Thirty meters below the surface off Bali's Tulamben coast in Indonesia, Yao Chen pauses in the deep blue water and looks up.
A school of barracuda begins gathering above him. Turning with the current, their silver bodies slowly form a spiral. Instinctively, he raises his camera and follows the fish until they disappear from view.
The scene appears in The Crazy Travel with Yao Chen, the singer and actor's outdoor vlog series. Through hiking, diving and wilderness journeys, Yao records his encounters with mountains, seas and the natural world.
On Sept 14, attention to nature journeyed to Beijing. The opening ceremony of the 13th Franco-Chinese Month of the Environment was held at the Beijing Academy of Landscape Architecture and Forestry, with Yao attending as the event's ambassador.
For Yao, the role of ambassador has given new meaning to his travels. He hopes to share what he sees and learns on the road to encourage more people to consider how humans live alongside nature and to pay attention to environmental changes.
Since 2014, China and France have jointly organized the Franco-Chinese Month of the Environment each year, highlighting the deepening dialogue and cooperation between the two countries in environmental research, science and innovation.
This year's event was held under the theme "A Planet Full of Life", celebrating life's rich beauty while calling on people to protect it.
Jiang Haoye, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau, outlined Beijing's work in afforestation, biodiversity conservation, and green and low-carbon development. He said the city hopes to deepen exchanges with France in landscaping, ecological research and youth engagement.
French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary said that, in the face of increasingly frequent extreme climate events, China and France should further strengthen cooperation on climate and environmental issues, pursuing sustainable solutions through science, innovation and public participation.
According to Florent Aydalot, minister-counselor for cultural, educational and scientific affairs at the French embassy in China, this year's program includes 80 projects and more than 175 events across around 30 cities. They range from exhibitions on biodiversity and animal intelligence to lectures, workshops, film screenings, and guided nature outings, inviting people of different ages and backgrounds to exchange ideas, reflect, and take action.
Jin Shuhan contributed to this story.
