Kyuhyun Han, History Department

Watch a recording of Han’s talk on our YouTube channel.

In 1979, China promulgated its first Environmental Protection Law, unifying previously fragmented conservation measures under the concept of “environmental protection” (huanjing baohu) and replacing the Maoist-era term “nature protection” (ziran baohu). This presentation examines how red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) conservation during the long 1970s complicates the conventional narrative that environmental awareness only emerged after the beginning of the reform era in 1978. Although largely neglected during the 1960s, red-crowned cranes became central to state-led conservation initiatives in the early reform era, exemplified by the establishment of nature reserves between 1979 and 1985. These developments reflected broader political shifts, including growing concerns over pollution, the institutionalization of environmental governance, ecological thinking, and the symbolic power of panda diplomacy in the long 1970s. As red-crowned cranes became emblems of modernization and national identity, Northeast China was reimagined as their “hometown,” bestowing new ecological and cultural significance upon the region. By situating environmental protection within the broader context of the long 1970s, Han’s research contributes to discussions of ecological modernity in China and the evolving nexus of politics, conservation science, and state-led environmentalism.