UNEP Banner

Tang Guanhua - Chinese, Asia and the Pacific

2018 Winner | | Chinese

As the saying goes: where there's a will, there is a way. Ideas drive human behaviour. Thus, in 2013, I proposed the idea of an “intentional community” to address social and ecological issues. An intentional community enables people with common ideas to live together, which is unusual in China where most people don’t even know their neighbours! An intentional community of people sharing ideas, values and beliefs, can together to pursue non-material, spiritual goals. In the absence of profit-motives, they will redirect their energy towards the goal of increasing public welfare. An eco-community is also a kind of intentional community. For construction, energy, food, and other daily necessities, the community utilizes sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies. This voluntary and autonomous action is the most powerful approach to sustainable development.

I was born in Qingdao. When I was 18 years old, I created a series of widespread performance art and conceptual video works that attracted worldwide attention. After dropping out of school, and starting my own business, my wife and I now live in seclusion in the forest of Laoshan Mountain in Qingdao. Over the past five years, we have explored the self-sufficient lifestyle in the mountains by making our own food and clothing, and traveling together. We have also established “Another Land”, the only non-profit international organization to explore, integrate, and serve ecological villages (communities) in mainland China. Hence, we are considered to be the founders of China's consensus community.

Avertissement: NOTE: Ce contenu a été mis en ligne pour le cycle 2019 du programme Jeunes champions de la Terre et n'a pas été mis à jour. Cette liste ne constitue ni une approbation ni un statut auprès du Programme des Nations unies pour l'environnement.

EN SAVOIR PLUS