Pudong Shangri-la, East Shanghai Successfully Attempts To Break Guinness World Record As Part Of Earth Hour 2013 Challenge
Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai successfully attempts to break the Guinness World Record by having five hundred and eight, the most number of people to blow out candles simultaneously. This was achieved by staff of Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai at Riverside Avenue in Pudong, Shanghai on 23 March 2013.
Each holding a candle, the participants lined up into the shape of an "S" symbolising the Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts brand at the Riverside Avenue with the historic Shanghai Bund as its backdrop. At 9.20pm, a symbolic candle created by lighting specific guestrooms on the façade of the hotel's River Wing was dramatically visible to all present and even to many spectators on West Shanghai. At 9:30 p.m., both the 508 candles and the symbolic candle formed by lighting of the guestrooms were blown out simultaneously.
In the week leading to Earth Hour, hotel staff were encouraged to pledge their commitment to the Green Week. Participants would have to adhere to one environmentally friendly activity for an entire year. The hotel has since received a total of 628 pledges, the most popular being the pledge to stay vegetarian every Monday as it garnered a total of 101 signatures.
Jade on 36 Restaurant also garnered the support of diners to choose the Earth Hour organic six‑course menu as a gesture to renew their pledge to Earth Hour.
The previous Guinness World Record was set on 11 March 2012 by the girl scouts of Medford, New Jersey, United States, when 378 candles were blown out simultaneously to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts USA.
During Earth Hour, energy savings were made by switching off some lighting, including the façade lighting, dimming interior lighting and closing selected facilities, such as the swimming pool, Health Club and Horizon Club in the River Wing. Throughout the rest of the day, the hotel laundry were also closed to reduce energy use.
About the "I Will if You Will" Challenge
"I Will if You Will" is an Earth Hour campaign to encourage positive action for the environment, beyond the hour. What makes it special is that it empowers everyone – as an individual or as part of a community or organization – to share a commitment to the planet with friends, family, colleagues, fans or even an entire nation. The idea is simple. Someone makes a promise to do something if a certain number of people commit to take an ongoing action for the environment, beyond Earth Hour.
About Green Week
In addition to turning off the lights during Earth Hour, everyone is encouraged to choose one day of the Green Week and start living that day every week for a year. Participants can choose to go vegetarian on Monday, use their own grocery bag on Tuesday, take public transport on Wednesdays, use their own utensils on Thursdays, finish up all the food on Fridays, speak up for animal rights on Saturdays or enjoy the outdoors on Sundays.
Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai is located in the Lujiazui finance and trade district of Pudong (or East Shanghai), which is being developed to become the country's business hub. The hotel is ideally located on the eastern bank of the famous Huangpu River, overlooking Shanghai's legendary waterfront strip, The Bund. A historic landmark famous the world over, The Bund was Shanghai's financial centre in the early 1890s. Today, it is a showcase of turn-of-the-century architecture.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts remains committed to operating in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner while balancing the interests of diverse stakeholders. In striving to be a leader in corporate citizenship and sustainable development, a corporate-level CSR Committee drives the company's initiatives in the strategic areas of stakeholder relations, the environment, health and safety, the supply chain and employees. Under the umbrella of "sustainability," Shangri-La's social responsibility programme consists of the two elements of "embrace" and "sanctuary." "Embrace" focuses on Shangri-La's Caring People Project, which aims to promote the highest level of education and health support in underprivileged communities. In "sanctuary," the programme concentrates on Shangri-La's Care for Nature Project, which promotes the conservation and restoration of biodiversity. For more information, please access the CSR section on www.shangri-la.com.
Stella Gu
Director of Communications, Pudong Shangri-La
(86 21) 2828 6301
Shangri-La
