"Going dark" activities light up environmental awareness among Chinese

"I hope tonight's activity will inspire everyone to make energy saving a daily habit," Chinese actress Li Bingbing, an ambassador of Earth Hour campaign in China, said at the ceremony.

Famed Chinese pianist Lang Lang also appeared in a short video clip on the popular website Youtube.com, appealing his countrymen to "turn off lights" and support climate change action.

A combination picture shows China's National Aquatics Center  "Water Cube" in Beijng before and after the lights were  turned off for Earth Hour March 28, 2009. About 20 Chinese cities joined a worldwide campaign to persuade the public  to switch off unnecessary lights for one hour Saturday  night to support energy-saving efforts and show concerns  about global warming.(Xinhua/Gong Lei)

In Shanghai, China's financial hub, floodlights to illuminate some 160buildings, including the world's third tallest TV tower "Oriental Pearl" and the 492-meter-tall World Financial Center, also went down.

Skyscrapers with glowing windows dominating the night skyline are usually considered symbols of affluence and modernization in China. But Saturday night, going dark became trendy.

"I come here just to watch the Oriental Pearl to switch off lights. It's very special tonight because it sends an environmental message to us," citizen Yang Zheying said while standing under the tower.

In many Shanghai outlets of international fast food chain KFC, people enjoyed candle-lit dinners after the restaurants dimmed lights.

KFC said in a statement earlier that more than 1,300 outlets in29 Chinese cities would participate the Earth Hour activities.