English News.CN

Editor: Han Jingjing

BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- In a campaign initiated by World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), more than 1 billion people from over 1,000 cities in 125 countries and territories around the world switched off their lights for one hour between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

At 8:30 p.m. local time Saturday (0730 GMT), New Zealand became the first of 125 countries and territories across the world taking part in the global "lights out" event, setting in motion a 24-hour wave of hope and action on climate change that will sweep the world.

Forty-seven councils, cities and towns across New Zealand, from Queenstown to Whangarei, are switching off. Community events included live concert in Hamilton, open air concerts in Auckland's Britomart and Wellington's Civic Square.

In Beijing at 8:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT), the Forbidden City went dark for the "Earth Hour" for the first time. Joining the ancient royal palace are the modern architectural marvels, the "Bird Nest" and the "Water Cube," both Olympic venues. It is the second time for the "Bird Nest" to go dark for the Earth Hour.

Hundreds of people held out glowing sticks to form a head-down arrow and the English letters "CO2," voicing their call to reduce carbon-dioxide.

In Nairobi, capital of Kenya, at the count of ten exactly 8:30 p.m. local time (1730 GMT), the lights on Kenyatta International Conference Center,the country's iconic 28-floor building, was switched off to synchronize with the count down by event organizers and the public.

Many people gathered in parks, streets, town squares and homes around the city, to witness the lights going out on iconic landmarks, UN headquarters in Nairobi, homes and other public places.

In Paris, at 8:30 p.m. local time (1830 GMT), volunteers, organizers and tourists hailed and applauded for the moment at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, where some 1,600 candles forming the number of 60 were lit for an hour to mark the greatest grassroots light-off campaign.

"People see the candles may wonder why, so by explaining this activity, we can remind them to think and talk more about the environment," Helene Berger, a French volunteer, said.

"We don't feel regretful to miss the 9 o'clock sparkling of the Tower, because it's for the good cause, it's for saving energy," American tourist Matt said, with wife and son by his side.

In Sao Paulo of Brazil, at 8:30 p.m. local time (2330 GMT), Mayor Gilberto Kassab switched off the lights of the city on a small stage set up for the campaign in the recently-inaugurated People's Park.

In South California, the United States, at 8:30 p.m. local time (0330 GMT Sunday), several major cities unplugged many landmark structures. In downtown Los Angeles,Staples Center, Nokia Plaza and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) went dark in the hour-long event.

At the Pacific Park in Santa Monica Pier on the shore of the Pacific, a gigantic Ferris wheel also dimmed to give the merry holidaymakers a taste of what it would look and feel like if the energy around the globe is exhausted.

The one-hour switch-off, first held in Sydney in 2007, was organized the WWF, expressing public concerns over climate change. "Such a simple act, yet a hugely powerful one. In going dark, billions wanted our leaders to see the light," the WWF said on its Website.