I was at Beijing, not for the Olympics, but to attend the ‘Chinese Green Journey’ organized by the British Council (BC), China for which four Climate Change Awareness Ambassadors from each zone of India were selected, and I was the lucky one from West India. My colleagues from India included Aditya Kumar from Delhi, Angshuman Hazarika from Guwahati and Agastya Muthanna from Bangalore. All of us were dead tired after the three long air journeys we went through to reach our destination. Outside the airport we were received by Sophie Lashford from British Council, China and a student at the Cambridge University, who would lead us for the next fifteen days. After a brief rest at the hotel, Sophie and Steve Lipscombe (another British working with BC, China) took us for dinner to Hard Rock Café where we met our colleagues from Hong Kong. Next day onwards our Green Journey began in full swing and here’s an account of what we did in each of the cities we visited.
Beijing- On 14th July, young ambassadors (YAs) from different cities of China namel
y; Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu and Guangdong (province) arrived at the hotel and we had lunch together. We Indians had our first Peking Duck, a speciality of Beijing. Despite getting a lot of help from Chan Yuk Pui (English name- Kurt), my HK friend, my first experience of handling the chopsticks turned into a huge failure. In the evening, Mrs. Rebecca Nadin and Mr. Robin Rickard briefed us about the Green Journey programme; which was followed by a few educational games which we were to play with the public, the next day. The following morning, we visited the National Climate Centre, where Prof. Zhong, Chief Scientist, gave us a lecture on climate change and Madamme Zhou from the 
Beijing Green Olympics committee gave a presentation on the Green Olympics. After this we had a vegetarian eco-lunch and left for the Beijing Planetarium. At the planetarium, we played games on ‘Food Mile’ and a ‘Complete the sentence’ game and distributed eco-friendly pencils. Whichever city we went to, we carried our ‘Green Tree’ with us. People were asked to cut paper (British Council office papers which were re-used) in the form of leaves, write down their opinion about Climate Change and stick them on the ‘tree’. The Food Mile game which made people aware about how imported food items damage the environment was my favourite. In the evening we did some shopping at the Silk Market and later dined at Pizza Hut. After dinner I came across an Arctic fox muffler and a Snow leopa
rd fur 
coat on sale at a supermarket for 3000 yuan and 50000 yuan respectively! My first tryst with China’s illegal wildlife trade. (for more on this issue read next article)
On 16th July, we visited the energy-efficient building of Tsinghua University and went to Beijing’s most popular tourist attraction- the Tiananmen Square and the adjoining Forbidden City. The monuments at the Forbidden City showcase Chinese architecture at its best.
Shanghai- We reached Shanghai by train on the morning of 17th July and straightaway headed for the BC office for a press conference. YAs from different places shared their opinions about Beijing with the media. Angshuman represented India. At noon, we visited the eco-building at Xinzhuang Industrial Park. There was a guided tour at the eco-building and a presentation explaining the eco-friendly features of the building. In the evening we left for Chong Ming island, which is an hour’s ride from Shanghai by ferry. Next day, 18th July, was my s
eventeenth birthday, and one I can never forget. Early morning we visited Chong Ming Dongtan Nature Reserve, a wetland committed to the protection of migratory birds. Though it was not the right season for twitching, walking on the marshes and watching crabs and mudskippers had its own fun. A perfect start to my birthday! At the head office of the nature reserve, we watched a documentary on bird conservation. The big problem with the film- it was in Chinese without English sub-titles! At noon, we ferried back to Shanghai. It was dinner time and little did I know that there was a surprise in store for me! Post dinner, two birthday cakes awaited to be cut by Chan Kai Lap (Kenny from H
K who was the other birthday boy!) and I. According to Chinese culture, if you eat noodles on your birthday, your life becomes as long as a strand of noodles. So, following the tradition, Kenny and I ate noodles too! It was a special day, which I celebrated with my special friends.
On 19th July, we collected tips on environmental protection form the people of Shanghai at East Nanjing Road and distributed eco-friendly pencils.
Chongqing- We reached Chongqing at around 19.00 hours on 20th July after a tiring 29-hour train journey. Next morning we had a grand media conference at Intercontinental Hotel. The event, that became the start attraction was our eco-fashion show. Girls from our gang looked
pretty as they walked on the ramp, dressed in costumes made out of recycled materials. The very next day, the news appeared in many local dailies. Thereafter we visited the Haishi Eco-park, once a barren wasteland, which is now a stunningly beautiful landscape, all thank
s to its creator. Planting trees in that amazingly beautiful park delighted us all. The dinner of that day is worth mentioning. ‘Hot Pot’, Chongqing’s speciality has a huge ‘pot’ filled with boiling hot, spicy curry. Chicken, pork, beef, mushrooms and vegetables have to dipped first into the curry and the into sesame oil. What next? Put it straight into your mouth and say, “Yummy!”
