On the evening of December 7, the event to announce the first image ambassador of the 2019 China Beijing World Horticultural Exposition and the architectural design of the China Pavilion was held at the Wansheng Garden Greenhouse in Beijing Botanical Garden. Dong Qing was appointed as the first image ambassador of the Beijing Expo, and the architectural design of the China Pavilion was officially released to the world.

The theme of the event was "A Bond with Plants, A Date with the Expo," aiming to advocate greater attention to plants and to promote the building of a community of life between man and nature during the preparation of the Beijing Expo. That evening, the Wansheng Garden Greenhouse was like an ocean of plants, and the lush green environment instantly brought people closer to plants. The opening dance "Seed" performed by the Beijing Contemporary Ballet Troupe depicted the process of seed germination through modern ballet, showcasing the vitality of plant life; the dance "Sprout" performed by the Inner Mongolia Little Wild Goose Art Troupe presented the growth process of plants, creating a lively and energetic atmosphere; singer Yun Fei performed the Beijing Expo golden song "Please Bring My Green Back to Your Home," aptly conveying the theme of the Beijing Expo, "Green Life, Beautiful Home." Interview guests Li Chengcai, Guan Kaiyun, Huang Hongwen, and Wang Yuheng spoke about plants with great familiarity and emotion. At the end of the event, the guests placed potted plants on a curio shelf in the center of the stage, symbolizing the practice of a green lifestyle and the joint building of a beautiful home.

Dong Qing Selected as First Image Ambassador of Beijing Expo

At the event, Jiang Zehui, President of the China Flower Association and Vice Chairperson of the Organizing Committee, announced that CCTV host Dong Qing had become the first image ambassador of the Beijing Expo and presented her with a letter of appointment. It is understood that since the selection of image ambassadors for the Beijing Expo started in April this year, who would serve as the first image ambassador has been a hot topic of public interest. With her healthy public image, broad social influence, good spirit, positive attitude toward life, and deep passion for horticulture, Dong Qing perfectly matched the selection criteria for the Beijing Expo image ambassador. With the approval of the leadership of the Beijing Expo Organizing Committee and Executive Committee, she ultimately became the choice that enjoyed widespread support.

Dong Qing said that human survival cannot be separated from plants for a single moment. "I volunteer to be the image ambassador of the Beijing Expo, hoping to speak for plants and give them a voice, so that more and more people will pay attention to plants and think about how humans and nature can coexist harmoniously."

China Pavilion Architectural Design Officially Unveiled: An Architectural Model Showcasing Ecological Civilization

At the event, Cui Kai, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chief Architect of the China Architecture Design & Research Group, released the architectural design of the China Pavilion for the Beijing Expo. As the most important landmark building of the Beijing Expo, the China Pavilion has attracted worldwide attention. The China Pavilion embodies concepts and ideas such as highlighting China's national image, coordinating with the landscape pattern of the park, using the latest green technologies, integrating regional cultural elements, expressing the horticultural theme, and taking into account post-expo utilization.

It is understood that the architectural design of the China Pavilion was led by Cui Kai, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, National Master of Survey and Design, and Chief Architect of the China Architecture Design & Research Group. The design concept is "Splendid Horticultural Sentiments, Auspicious Chinese Dream," telling a beautiful horticultural story in poetic Chinese language.

The China Pavilion is located at the foot of the Great Wall and by the banks of the Gui River, stretching like a warm and lustrous jade ruyi scepter among the green mountains and clear waters. "We designed the China Pavilion in a semi-ring shape, integrating into the site with a complete and gentle outline, embracing the mountains and waters, and continuing the landscape vein of the entire park," said Cui Kai. The main exhibition halls of the China Pavilion are covered beneath terraced fields. The golden canopy above the terraces shrouds splendid flowers, like a huge greenhouse cluster embracing them. This elegant design originates from the history of Chinese horticulture born from agricultural civilization. Various grains with white, yellow, red, black, and purple husks are planted extensively on the terraces, and technologies such as mist spraying and lighting are used to create a return-to-nature pastoral scene. Emulating the ancient wisdom of "nest dwelling" and "cave dwelling" of our ancestors, the 2019 Beijing Expo will make the China Pavilion a green building that can "breathe" and has "life." Most exhibition halls are placed beneath the terraces, using the moisture-retaining and heat-insulating performance of the large earth-covered architectural structure of the terraces to reduce the energy consumption of heating and cooling the buildings. A rainwater collection system is installed on the roof, permeable paving is used on the site, and an underground rainwater storage tank is set up. After recovery and treatment, the rainwater will be used for terrace irrigation, forming an ecological microcirculation. The venue uses the theory of earth-air tunnels to pre-cool fresh air in summer and pre-heat it in winter, effectively reducing the energy consumption of the air-conditioning system. The steel structure roof of the China Pavilion is installed with 1,024 photovoltaic glass panels, which have higher light absorption efficiency and can better adapt to the building's form and contours.

"The China Pavilion uses the unique Chinese worldview and view of time and space to connect culture and nature, and combine landscape with technology. With its natural and peaceful temperament, it tells China's horticultural story and interprets the spirit of our era. We hope that in the spring of 2019, when the China Pavilion welcomes visitors from all over the world, people will be moved by this building," introduced Academician Cui Kai.

Official WeChat Column "A Bond with Plants" Launched Simultaneously

At the event, the Beijing Expo official WeChat column "A Bond with Plants" was launched. Dong Qing invited Li Chengcai, chief director of the documentary "Chinese Plants That Changed the World"; Huang Hongwen, Vice President of the Botanical Society of China and Secretary-General of the International Association of Botanic Gardens; Guan Kaiyun, researcher at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Wang Yuheng, a popular contestant on "Super Brain" and a "Water Brother" keen on creating plant walls, and other "horticulture enthusiasts" to jointly share their bonds with plants, which also became the focus of attention.

According to reports, in order to further promote the Beijing Expo, the Beijing Expo Bureau has tailor-made the WeChat column "A Bond with Plants" for Dong Qing, the first image ambassador of the Expo. This is also Dong Qing's first personal column, which will be regularly published on the official WeChat account of the Beijing Expo. The column's slogan is: "Quietly appreciate all things, enjoy nature in heart." It is divided into two sections: "A Bond with Plants - The Power of Plants" and "A Bond with Plants - Dong Qing's Book Collection." Among them, the main content of "A Bond with Plants - The Power of Plants" is listening to Dong Qing read stories about plants; the main content of "A Bond with Plants - Dong Qing's Book Collection" is watching Dong Qing recommend excellent plant-related books to Expo fans and share her book reviews. The column officially launched today.

"We hope to use Dong Qing's influence and her love for plants and horticulture to raise public awareness of environmental protection and ecology, so that the theme of 'Green Life, Beautiful Home' will be deeply rooted in people's hearts, attract more public participation in and promotion of the Expo, and enable them to become enjoyers of ecological civilization achievements, participants in ecological civilization construction, and practitioners of building a beautiful China," said Zhou Jianping, Executive Deputy Director of the Beijing Expo Bureau.