Officiating guests hold luminous souvenirs during the opening ceremony of documentary project "Hong Kong Nature Stories" at Phoenix TV's Hong Kong headquarters on April 13, 2023. (GARY CHIU / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – A new documentary project was launched on Thursday to introduce to the world Hong Kong’s captivating natural landscapes and rich biodiversity.

Supported by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, international organizations and local wildlife conservation groups, Hong Kong Nature Stories was started by Phoenix TV and World Wide Fund (WWF) Hong Kong, and presented by Phoenix TV and China Resources Group.

The series will feature 12 episodes to be aired in September that will introduce Hong Kong’s rich ecological heritage, including wetlands and country parks, to a global audience.   

The project will also produce a movie, set to be released in 2024, and organize forums, screening events and education programs so that the general public, particularly youngsters, will deeply understand and appreciate Hong Kong’s natural beauty.

The hosts read out Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee Ka-chiu's congratulatory letter during the opening ceremony of documentary project "Hong Kong Nature Stories" at Phoenix TV's Hong Kong headquarters on April 13, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

In a congratulatory letter, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu lauded Phoenix TV and urged it “to make use of omnimedia to tell the good stories about Hong Kong’s natural environment”.

“About 75 percent of over 1,100 kilometer square of the land in this global metropolis is countryside with beautiful scenery and rich biodiversity,” said the chief executive, adding that “the coverage of natural conservation areas in Hong Kong is larger than that in other developed cities and regions”.

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Citing President Xi Jinping’s report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Lee also said nature provided the basic conditions for development, adding that people need to respect, adapt to, and protect nature and it was crucial to maintaining harmony between humanity and nature when planning the development.

Wang Xiangming, chairman of China Resources Group, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of documentary project "Hong Kong Nature Stories" at Phoenix TV's Hong Kong headquarters on April 13, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Wang Xiangming, chairman of China Resources Group, said in an opening ceremony that the company hoped to highlight the allure of Hong Kong’s natural landscapes to the world by cooperating with Phoenix TV in the documentary series.

“Hong Kong is the starting point of China Resources. We will not forget our original missions to set our foundation in Hong Kong and serve Hong Kong,” Wang said.

This year marks the 85th founding anniversary of China Resources, he said, adding that the company had been participating in and witnessing the growth of Hong Kong.

Facilitating the residents’ well-being and promoting the city’s exchange with the Chinese mainland, China Resources also stressed social responsibility and underscored the company’s culture core values in striving to contribute to Hong Kong’s development, Wang said.

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China Resources will put more efforts to take part in the growth in Hong Kong and promote the city’s integration with national development, he added.

Shahbaz Khan, director and representative of UNESCO Beijing office, delivers a speech via video link during the opening ceremony of documentary project "Hong Kong Nature Stories" at Phoenix TV's Hong Kong headquarters on April 13, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Xu Wei, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Phoenix TV, said in the same event that Hong Kong Nature Stories could boost the cultural confidence among Hong Kong residents and inspire people to revisit and rediscover the city’s ecological heritage.

Nicole Wong, chief executive officer of WWF-Hong Kong, said she hoped the documentary series would inspire the audience to take action in tackling climate change and the decline in biodiversity in the world.

A boy performs during the opening ceremony of documentary project "Hong Kong Nature Stories" at Phoenix TV's Hong Kong headquarters on April 13, 2023. (GARY CHIU / CHINA DAILY)

Officiating guests, hosts and performers pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony of documentary project "Hong Kong Nature Stories" at Phoenix TV's Hong Kong headquarters on April 13, 2023. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Shahbaz Khan, director and representative of UNESCO regional office in Beijing, said the UN agency was very proud of working with Hong Kong, a city with a rich diversity of intellectual, financial and natural resources, to pursue the greater goal of sustainable development.

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The project formed an advisory group of experts and scholars, including Rebecca Lee Lok-sze, founder of Polar Museum Foundation and renowned explorer, and Wong Fook-yee, adjunct professor of the Department of Geography and Resource Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong.