The 3rd International Children’s Ocean Festival 2020 and the seminar on children’s ocean education was opened at Shenzhen Children’s Library on May 17, gathering renowned ocean specialists, scholars and children engaged in water sports to exchange views on the relationship between children and the ocean as well as to explore the significance of promoting ocean education to children.

Themed “Care for Children, Sea and the Future,” this year’s edition has interactive online activities to adapt to the coronavirus outbreak. It introduces a special hand-drawn map for children, which displays 50 must-visit places related to ocean education and presents items of knowledge that children should grasp. Children can explore the map under the guidance of their parents. The Ocean Festival also entertains children with shell paintings and shell carving, art practices which are listed as an intangible cultural heritage. By playing the shell puzzles at home, children can experience a connection with the ocean without stepping out of their homes.

The organizer has also joined hands with the Shenzhen Illustration Association to call for the collection of picture books on the theme of children and the ocean, aiming to attract the interest of more picture book authors to this theme. Additionally, the organizer is also collecting short videos on the same theme and working on the shooting of the themed videos. Children are able to take online lessons about the ocean and take field trips to learn more about sailboats, mangroves, corals, etc. Residents can find more activities and register to have access by following the official WeChat account of the Shenzhen Women and Children Development Foundation (WeChat ID: sz-wcdf).

Ocean experts shared their opinions on the topic of children’s ocean education at the opening ceremony of the Ocean Festival. An Ran, executive chief of the Research Department of Sustainable Development and Marine Economy Under the China (Shenzhen) Institute of Comprehensive Development, said children’s ocean education is important for Shenzhen’s efforts in building itself into a global ocean hub city and calls for the urgency of raising the public’s awareness of ocean culture education. Wu Chunlin, principal of Nanyou Primary School in Nanshan District, elaborated on the impact of ocean education on children’s growth through the school’s experience in ocean education for the past 16 years.

Children also made their voices heard. Feng Zifan, a 7th grader who is believed to be the youngest world sailing champion, talked about his understanding and observations of ocean protection. Two other children shared their personal experiences of participating in ocean protection events.

The International Children’s Ocean Festival is the first international ocean celebration festival initiated by a private institution. It was set up in accordance with Shenzhen’s construction concepts of a “global ocean center city” and a “children-friendly city.”

Running into its third year, the event aims to promote children’s ocean awareness education through the protection of children ’s rights to get close to nature and the ocean, to cultivate children ’s awareness of ocean environmental protection, and to encourage them to care for and pay attention to the ocean and protect the ocean from an early age.

(Yang Mei)