Grand Canal Route Opening CeremonyJuly 11, 2010

On July 11th, 2010, the opening ceremony for the Grand Canal Route of the fourth National Youth Green Long March Opening Ceremony took place along with the launching of the Grand Canal Youth League.

The Green Long March is the largest youth conservation awareness movement in China. It is a project of Future Generations China in cooperation with Beijing Forestry University. The Grand Canal route was funded for the fourth consecutive year by Goldman Sachs Gao Hua.

With the theme of "Green China and Low-carbon Living", the 2010 Green Long March aims at promoting environmental awareness and education in the fields of water quality, wetland protection, forest preservation, climate change, grassland deterioration,
ocean maintenance and others on a national scale. Spreading resources and manpower over a series of routes such as Grand Canal, Song of Yangtze River, Yellow River Journey, Forest in Northeast China, Snow Plateau, Golden Coast, Steppe Promenade, and Treasure Homeland, the Green Long March hopes to spread the message to a wide audience.

Attendance at the opening ceremony was full and varied including guests from a wide range of sectors. In attendance were Li Heliang, the Secretary of Youth League Committee in Liaocheng University, Lu Canyun, the Deputy-secretary of Youth League Committee, Li Zongnian, the Party Secretary of
College of Environmental Planning, Gaoyan, the Deputy Party Secretary and Deputy Dean of College of Environmental Planning, Zhangyan, the Secretary of Youth League Committee in College of Environmental Planning and others. The Green Field Society in Liaocheng University and volunteers from the student union were also present.

Li Heliang, the Secretary of Youth League Committee in Liaocheng University delivered an inspiring speech to begin. He maintained that Green Long March is an important movement because national environmental action relies on the awareness and education of youth. A knowledgeable and proactive youth base leads to a powerful country. Yangyang, the teacher from College of Nature Preserve and leader of Grand Canal Team, briefed all the attendees on the previous activities and achievements of the Green Long March. She also introduced the theme of the 2010 Green Long March and called on all university students to lead a low-carbon life and practice green environmental concepts in daily life. In closing, Zhaojing, junior captain of the team, gave a speech on the behalf of the whole team, expressing heart-felt gratitude for the cooperation and support of Liaocheng University and the corporate sponsors. During the ceremony, team members also organized a series of environmental activities such as community green consulting, a handicraft exhibition, a photo show of environmental education and a trip to the Grand Canal Museum.

The Grand Canal team then launched an investigation on a local wetland tourist destinations including Weishan lake and a forest farm in the Nansi Lake Nature Preserve of Weishan county in Shandong province. Later the team journeyed downward along the Grand Canal to implement green consulting activities in communities in Nanjing and Suzhou. They also gave environmental lectures in Suzhou Primary School for the children of migrant workers. Many of the activities caught the attention of local media and were reported by Suzhou News, People, Suzhou Daily, and EEDU. In the Suzhou Daily's report, children who joined the green activities said this is the first time they have heard about the concept of low-carbon living.