“Nowadays, some TV dramas about Tibetans have incorrect costumes — men’s outfits feature many items that should only be worn by women. After such programs air, young people no longer know what traditional costumes really look like...” Recalling the nearly seven years of the “Village Lens” project, the project representative Geng Dong gripped the trophy tightly, his hands trembling slightly. On February 20, 2014, the 8th China Outdoor Annual Golden Rhino Awards were grandly unveiled at the Beijing National Convention Center. The “Shanshui Conservation Center Village Lens Project” won the “GORE-TEX® Brand Best Public Welfare & Environmental Spirit Award,” sponsored by Gore.
Mr. Zhuang Songming (first from left), General Manager of Gore’s Apparel Division in China, presented the award to the winners and took a commemorative photo
The China Outdoor Annual Golden Rhino Awards are known as the “Oscars of China’s outdoor industry.” Jointly initiated by ISPO BEIJING and the magazine Outdoor Exploration, the event saw around 200 guests — including outdoor enthusiasts, well-known outdoor product companies, and environmental public welfare organizations — witness the announcement of ten major awards, including “Best Backpacker,” “Breakthrough of the Year,” and the “GORE-TEX® Brand Best Public Welfare & Environmental Spirit Award.”
Western China is one of the regions with the richest ecological environments and biodiversity. These areas are not uninhabited; through long-term adaptation, local people have developed a set of production and lifestyle practices in harmony with the environment, systems for utilizing natural resources, and cultural traditions passed down through generations. But how can we truly understand their values? Preserving images may be their final form of expression. “Village Lens” empowers villagers to pick up cameras and, through the eyes of the locals themselves, document daily life and the changes in the surrounding ecology and environment. When everything stems from within, and documentation unfolds amid glances and moments, expression and inheritance become possible. At the event, Mr. Zhuang Songming, General Manager of Gore’s Apparel Division in China, presented the award and took a commemorative photo with the recipients. “I’m very happy to present the ‘GORE-TEX® Brand Best Public Welfare & Environmental Spirit Award.’ Today’s winners truly deserve this honor, and I hope they can firmly spread the spirit of outdoor adventure and environmental protection to the public,” said Mr. Zhuang. The other two nominated teams, “Green River Plateau Pigeon Conservation Action” and “Beihai Folk Volunteers Association Bird Protection Project,” though they didn’t win the trophy, equally embodied exemplary strength, befriending nature and aligning with Gore’s environmental philosophy.
It is reported that as a world-leading outdoor brand, the GORE-TEX® brand has consistently supported the development of China’s outdoor industry while also focusing on the advancement of environmental protection and public welfare in outdoor activities. It provides support for outdoor enthusiasts in various aspects, including equipment, to aid their environmental actions and challenges. As early as 2007, Gore signed an agreement with the Hoh Xil Conservation Station in Tibet to increase support for the conservation of Tibetan antelopes. Under the protection of GORE-TEX® products, guardians of the Tibetan antelope such as Suonan Gelai, Danzheng Zaxi, Lü Changzheng, and Longzhu were able to engage more safely in the protection of Tibetan antelopes. This allowed more people concerned about the outdoor ecological environment to learn about the heroic deeds of those protecting Tibetan antelopes while “experiencing the limitless,” and encouraged more outdoor enthusiasts to join in the protection of Tibetan antelopes and the ecological environment. Starting in 2008, the brand supported the “Friends of Nature” mountaineering team, helping them “climb a mountain, clean a path.” With Gore’s continuous attention and support, the Friends of Nature mountaineering team has continued to grow. “When we climb, we always carry the flags of Gore and Friends of Nature. Whenever we see garbage, we stop to clean it up. Other climbers see our actions and team flags and come to ask questions. That’s how our team has grown bigger and bigger. I think if it weren’t for Gore’s visibility in the outdoor community and their strong support for public welfare and environmental causes, our team might not have grown so quickly,” said Qu Zhixing, the team leader.