He Yu

Talking about the Amazon Rainforest， what comes to your mind？ Dense jungles， abundant flora and fauna， numerous swamps， lakes， and rivers…

The Amazon Rainforest， often referred to as the “Lungs of Earth” and the “Green Heart”， is not only a natural wonder but also a treasure of biodiversity， and it is an essential part of the global ecosystem.

From September 5 to October 8， the Photo Exhibition “Breath of Life： Unveiling the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest” was co-hosted ?by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal Government， the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Yuzhong District Government， and Hong Kong VA Galleries， at the VA Art Center， Luzu Temple Traditional Cultural Area， Yuzhong District， Chongqing. It drew the public’s attention to Peru， located 17，000 km away from Chongqing， showcasing the unique charm of the Amazon Rainforest.

The exhibition features a total of 28 photos by 14 artists， covering the stunning landscapes， historical legacy， and intangible cultural heritage of seven regions in Peru， including the Amazon， Loreto， San Martín， Pasco， Ucayali， Cusco， and Madre de Dios.

The exhibition showcases natural landscapes and the flora and fauna， including the famous Gocta Waterfall， sunsets in the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve， Masdevallia veitchiana， Andean cock-of-the-rock birds， Lake Yarinacocha， and Amazon tree boas. It also displays modern and urban sightseeing trains and the Shipibo handicrafts in the indigenous community from San Francisco. The ancient circular stone house ruins， dating back to the 6th century， represent a part of the ancient Chachapoyas culture. It is akin to the ancient stone house ruins discovered in Chongqing’s Zhongxian County， forming a dialogue between China and Peru across time and space.

“The Peruvian Amazon is a place of astounding beauty， unparalleled diversity， and ecological importance. It spans over 54% of our nation’s territory.” At the opening ceremony of the Photo Exhibition on September 5， H.E. Marco Balarezo， Ambassador of Peru to China， called for the protection and preservation of the Amazon Rainforest， an invaluable natural treasure.

Balarezo said， “Deforestation， illegal mining， and climate change threaten its very existence. As global citizens， it is our responsibility to protect and preserve this invaluable natural treasure. Our two nations share a commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development. By fostering collaboration in areas such as technology， research， and eco-friendly trade， we can forge a path toward a harmonious coexistence with nature.”

“It allows us to experience the captivating beauty of the Amazon Rainforest， bridging the geographical distance that separates us by thousands of miles. Furthermore， it grants us the opportunity to witness the unwavering dedication of the Peruvian government and its people to the preservation of our ecological environments，” said H.E. Qiu Xiaoqi， Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Latin American Affairs. China and Peru are both beautiful countries with “l(fā)ush mountains” and “l(fā)ucid waters”， attaching great importance to environmental protection. China is ready to share its experience in ecological progress with Peru and other countries in the world， to pursue green and low-carbon development and establish a clean and beautiful world.

H.E. Chen Yuanchun， Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Congress， noted that “The outstanding photography works showcased here not only portray the captivating appeal， beautiful natural landscapes， and rich biodiversity of the Peruvian Amazon but also narrate its profound cultural significance from the past to the present. The audience can appreciate the powerful expressiveness of these photos and know about the ways of life， cultural legacies， and traditions through the lens.” Since the beginning of this year， Chongqing and Peru have engaged in extensive friendly exchanges， committed to promoting cooperation between the two regions on multiple fronts. In the future， the two sides will deepen people-to-people exchanges and facilitate mutual learning， further tap into the complementary advantages in economy and trade， and make positive contributions to practical cooperation in fields like culture， education， trade， and technology between Chongqing and Peru.

Vincent L.J. Deng， the curator of the exhibition and Managing Director of Hong Kong VA Galleries， expressed that “Through the lenses of these participating photographic artists， we present a diverse Peru from different perspectives， allowing Chongqing residents to experience Peru’s nature and rich diversity. We look forward to inviting more Peruvian artists to China， organizing Chinese artists to visit Peru， and hosting various forms of art exhibitions and exchange activities to promote cultural exchanges between China and Peru and enhance the friendship between the two countries.”

Photo/The Host

Translation/Xiong Lingsong， Niu Kexin and Yang Zeyun