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Liu Guoliang, head coach of the national team, was appointed as the first ambassador for Chinese white dolphin protection in Xiamen. |
On April 9th, China’s national table tennis team proposed their help for the protection of a rare and adorable sea creature – the Chinese white dolphin - in Xiamen, and Mr. Liu Guoliang, head coach of the national team, was appointed as the first ambassador for Chinese white dolphin protection in Xiamen.
Chinese white dolphins are frequently spotted in Xiamen’s sea area. The sea area around the city is an important habitat for the Chinese white dolphins, and is the only city in the world which allows people to see inshore dolphins on its beaches, whereas in other countries, such as Japan and Peru, people have to ride for hours in the open sea to view the dolphins.
In recent years, more and more dolphins have begun to appear in nearby sea areas, and they may become the new sought-after attraction for tourists.
The Chinese white dolphin, boasting the nickname of "giant panda in the sea" and living mainly in the sea areas around Xiamen and the Pearl River estuary in southern China, is a mammal guarded under first-class state protection.
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On April 9th, China’s national table tennis team proposed their help for the protection of a rare and adorable sea creature – the Chinese white dolphin - in Xiamen |
In the 1960s and early 1970s, it was not unusual for Xiamen citizens to enjoy watching groups of dolphins frolic in the sea.
The national table tennis team took a ship to seek out the luck of witnessing the lovely dolphins in the sea, and they finally fulfilled their wish after visiting a Chinese white dolphin conservation base on Huoshao Islet where they had an intimate interaction with two bottle-nosed dolphins.
To promote the protection, a Chinese white dolphin-themed song was released during the ambassador appointment of Mr. Liu.
Table tennis star Zhang Jike kissed one of the dolphins in the base.
Led by Mr. Liu, the national table tennis team came to Xiamen for intensified training early this March. Since 2003, China’s national table tennis team has visited Xiamen 14 times for their training.
"It’s a good initiative to put two national treasures, the Chinese white dolphins and the national table tennis team, together for this beautiful cause, and the two of us shared similar spirits of braveness, toughness and unity”, Mr. Liu said.
