The rainforest area of the Sky Forest Natural Museum. By Gu Tingting
天空森林自然博物馆雨林区。顾婷婷摄
That more than 700 species of plants grow in the rainforest is common knowledge, but that they also grow on the top of a city skyscraper is a different story.
700多种植物生长在热带雨林，只是沧海一粟，长在都市高层建筑顶层，则是另外一番景象。
On the 7th floor of Kunming Love Sea Shopping Mall in a large open-air terrace at the end of a vegetable field surrounded by high-rise buildings is a conspicuous “Sky Forest Natural Museum” sign. Pushing aside its thick insulating curtain, a large rainforest lies in front of you, shrouded in mist. Emerald moss drops of water glisten. Pink begonias bloom. Ardisia japonic Blume waves its fresh red fruit. Watery pineapple pools with a myriad of larvae act as a rainforest nursery. The leaves of Pyrrosia lingua are covered with spores ready to go airborne to their proper places, and the leaves of saxifraga grow long roots. A gust of wind blows, and the saxifraga's roots lean against a mossy wall so that its seeds can find a new place to grow. In this “sky forest” above the city, vegetation grows without end.
在昆明爱琴海购物中心7楼，高楼环绕的露天大平台里一派田园风光，菜地尽头，“天空森林自然博物馆”的招牌格外显眼。推开厚重的隔温帘，雾气缭绕中，一大片热带雨林置于眼前：翠绿的树藓滴下晶莹的水滴；蜗牛秋海棠开出粉色的花；紫金牛招摇着刚结出的红色果实；积水凤梨深深的水窝里孕育着无数幼虫，充当雨林里的幼儿园；石韦的叶背长满孢子，正准备把后代通过空气传播到适合它生长的地方；虎耳草的叶片长出长长的根须，一阵风吹来，根须靠上长满苔藓的墙，子株便有了新的归宿……在都市上空的这片“天空森林”里，万物生长、生生不息。
“1, 2, 3... 28, 29,” curator He Jian points to a small area and proudly counts the plant species. “Add the more than 20 types of moss and there are about 50 plants in this square meter, so it’s basically as diverse as the Amazon rainforest.”
“1、2、3……28、29”，馆长何健指着一小块区域，自豪地数着植物的品种，“再加上20多种苔藓，这一平方米大概有50种植物，基本上可以达到亚马逊雨林物种的丰富程度了。”
He Jian describes the sizes of insects to visitors. File photo
何健向参观者描述昆虫大小。资料图
As a male computer science student, he likes studying plants and has now become “half a botanist.” He Jian has been a fan of plants for only one year but has more than 20 years of “seniority.”
学计算机出身的理工男，凭着爱好一步步自学，如今俨然半个植物学家。搭建“天空森林”，何健只用了一年，成为一个植物迷，他却有20多年的“资历”。
When He Jian was a child, Changchong Mountain near his home was like an amusement park for him. Its Pyracantha fortuneana, Ampelopsis grossedentata, Rubus pectinellus Maxim, Leucophysa Bunge and countless insects and grasses created his earliest and deepest connections with the natural world.
对于儿时的何健来说，家附近的长虫山就是最好的游乐场，满山的火把果、索梅、黄泡、白泡，“老昆明”的游戏“圈老大”，以及数不清的草木虫豸，构成他与自然世界最初也最根深蒂固的连接。
When he grew older, he became more fascinated by the natural world. Whenever he traveled, he would choose destinations with all kinds of primeval forests, whereas others would go to destinations that had popular attractions. He, however, liked to travel with like-minded friends into the mountains and forests to see how plants grow and what insects eat, as well as to find out how these entire ecosystems maintained their balance. In addition, he would go abroad to visit natural museums, such as the Tokyo Motian Aquarium, Kew Gardens and the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, which all left deep impressions on him.
长大后，每当出去旅游，别人的目的地是热门景点，他的目的地是各种原始森林。和志同道合的朋友进入一片深山老林，看植物怎么生长、昆虫以什么为食、整个生态圈如何维持平衡，是他最喜欢的方式。更远一点，他会去国外参观一些自然博物馆，东京墨田水族馆、英国邱园、墨尔本皇家植物园……每到一处，都给他带来深深的震撼。
Green saxifraga. By Gu Tingting
翠绿的虎耳草。顾婷婷摄
“Why can’t I build my own nature museum and open it to the public?” A primitive force drove him. “China has always advocated the idea of environmental protection, but in fact many people have no idea what this is because they haven’t discovered the beauty of animals and plants. Also, there are many species that they haven’t even seen. So, how could they learn to love them?”
“为什么我不能自己建一个向大众开放的自然博物馆？”一股原始的力量驱动着他，“国家一直在倡导生态环保理念，但其实很多人对此没什么概念，因为他们根本没有发现动植物的美，甚至很多物种见都没见过，没见过怎么去爱它呢？”
His original inspiration for preparing the “Sky Forest” was to help more people come into contact with animals and plants, thus coming to understand their beauty and spontaneously falling in love with these ecosystems.
让更多人接触动植物、了解动植物的美，引导人们自发地爱护生态，成为他筹建“天空森林”的初衷。
In this foggy rain forest, he points to an epiphytic orchid whose trunks lie on the soil and whose purple flowers quietly grow from green leaves. “There are many kinds of plants growing in the tropical rainforest. Many epiphytic, climbing plants live on the trunks of trees, forming a unique ‘sky garden.’”
在雾气蒸腾的“雨林”里，他随手指向一棵附生兰，树干为壤，翠绿的叶片间悄悄长出紫色的花，“热带雨林植物种类繁多，植物间的生存空间有限，许多附生、攀援植物在树干上生存，就形成了独特的‘空中花园’景象。”
With its 350 square meters of rainforest area, its main design idea is to show this epiphytic phenomenon. Limited indoor space conditions make it impossible to introduce huge shrubs, so to optimize the rainforest scene, they chose to use a large number of vines as epiphytes, even reflecting Xishuangbanna’s unique plant strangulation phenomenon.
在350平方米的雨林区里，主体设计思路就是展现这种附生现象。室内空间条件有限，无法引进巨大的灌木，为了最大限度还原热带雨林场景，他们选择用大量的蔓藤作为附生载体，连西双版纳独特的绞杀现象也有所体现。
Purple creeping oxalis. By Gu Tingting
紫色的酢浆草。顾婷婷摄
A special constant temperature humidification system ensures that the temperature remains around 20 degrees Celsius and at 85% – 90% humidity all year round. The fog surrounding the plants makes people feel like they are walking in a primeval forest at sunrise. From Agaricus, Calamus calamus, Equisetum, Pilea notata and Clematis japonicus to begonias, Turtle Back Bamboo, Bird Nest Fern, Tillandsia, bromeliad and Saxifraga japonica, He Jian introduces every quietly growing plant from bottom to top, from aquatic to epiphyte, from climbing vines to small shrubs, and from growth habits to application values. He collected most of these 700 plants over the years, though some were donated by plant and animal lovers.
特殊的恒温加湿系统，让这里终年维持着20摄氏度左右的温度和85%—90%的湿度，植物间弥漫的雾气让人犹如漫步在朝阳升起的原始森林。茨菇、菖蒲、木贼、冷水花、金线莲、苦苣苔、秋海棠、龟背竹、鸟巢蕨、空气凤梨、积水凤梨、虎耳草……何健如数家珍般介绍着每一棵静静生长的植物，从下到上，从水生到附生，从爬藤植物到小型灌木，从生长习性到应用价值。700多种植物大部分都来自于他多年来的收藏，还有一些来自动植物爱好者的赠送。
“See, this is the Amorphophallus titanum from Daomu Biji.” He excitedly points to two plant sprouts and continues, “When they emit a carrion-like flavor, beetles and flies are attracted to pollinate them.” To restore the integrity of the ecosystem, they also introduced crickets, fruit flies, cockroaches and other insects to the rainforest, as well as horn frogs and salamanders, among other small, cute animals that can be found in the grass. The plants provide oxygen and food for the animals, whereas the animals help the plants spread seeds and then decompose and give back to the plants after death. This has been going on for thousands of years in the biosphere.