The demonstrative eco-farmland (where we went the following day)
which uses methane as its 
prime source of electricity and the sewage treatment plant provided us with a good learning experience. After working throughout the day, one seeks entertainment too. So there we were, partying at Man Jiang Hong, a floating restaurant on the Yangtze River. We played games, sang songs and had loads of fun!
On 23rd July, before we bade goodbye to Chongqing, we attended a lecture at the Chongqing CDM Centre. Just a few minutes after the lecture began; all I saw with my sleepy eyes was a bunch of sleeping chinkies! To add to our agony, the lecture was in Chinese! So I did not have to think twice before dozing off!
Guangzhou- On 24th July, at noon we arrived at Guangzhou and after ha
ving lunch we moved to the BC office (need I mention the purpose of visit?). The media had gathered in good numbers. BC staff briefed the media about the Green Journey programme and ex-YAs from Guangzhou shared their experiences with us. Interviewers moved here and there taking our interviews. I was interviewed by Guangzhou TV and Guangzhou English Channel. To introduce the concept of Food Mile to the press, we organized a group-fruit salad-making competition. Next day we visited the Likeng Waste Incineration 
Plant which is the only facility in Guangzhou that incinerates waste to produce electricity; and attended a lecture on rising sea level and its effects on Guangzhou. On our way to the Likeng Plant, I saw restaurants openly selling snake meat, turtle meat and reef fishes. The people of China need to be alerted of the adverse effects, these delicacies have on eco-systems. 
Next day, we traveled to Dongguan (approx. 2 hours drive) by bus to visit the Guanyin Mountain Tree Museum which gives an insight of past climate records and its effects on the natural vegetation of South China. Thereafter we left for Hong Kong which is another 2-hour from Dongguan by road.
Hong Kong- On 26th July, a grand dinner at the Mandarin Oriental welcomed us to Hong Kong.
Vietnamese Spring Roll, Butter-garlic Chicken wings, Salmons…Ah! It was so yummy!
27th July was the best day of the Green Journey. It was an activity day at Ark Eden on Lantau Island. Ark Eden is an eco-cottage in the making and its owners, Mrs. Jenny and Mr. Dave are two very dynamic people. They are old but still too young! Mrs. Jenny taught us about the native and exotic trees of Lantau and asked us to jot down methods for using oil judiciously in order to avoid an oil crisis in future; while Mr. Dave imparted his knowledge of composting and resource management. Later, at noon we trekked to the top of a hill to plant a few native trees.
Next day, we attended lectures and presentations at the Hong Kong Observatory, City University of Hong Kong and CLP’s Castle Peak Power Station. All the slideshows were interesting, though they all provided nearly the same facts. In the evening, we went to Hong Kong Wetland Park, which has excellent facilities for educating the public about the importance of wetlands and other eco-systems.
The following day was the last day of our Green Journey, yet our activities went on with inexhaustible spirit. In the morning, we paid a visit to Lamma Power Station, the only wind power station of Hong Kong. From noon to evening we had our last press conference (where I represented India) and the final debriefing at the BC office. Thereafter we left for ‘The Peak’ for a final get-together and a farewell dinner. For us Indians it was a very special dinner. The reason being; they served us Tandoori Chicken! Obviously, it was nothing close to our authentic Indian taste but we still relished it. It was fun to watch our Chinese friends eat the chicken and naan with forks and knives. It was a happy ending to our 15-day long, but still too short, Green Journey.
y; Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu and Guangdong (province) arrived at the hotel and we had lunch together. We Indians had our first Peking Duck, a speciality of Beijing. Despite getting a lot of help from Chan Yuk Pui (English name- Kurt), my HK friend, my first experience of handling the chopsticks turned into a huge failure. In the evening, Mrs. Rebecca Nadin and Mr. Robin Rickard briefed us about the Green Journey programme; which was followed by a few educational games which we were to play with the public, the next day. The following morning, we visited the National Climate Centre, where Prof. Zhong, Chief Scientist, gave us a lecture on climate change and Madamme Zhou from the 
Beijing Green Olympics committee gave a presentation on the Green Olympics. After this we had a vegetarian eco-lunch and left for the Beijing Planetarium. At the planetarium, we played games on ‘Food Mile’ and a ‘Complete the sentence’ game and distributed eco-friendly pencils. Whichever city we went to, we carried our ‘Green Tree’ with us. People were asked to cut paper (British Council office papers which were re-used) in the form of leaves, write down their opinion about Climate Change and stick them on the ‘tree’. The Food Mile game which made people aware about how imported food items damage the environment was my favourite. In the evening we did some shopping at the Silk Market and later dined at Pizza Hut. After dinner I came across an Arctic fox muffler and a Snow leopa
rd fur 
coat on sale at a supermarket for 3000 yuan and 50000 yuan respectively! My first tryst with China’s illegal wildlife trade. (for more on this issue read next article)On 16th July, we visited the energy-efficient building of Tsinghua University and went to Beijing’s most popular tourist attraction- the Tiananmen Square and the adjoining Forbidden City. The monuments at the Forbidden City showcase Chinese architecture at its best.
