Students form Yangzhou University taking part in an Earth Hour activity, on March 25, 2017. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

The issue of environmental protection has become increasingly popular around the world 

Since 2007, Earth Hour has been observed in over 100 countries with a total of 6,000 cities and a billion people actively taking part. The activity has become the largest in proportion, most influential and most meaningful environmental protection activity in the world.