“看到了吗，那就是《盗墓笔记》里精绝古城的尸香魔芋！”他兴奋地指向两颗植物幼体，“当它开花时，会散发出类似腐肉的味道，吸引甲虫和蝇类来替它授粉。”为了还原完整的生态系统，雨林区还引入了蟋蟀、果蝇、蟑螂等昆虫，定睛一看，还能在草丛中发现角蛙、蝾螈等可爱的小动物。植物为动物提供氧气与食物，动物帮助植物传播种子，死后再分解为养分反哺植物，生态圈亘古不变的规则在这里上演。
“This rainforest is the holy grail for every plant lover.” The rainforest is only a small part of the 1,500 square meters of the “Sky Forest,” but it is He Jian’s priceless treasure. Outside the rainforest are an aquatic plant area, an insect and specimen area, fossils, a handmade specimen area and a cultural salon with books along the walls.
“热带雨林是每个植物爱好者都向往的圣地。”“天空森林”1500平方米的区域里，雨林区只占了一小部分，却是何健的心头挚爱。走出雨林区，还有水生植物区、昆虫活体及标本区、化石区、手工标本制作区，以及有整墙书的文化沙龙区。
Polypedatids hide in the rainforest area. By Guo Xingrong
藏在雨林区的树蛙。郭兴荣摄
The aquatic plant area includes Anubias barteri from the West African rainforest, Ludwigia inclinata Cuba from the Amazon, Hygrophila pinnatifida from India, moss from Java Island, Cryptocoryne dewitii from Southeast Asia and Echinodorus argentinensis. More than 150 species of aquatic plants from all over the world are displayed in the style of Chinese, Japanese and South American aquariums created by professional designers. Upon taking a closer look, one can also “bump into” translucent fish swimming in your face. In the insect and specimen area, thousands of Messor barbarous are busy sorting rubbish. Also, the Woolly Beetle, the largest beetle on Earth, spreads its tentacles and is flanked by a painting of Zeng Xiaolian, a famous plant science painter from Yunnan province. Tired from wandering, one can go to the handicraft area where there is a DIY miniature landscape. If you are lucky, you might also have the chance to listen to a lecture delivered by experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the salon area.
在水生植物区，西非雨林的水榕，亚马逊的古巴叶底红，印度的雨裂水蓑衣，爪哇莫斯，东南亚椒草，阿根廷皇冠……150多种来自世界各地的水生植物陈列在专业设计师打造的中式、日式、南美风水族箱里，凑近打量，还会和迎面游来的半透明小鱼撞个满怀。在昆虫活体及标本区，几千只野蛮收获蚁正忙着“垃圾分类”，地球上最大的甲虫类毛象大兜虫张开触角，两侧墙上挂着云南著名植物科学画家曾孝濂栩栩如生的植物科学画作。逛累了，可以在手工区DIY一款微型景观，运气好的话还能在沙龙区听来自中科院专家的讲座。
Visitors at the Live Insect and Specimen Area. By Guo Xingrong
昆虫活体及标本区的参观者。郭兴荣摄
This is a natural museum created by He Jian. Though he has no professional background, it only took him one year from preparation to completion of the museum. But behind all this work is his love and experience, from which he has for many years been unable to extricate himself. “I’ve been thinking about it almost every day for more than 10 years. I’ve seen many professional books and watched videos.” Having been born in the 80s, he has never watched videos on TikTok. But he has read book after book in botany, plant anatomy and plant pathology. Collecting specimens from the wild, visiting museums and participating in competitions abroad occupy most of his time.
