The third event of the Sino-French Industrial and Cultural Exchange Week organized by Beijing E-Town, titled "Sino-French Children's Hand-painted Livable City," took place at the Beijing Nanhaizi Elk Garden Museum on Feb 3.

Chinese and French children pose for a group photo. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

Six foreign children, including Alexey Lerisson from France, and 15 elementary school students studying in Beijing E-Town, wandered through the wetlands, observed the elks, and delved into the history of elk life, while painting a livable city in their eyes.

Children observe elks in the garden. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

Usually, elks can only be seen in deep forest, but if you listen carefully, the chirps of elks can be heard coming from the high-tech industrial city of Beijing E-Town.

Children visit the elk exhibition. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

Looking towards the source of the sound, herds of elks were seen leisurely strolling and basking in the sun in the eastern protected area of the Elk Garden.

Staff at the Beijing Elk Ecological Experimental Center told the children: "Originating two million years ago, elks are China's unique world-class rare wild animal, comparable to the giant panda. The Elk Garden is where the elks were scientifically discovered, where they became extinct locally, and where they were successfully reintroduced from abroad. With the 40-year conservation efforts, the center has successfully restored the elk population, conducted relocation and wild release efforts. Currently, there are 169 elks in the center."

Children visit the elk exhibition. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

Hu Jining, the director of the Exhibition Department at the Beijing Elk Ecological Experimental Center, led the children into the legendary elk exhibition where a painting depicting elks living alongside sika deer, tigers, Asian elephants, and other animals in China caught their attention, capturing a flourishing ecological scene filled with lush greenery.

After the visit, the children, guided by the teachers, began to use their brushes to capture their experiences of the day. With their unique perspectives and creativity, the children depicted their vision of Beijing E-Town.

Electronic versions of these artworks will be properly preserved. They will not only participate in the annual evaluation of the "Children's World in Their Eyes" painting project, but also serve as a witness to Sino-French cultural exchange and friendship, participating in relevant cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

Children paint Beijing E-Town in their eyes. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

As of 2022, there were a total of 571 plant species belonging to 360 genera and 97 families of vascular plants in Beijing E-Town; and 306 bird species belonging to 163 genera in 64 families and 21 orders, accounting for 61 percent of the total bird species in Beijing, including 12 species under national first-level protection and 50 species under national second-level protection.

From the "giant panda among birds" - Baer's pochard - swimming in the Liangshui River to the "tiger among birds" – the white-tailed sea eagle - and sika deer appearing among other wildlife in the forest, the fact that precious bird species are frequently spotted fully demonstrates the sustained improvement of the ecological environment in Beijing E-Town.