Shanghai- We reached Shanghai by train on the morning of 17th July and straightaway headed for the BC office for a press conference. YAs from different places shared their opinions about Beijing with the media. Angshuman represented India. At noon, we visited the eco-building at Xinzhuang Industrial Park. There was a guided tour at the eco-building and a presentation explaining the eco-friendly features of the building. In the evening we left for Chong Ming island, which is an hour’s ride from Shanghai by ferry. Next day, 18th July, was my s
eventeenth birthday, and one I can never forget. Early morning we visited Chong Ming Dongtan Nature Reserve, a wetland committed to the protection of migratory birds. Though it was not the right season for twitching, walking on the marshes and watching crabs and mudskippers had its own fun. A perfect start to my birthday! At the head office of the nature reserve, we watched a documentary on bird conservation. The big problem with the film- it was in Chinese without English sub-titles! At noon, we ferried back to Shanghai. It was dinner time and little did I know that there was a surprise in store for me! Post dinner, two birthday cakes awaited to be cut by Chan Kai Lap (Kenny from H
K who was the other birthday boy!) and I. According to Chinese culture, if you eat noodles on your birthday, your life becomes as long as a strand of noodles. So, following the tradition, Kenny and I ate noodles too! It was a special day, which I celebrated with my special friends.On 19th July, we collected tips on environmental protection form the people of Shanghai at East Nanjing Road and distributed eco-friendly pencils.
Chongqing- We reached Chongqing at around 19.00 hours on 20th July after a tiring 29-hour train journey. Next morning we had a grand media conference at Intercontinental Hotel. The event, that became the start attraction was our eco-fashion show. Girls from our gang looked
pretty as they walked on the ramp, dressed in costumes made out of recycled materials. The very next day, the news appeared in many local dailies. Thereafter we visited the Haishi Eco-park, once a barren wasteland, which is now a stunningly beautiful landscape, all thank
s to its creator. Planting trees in that amazingly beautiful park delighted us all. The dinner of that day is worth mentioning. ‘Hot Pot’, Chongqing’s speciality has a huge ‘pot’ filled with boiling hot, spicy curry. Chicken, pork, beef, mushrooms and vegetables have to dipped first into the curry and the into sesame oil. What next? Put it straight into your mouth and say, “Yummy!”The demonstrative eco-farmland (where we went the following day)
which uses methane as its 
prime source of electricity and the sewage treatment plant provided us with a good learning experience. After working throughout the day, one seeks entertainment too. So there we were, partying at Man Jiang Hong, a floating restaurant on the Yangtze River. We played games, sang songs and had loads of fun!On 23rd July, before we bade goodbye to Chongqing, we attended a lecture at the Chongqing CDM Centre. Just a few minutes after the lecture began; all I saw with my sleepy eyes was a bunch of sleeping chinkies! To add to our agony, the lecture was in Chinese! So I did not have to think twice before dozing off!
Guangzhou- On 24th July, at noon we arrived at Guangzhou and after ha
ving lunch we moved to the BC office (need I mention the purpose of visit?). The media had gathered in good numbers. BC staff briefed the media about the Green Journey programme and ex-YAs from Guangzhou shared their experiences with us. Interviewers moved here and there taking our interviews. I was interviewed by Guangzhou TV and Guangzhou English Channel. To introduce the concept of Food Mile to the press, we organized a group-fruit salad-making competition. Next day we visited the Likeng Waste Incineration 
Plant which is the only facility in Guangzhou that incinerates waste to produce electricity; and attended a lecture on rising sea level and its effects on Guangzhou. On our way to the Likeng Plant, I saw restaurants openly selling snake meat, turtle meat and reef fishes. The people of China need to be alerted of the adverse effects, these delicacies have on eco-systems. 
