A love of nature, the will power to help

UN vice secretary general Achim Steiner (right) visits the photo exhibition 'Shared Destiny: Wildlife from Africa to the Arctic' by Luo Hong (left) at the UN's New York headquarters. File photo

He was the first Chinese to hold a solo nature photo exhibition at the New York headquarters of the United Nations (UN) and the only recipient from the Asia-Pacific region or a developing nation who received the title "Climate Hero" from the UN.

Also the founder and chairman of China's leading bakery brand Holiland, Luo Hong prefers to be best known as an environmentalist rather than an entrepreneur.

The 42-year-old billionaire was modest, even shy, when he received the Climate Hero award at UN headquarters.

"I really felt nervous and didn't know what to say in front of such a group of officials and spectators," he said with a rich Sichuan accent.

But when talking about his photography after the ceremony, the short, lean and tanned man was eloquent and passionate.

His show titled "Shared Destiny: Wildlife from Africa to the Arctic" presented 33 pictures of the wild world and green environment taken by Luo over the last decade.

The images were shot in Antarctica, on the Arctic Ocean, when Kilimanjaro Mountain was covered by snow and on the Masai Mara Grasslands, depicting its diverse range of plants and wild animals.

"Each photo has a story and shows how sacred and beautiful nature is," said Luo.

"I myself was greatly impressed by these scenes and hope my pictures might inspire more people to love, conserve and protect the fragile earth we are living on."

He is not a talkative person, but a man of action willing to do what he can to fulfill his pursuit - keeping the world green.

In 2006, Luo donated 2 million yuan to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for establishment of the Luo Hong Environmental Protection Fund, the first individual green fund in UN history.

The fund has now grown to 10 million yuan.

It has supported a young environmental protection leadership training program, assisted flamingo conservation in Kenya's Lake Nakuru National Park, helped settle conflicts between humans and wild elephants in some southern African nations and funded an environmental assessment report on the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games conducted by the UNEP.

The fund also enabled launch of a Chinese-language website for UNEP, which helps bring more effort from China, a crucial country due to its enormous population, sprawling lands and rich ecologies, according to UN vice secretary general Achim Steiner.

Luo sponsored the annual Chinese Children's Painting Competition on Environmental Protection since 2008, which had 3.8 million participants from across China over two sessions.

Nearly 10,000 teachers received professional and environmental protection training as well.

For that, and his overall record, Luo was rated a Climate Hero with four counterparts from the US and Europe, where public environmental consciousness is much higher than in China.

"I know I still have much more to do to stimulate environmental awareness in China, that's why I have given up daily operation of my business," said Luo, who was born in Ya'an of Sichuan, a mountainous area with rich natural resources, the most well-known of which are the panda and bamboo.

His love of nature was part of his maturation and growth, while his enthusiasm for photography started in 1989. Both came before his business was founded in 1991.

From a poor family, Luo realized his responsibility to support his household when he was young and opened a small bakery in his hometown at the age of 24.

He expanded the business to Lanzhou of Xi'an province the next year and launched the brand Holiland.

Thanks to years of hard work and Luo's business sense, Holiland turned into one of the most famous bakery chains in China. But Luo found he was depressed, frustrated and irritable as the market had its ups and down.

He rethought his life and decided to go back to closely connect with nature.

Luo Hong entrusted a professional executive to manage his Holiland production facilities and chain stores and in 1998 he took his cameras and lenses to venture out further into the natural world.

Stable business development and Luo's devotion to the nature and wildlife helped him overcome a series of difficulties, including the misunderstanding of many people who claim he is showing off, as well as the harsh climates and physical extremes of his journeys

Holiland now has more than 1,000 outlets around China, with annual revenues of billions of yuan.

Though the middle-aged Luo keeps a low profile in daily life, he insists on publicity to promote environmental protection.

Beginning in 2007, giant posters of spectacular African scenery photographed by Luo appeared on the walls of Beijing's subway stations.

The breathtaking images of Africa do not carry a logo, but they have created a strong impact that makes people remember the names of Luo Hong and Holiland. It's a good ad, critics said.

He has also held a series of solo exhibits in several cities and provided free tickets for Holiland customers, while donating money raised from photo auctions to green organizations.

The environmentalist said such activities aim to open a window for people to see the beauty of nature, yet critics say the effort is meant to build Holiland's image.

"Never mind, only if people get the idea of protecting our beautiful natural world from my pictures - that's ok," said Luo.

In addition to funding environmental projects and sponsoring painting contests, Luo now holds nature photo exhibitions worldwide and publishes a photographic collection each year while traveling to the most remote areas on earth to capture the images.

"I will do more in the future. I don't know how to promote the environment in words, but I believe my photos and activities will activate people to take part," said Luo.

(China Daily 06/22/2009 page8)