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Swan city welcomes photography festival

Liu Nanchang, secretary of the CPC Sanmenxia municipal committee, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony for the First China (Sanmenxia) White Swan Wildlife International Photography Festival, held at the Wenbo Exhibition Center on Dec 7.

The following is the full script of Liu's speech.

It is a common aspiration of all people around the world to build a beautiful homeland of graceful environment, harmonious ecology and prosperous economy.

The city of Sanmenxia, situated on the south bank of Yellow River, known as the "Mother River of China", is full of vitality. In the course of its transformation and development, the government has attached great importance to its ecological construction. It has been carrying out the Blue Sky and Green Water project, to improve the natural environment.

Currently, Sanmenxia boasts two national nature reserves, four national forest parks, six provincial forest parks and two municipal forest parks, boosting its forest coverage rate to 50.72 percent. The record tops other cities in Central China's Henan province.

As the ecological environment improved in the Sanmenxia Yellow River Reservoir, an increasing number of birds found their habitat here. As recorded, Sanmenxia's Yellow River mudflat is home to 230 species of birds, accounting for 80 percent of the province's total.

Sanmenxia is a brief home to 10,000 swans, accounting for one half of their national population, who make a long journey from Siberia to the habitat for winter in recent years. Those magnificent birds have earned the city the title of being the "city of swans" thanks to the city's fine balance of ecology, environment and people.

We are pleased to see bevies of swans flying freely over a broad and rippling river surface. Those elegant guests from afar silhouetted against the background of Loess Plateau help depict a gorgeous picture of humans and nature coexisting harmoniously.

In order to promote Sanmenxia's swan culture, as well as to attract more people to protect wild animals, the city of swans is hosting an international photo exhibition of swans.

The exhibition is co-organized by the China Photographers Association, the Henan Provincial Culture and Arts League, and the People's Government of Sanmenxia.

Around 3,000 animal-inspired images have been snapped by more than 400 amateur and professional photographers from home and abroad. The photos are divided up into swans, wild animals, and documentary pieces.

Those photographers speak for the beauty of nature, humanity and harmony with their inspirational camera work. The exhibition will arouse the public's attention to care about the nature and wildlife.

Sanmenxia enjoys charming and beautiful natural scenery, profound history, and is abundant in cultural resources, which provides a perfect place for photographers.

I sincerely hope this exhibition will draw more photographers and artists who care about white swans and Sanmenxia, with their talents and skills. And Sanmenxia people will be encouraged to build a better future.

At last, I wish the photo exhibition a great success!