“I’m often asked what I do when I come across a venomous snake. I tell people that I get out my camera and get snapping.”

MI Hongxun, Section Chief of the Ecological Conservation Section at the Yingge Ridge Branch Office of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Administration, has garnered 10 years experiencing documenting the flora and fauna of the rainforest. To him, cold-blooded creatures, like snakes, that would freak most people out, make the best photographic subjects.

In 2012, after finishing his undergraduate studies, Mi took the brave decision to step out of the ivory tower and into the mysterious and eerie tropical rainforest of Hainan. Ten years on, he and a cohort of 508 forest rangers know this terrain well, and with their cameras in hand. Mi and his team have taken to documenting countless animals and plants, discovering over 50 new species in the process.

With so much photographic and video material collected, it is no wonder that he and his crew began making and releasing photographic guides and documentaries. To date, he has led the creation of 7 photographic guides that showcase the wealth of biodiversity at Yingge Ridge, as well as the documentary film “Rainforest Returns ” and series “Discovering Mysteries”. His stunning work has lifted the veil on the many mysteries of Hainan’s tropical rainforest.

This year, MI Hongxu also shared his rainforest story and experience of protecting Hainan's tropical rainforest ecology with the world at the forum as the Chinese youth delegate to UN ECOSOC 2022.