Children dressed in panda outfits participate in the "Earth Hour" launching ceremony in Chengdu, capital of China's Southwest Sichuan province, on March 10, 2010. [CFP]

24 Kongming Lanterns were lighted at 8:30 pm on March 10 in Chengdu, capital of China's Southwest Sichuan province, during the launching ceremony of the "Earth Hour" event.

Chengdu is the first city to join the international campaign on climate change, and the 24 Kongming Lanterns represent the Chengdu government’s good wishes for 24 hours of a low-carbon lifestyle.

Seven continents will join the campaign to call for action on climate change. In Asia, the pomp took place at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the world’s largest panda breeding facility.

"Earth Hour" is a global campaign organized by the World Wildlife Fund and is held on the last Saturday of March annually. It asks individuals, businessmen, communities, and governments to turn the lights out for one hour to reduce the amount of carbon emission. It aims to raise awareness of the climate change issue and the importance of low-carbon emission.

This year, "Earth Hour" will be from 8:30 to 9:30 pm on March 27.