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Chinese cities 'go dark' for Earth Hour campaign

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-28 22:08

BEIJING -- About 20 Chinese cities joined a worldwide campaign to persuade the public to switch off unnecessary lights for one hour Saturday night to support energy-saving efforts and show concerns about global warming.

A combination picture shows a view of the Hong Kong's financial district's (L-R) Bank of China Tower, Cheung Kong Centre, HSBC headquarters, Standard Chartered Bank and Legislative Council before (top) and during Earth Hour March 28, 2009. [Agencies]

The iconic "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in northern Beijing, usually illuminated by floodlights, went dark at 8:30 p.m. (1230 GMT), while dozens of hotels, office buildings, shopping malls and restaurants in the capital also switched some lights off.

Related readings:  Skyscrapers, malls and homes to 'switch off' for Earth Hour  Lights to go off around world for Earth Hour  Holding a candle to Earth Hour  Fuzhou Shangri-La Hotel to participate in "Earth Hour"

At a hotel next to the "Bird's Nest", more than 100 officials, dignitaries and journalists gathered to witness the symbolic ceremony which unveiled the China leg of Earth Hour, the global campaign organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

A Xinhua reporter saw from the venue that the stadium, and the nearby "Water Cube" National Aquatics Center, were in complete darkness now.

In Shanghai, China's financial hub, international fastfood chain KFC offered candle-lit service to customers after its restaurants dimmed lights.

KFC said in a statement earlier that more than 1,300 outlets in 29 Chinese cities would participate the "Earth Hour" activities.

A combination picture shows the Beijing skyline before (top) and after the lights were turned off for Earth Hour March 28, 2009. [Xinhua]

Tens of thousands of Chinese are expected to either turn off lights and appliances at home, or join activities such as candle-lit dinners and star-gazing parties as a response to the call for "going dark," said Zhuang Shiguan, spokeswoman with the WWF China office.

Initiated in Australia in 2007, Earth Hour is a time zone-by-time zone plan in which people around the world are encouraged to switch off their lights for 60 minutes to show their concern about global warming and climate change.

About 3,000 cities in more than 80 countries and regions will join this year's campaign, compared with 34 countries last year, according to the WWF.