Next day, we traveled to Dongguan (approx. 2 hours drive) by bus to visit the Guanyin Mountain Tree Museum which gives an insight of past climate records and its effects on the natural vegetation of South China. Thereafter we left for Hong Kong which is another 2-hour from Dongguan by road.
Hong Kong- On 26th July, a grand dinner at the Mandarin Oriental welcomed us to Hong Kong.
Vietnamese Spring Roll, Butter-garlic Chicken wings, Salmons…Ah! It was so yummy!27th July was the best day of the Green Journey. It was an activity day at Ark Eden on Lantau Island. Ark Eden is an eco-cottage in the making and its owners, Mrs. Jenny and Mr. Dave are two very dynamic people. They are old but still too young! Mrs. Jenny taught us about the native and exotic trees of Lantau and asked us to jot down methods for using oil judiciously in order to avoid an oil crisis in future; while Mr. Dave imparted his knowledge of composting and resource management. Later, at noon we trekked to the top of a hill to plant a few native trees.
Next day, we attended lectures and presentations at the Hong Kong Observatory, City University of Hong Kong and CLP’s Castle Peak Power Station. All the slideshows were interesting, though they all provided nearly the same facts. In the evening, we went to Hong Kong Wetland Park, which has excellent facilities for educating the public about the importance of wetlands and other eco-systems.The following day was the last day of our Green Journey, yet our activities went on with inexhaustible spirit. In the morning, we paid a visit to Lamma Power Station, the only wind power station of Hong Kong. From noon to evening we had our last press conference (where I represented India) and the final debriefing at the BC office. Thereafter we left for ‘The Peak’ for a final get-together and a farewell dinner. For us Indians it was a very special dinner. The reason being; they served us Tandoori Chicken! Obviously, it was nothing close to our authentic Indian taste but we still relished it. It was fun to watch our Chinese friends eat the chicken and naan with forks and knives. It was a happy ending to our 15-day long, but still too short, Green Journey.
Next morning, on the flight, I woke up from sleep when I heard the attendant say, “Chinese Tea”. It was my last tryst with China; and as I finished the second cup (!), all my memories attached with China- memories of my dear Chinese friends who had been so friendly and helpful; memories of Sophie, our funny, loving and caring group leader; memories of Zhao Jie, our friendly and affectionate tour guide; memories of Michael (who was with us at Chongqing) who taught us how to eat the Hot Pot; and of course of Steve with whom we Indians had our first Chinese Tea. All these special people find a special place in my heart.
For more photographs log on to http://picasaweb.google.com/rohitchak77
These make-up brushes made of mink hair (as told to me by the saleswoman) were being sold at Beijing’s famous ‘Silk Market’. Minks belong to the family of weasles and are poached for their fur which is used to make coats.+copy.jpg)
The most horrifying of all my revelations. These coats were for sale in a popular and also probably the oldest supermarket in Beijing. I took these photographs secretively with my mobile phone. I have no clue about the first one (top left), but the second coat (bottom) is undoubtedly an authentic Snow leopard fur coat, which cost a booming 50000 yuan (approximately 3 lakh INR). It is most probable that the Snow leopard has been shot somewhere in the Indian Himalayas and smuggled into China. The third photograph (top right) shows a dead Arctic fox, costing 3000 yuan (approx. 18000 INR) which is worn as a muffler! 
Hill Mynas are birds found in the Inidan Subcontinent and South-east Asia. Their excellent ability to mimic calls makes them vulnerable to poachers who cage them and earn a good income by smuggling them to China and South-east Asia.
This is why I hate the food of South China. Restaurants in Guangzhou openly sell snake meat, turtle meat, reef fishes and corals. The photograph on the top left (please click on image to enlarge) shows a few snakes kept in an aquarium, ready to be chopped for 500 yuan! The image to the right (please click on image to enlarge) is of the menu card of Pr
Bird’s nest (obtained from nests of Cave Swiftlets & Edible-nest Swiftlets) and Shark fin soup are popular Chinese delicacies. For the shark fin coup, sharks are caught in large numbers. Their fins are chopped off and they are dumped back into the sea. Once the fin is gone, the shark loses its ability to swim, and dies within minutes. The increasing demand for shark fin soup in Chinese restaurants has made many species of sharks endangered (including the Whale Shark). At the Bangkok airport, a packet containing 6 roasted Bird's nests cost 8400 baht (over 10000 INR)! The photograph to the right is of a coral polyp, which is another delicacy in China. If coral bleaching and pollution weren't enough, here comes another threat to the most fragile eco-system in the world! 
