In Denmark, bicycling is a natural activity for people from all walks of life. This includes the Royal Family, according to HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark, who paid a visit to Tsinghua campus and participated in the Danish Embassy’s recent biking campaign ‘Back on Bike’.
“Biking is a life style, and in Denmark, biking appeals to everyone: From school children to retired people, even CEOs and Members of Parliament are seen riding their bikes to work. My brother, the Crown Prince, and I also do it,” HRH Prince Joachim said in his speech to the students and faculty.
A biking campus
Accompanied by the Danish Ambassador to China, Friis Arne Petersen, Vice President of Tsinghua University, Dr. Yuan Si and approximately 70 students, HRH Prince Joachim took a bike ride around campus, and was impressed by the number of bicycles at Tsinghua.
“Tsinghua University has a strong cycling culture. Riding around your campus today, I was very happy to see hundreds of bicycles parked in front of all buildings. Just like parents to their children, you can pass on this tradition to the next generation of students, through your good example,” HRH Prince Joachim said.
After the bike tour, five lucky students, who participated in the event, won a genuine EXPO bike from the Danish pavilion at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. The bikes were presented to them by HRH Prince Joachim. Also, the University received five EXPO bikes as a gift from the Danish Embassy.
The Danish Ambassador to China, Friis Arne Petersen, addressed the students, who were mainly from the University Environment and Bicycling associations. “More than 50 % of the world’s population now live in cities, and we must be smart about, how we handle the challenge of making cities sustainable and liveable. When you ride your bikes, you help visualise green energy, and you inspire other students and Beijing citizens to follow in your footsteps,” the Ambassador said.
Back on Bike
The event on Saturday was part of the ‘Back on Bike’ campaign – An initiative by the Danish Embassy in Beijing promoting the many benefits of biking. Towards the end of the royal visit at Tsinghua, HRH Prince Joachim announced the names of ten lucky ‘Back on Bike’ winners, who have participated in the Embassy’s ‘Green Energy Quiz’ and who will be rewarded with a Danish EXPO bike.
