Friends of Nature

Friends of Nature, commonly abbreviated FON and known in Chinese as 自然之友, is a Chinese environmental non-governmental organization and public-interest brand associated with environmental education, conservation advocacy, and the growth of environmental civil society in the People's Republic of China. It is widely described as China's oldest environmental NGO and as the country's first legally registered NGO. The organization was officially registered on March 31, 1994, under the name Green Culture Institute of the International Academy of Chinese Culture through the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Its formation marked an important institutional development in a period when organized environmental advocacy in China was still relatively limited and legally constrained. Friends of Nature was founded by Liang Congjie, a prominent cultural and environmental advocate and the son of the noted architectural historians Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin. Rather than operating primarily as a commercial consumer brand, FON functions as an organizational and public-interest brand: its name identifies a platform for environmental awareness, volunteer engagement, conservation campaigns, education, and networking. Its activities have included workshops, field trips, teacher training, public communication, and efforts to encourage recycling, energy conservation, and protection of endangered species. A significant part of FON's importance lies in its role as an incubator and network-builder. Chinese NGOs have historically faced restrictions on establishing branch offices, so Friends of Nature has helped environmental initiatives and student groups connect, share knowledge, and develop outside a conventional nationwide branch structure. Its educational approach has sought to make environmental protection understandable and actionable for teachers, students, volunteers, and members of the wider public. The organization has also helped bring conservation issues into broader public discussion by combining field research, public conferences, and international cooperation. The campaign for the Tibetan antelope is one of Friends of Nature's best-known early conservation efforts. In 1996, members traveled to Kekexili to gather information about the population and condition of Tibetan antelope. In 1998, FON organized conferences on Tibetan-antelope protection with international organizations including World Wide Fund for Nature and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. These activities drew attention to poaching and the illegal trade in Tibetan-antelope fur. In October 1998, Liang Congjie sent an open letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair calling for action against the illegal trade. Blair replied the following day, expressing concern and support for efforts to protect the species. The exchange generated international media attention and helped attract additional participants, funding, and practical support to the conservation campaign. Friends of Nature has also been associated with the development of environmental activism in China through people who participated in or were influenced by its activities. The activist Hu Jia, for example, became interested in environmental issues after taking part in FON activities. The organization's legacy therefore extends beyond individual projects: it helped establish environmental education, conservation campaigning, and NGO cooperation as recognizable components of China's public-interest landscape. The available reference material emphasizes FON's historical role, education programs, conservation work, and contribution to environmental civil society rather than commercial products, financial performance, or corporate ownership. Its present-day public identity remains that of a China-focused environmental organization rather than a conventional product or corporate brand.

Friends of Nature emerged in the early 1990s as environmental protection began to develop a more organized public-interest presence in China. The organization was founded by Liang Congjie and formally registered on March 31, 1994, under the institutional name Green Culture Institute of the International Academy of Chinese Culture through the Ministry of Civil Affairs. This registration is significant because Friends of Nature is commonly identified as China's oldest environmental NGO and its first legally registered NGO. From the beginning, FON emphasized education and public participation rather than commercial activity. Its programs have included environmental workshops, field trips, teacher training, and public communication on issues such as endangered species, recycling, and energy conservation. By working with teachers, students, volunteers, and community members, the organization sought to make environmental protection part of everyday knowledge and civic practice. Friends of Nature also played a broader organizational role in China's environmental movement. Because NGOs in China have faced restrictions on establishing branch offices, FON helped other environmental organizations and student groups develop connections and exchange experience without relying on a conventional branch network. This made the organization an important platform for the circulation of environmental ideas and for the emergence of related civil-society initiatives. The Tibetan-antelope campaign became a defining episode in FON's early history. In 1996, members visited Kekexili to collect information about the species' population and conservation conditions. Two years later, the organization convened conferences on Tibetan-antelope protection with international partners, including World Wide Fund for Nature and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The meetings helped bring wider attention to poaching and to the illegal trade in Tibetan-antelope fur. In October 1998, Liang Congjie addressed an open letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, asking the United Kingdom to help stop the illegal trade. Blair replied the following day, expressing concern and support for the Chinese conservation program. The exchange received international media coverage and contributed to increased public participation, funding, and assistance for the campaign. It illustrated FON's method of linking field information, public advocacy, international communication, and conservation action. The organization's influence has also been personal and generational. Hu Jia, who later became known as a Chinese activist, developed an interest in environmental issues through participation in Friends of Nature activities. Such connections demonstrate how FON contributed not only to specific conservation campaigns but also to the formation of environmental volunteers and advocates. The available sources provide limited information about later organizational leadership, internal structure, budgets, or current program portfolios. They do, however, establish Friends of Nature's enduring historical significance as an early legally recognized Chinese environmental NGO and as a formative institution in the country's environmental civil society. Its brand remains associated with environmental education, endangered-species protection, public-interest advocacy, and support for environmental organizing in China.

• 1998

  International Tibetan-antelope conferences

  [1]Friends of Nature (China)en.wikipedia.org

  FON organized conferences with international conservation organizations to raise awareness of Tibetan-antelope protection.

• 1998

  Open letter to the British prime minister

  [1]Friends of Nature (China)en.wikipedia.org

  Liang Congjie appealed to Tony Blair to help stop the illegal trade in Tibetan-antelope fur; Blair responded with support the following day.

• 1996

  Kekexili field investigation

  [1]Friends of Nature (China)en.wikipedia.org

  Members traveled to Kekexili to gather information about the Tibetan antelope population and the conservation challenges facing the species.

• 1994

  Formal registration

  [1]Friends of Nature (China)en.wikipedia.org

  Friends of Nature was officially registered on March 31 under the name Green Culture Institute of the International Academy of Chinese Culture through the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

A pioneering Chinese environmental public-interest organization that combines education, conservation advocacy, volunteer participation, and civil-society development.

• Education

  Environmental education programs

  Workshops and public learning activities designed to increase understanding of environmental protection, including conservation of endangered species, recycling, and energy conservation.

• Education

  Teacher training

  Training activities for teachers intended to incorporate environmental awareness and protection into educational practice and to extend the organization's reach through schools.

• Environmental advocacy

  Conservation advocacy

  Public-interest work combining field information, conferences, communications, and advocacy to promote the protection of endangered species and other environmental causes.

• 1998Tibetan-antelope protection campaign

  China · United Kingdom · International

  FON held conferences with international conservation organizations and campaigned against the illegal trade in Tibetan-antelope fur.

  Outcome. The campaign received international media attention after Liang Congjie's letter to Tony Blair and helped attract additional participants, funding, and assistance.

  Source
• 1996Kekexili Tibetan-antelope investigation

  China

  Friends of Nature members traveled to Kekexili to collect information about the Tibetan antelope population and the threats affecting it.

  Outcome. The fieldwork provided information that supported later awareness and advocacy efforts for Tibetan-antelope protection.

  Source

1. 1Friends of Nature (China)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Friends of Nature official websitefon.org.cn