A 10-day photographic exhibition on environmental protection entitled "The Ode to Life", the largest of its kind in China, opened in Beijing on Friday.

All the photos on display were taken by a group of Chinese journalists organized by the executive committee of the "The Environmental Century Tour in China", sponsored by the National People's Congress (NPC) Environmental and Resources Protection Committee and 14 ministerial-level central departments.

Li Peng, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, wrote an introduction to the photo exhibition, encouraging the NPC committee to continue the practice, which combined the powers of the legislature and the media.

Peng Peiyun, vice-chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee, and Qu Geping, chairman of the NPC Environment and Resource Protection Committee, addressed the opening ceremony.

"The Environmental Century Tour in China" was launched in 1993 and, so far, approximately 100 news photographers and reporters from local media entities have take part. They have traveled extensively around the country in the past decade looking at the environment and exposing problems.

Their news photos and reports have helped legislatures and governments at different levels to make resolutions and policies in the environmental field.

(Xinhua News Agency December 7, 2002)