这是非科班出身的何健亲手打造的自然博物秘境，场馆从筹备到完成仅仅一年，背后却是他多年来无法自拔的热爱和积累。“这10多年来我差不多每天都在想这件事，专业书籍和相关视频看了不少，”作为一个80后，他从没看过抖音，植物学、植物解剖学、植物病理学方面的大部头书倒是读过一本又一本，野外采集、参观博物馆、出国参赛更是占据了生活的大部分。
At the end of the rainforest area is a 3.5-meter-long eco-cylinder that records one of his recent highlights.
雨林区的尽头，一口3.5米长的生态缸记录着他不久前的高光时刻。
An ecological tank simulating the environment of Dianchi Lake. By Gu Tingting
模拟滇池环境的生态缸。顾婷婷摄
On the afternoon of January 20, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the wetland of the Xinghai Peninsula of Dianchi Lake to examine the protection and treatment of Dianchi Lake. This was the first inspection site for the General Secretary Xi at Kunming. At the site, General Secretary Xi learned about Dianchi Lake through a 0.6-meter-long ecological tank to understand treatment outcomes and the lake’s current circumstances. Not far away, He Jian was waiting anxiously yet excitedly. More than 20 days ago, he would never have imagined that one day his work would be shown to General Secretary Xi.
2020年1月20日下午，习近平总书记来到滇池星海半岛湿地，察看滇池保护治理情况。这是总书记在昆明的第一个考察点。现场，总书记通过一口0.6米长的生态缸了解了滇池的治理成果和现状，不远处，何健怀着忐忑而激动的心情应急待命。20多天前，他压根没想过有一天自己的作品会展现给总书记看。
Before New Year’s Eve in 2020, He Jian was invited by the Kunming Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Dianchi Lake Administration to give an aquatic tank to display the ecology of Dianchi Lake. At the time, he had no idea what the mission meant. With his familiarity with Dianchi Lake and his experience in aquatic landscaping, he was pleased to complete the first edition. Things, however, were not as simple as he had imagined. Over a period of more than 20 days, the project went through seven changes, and the cylinder also changed from two meters to 0.6 meters. It was not until the final edition that he knew that this was to be presented to General Secretary Xi Jinping.
2020年元旦前，何健受中科院昆明植物研究所和滇池管理局的邀请，要做一个展示滇池生态的水生缸，那时，他并不知道这个任务意味着什么。凭着对滇池的熟悉和水生造景方面的资历，他很愉快地完成了第一版作品。然而事情并没有想象的那么简单，前后20多天，经历了7次改动，缸也从2米换到0.6米。直到最后一版，他才知道这是要呈现给习近平总书记的。
“I was very excited and encouraged!” Although the pressure would come with glory, he was full of confidence from having won prizes at domestic and international professional competitions.
“当时觉得特别激动，很受鼓舞！”虽然压力伴随着荣耀而来，但他自信满满，屡次在国内国际专业大赛上获奖的经历给了他底气。
The plants and animals in the aquarium. By Gu Tingting
水草缸里的动植物。顾婷婷摄
Today, the ecological tank preserved in the “Sky Forest” reproduces the bottom ecology of Dianchi Lake as seen by General Secretary Xi. Native fish, such as Rhodeinae, Gobiidae and rice-farming fish swim through the cracks in the Vallisneria natans, restoring Dianchi Lake, the pearl of the plateau, to its former glory.
如今，保留在“天空森林”的这口生态缸复刻了习近平总书记看到的滇池水底生态，鳑鲏、虾虎、稻穗鱼等滇池原生鱼游走在苦草缝隙，让滇池这颗高原明珠重回往日光彩的愿景映在来来往往的人们心里。
As a native of Kunming, He Jian is proud that the United Nations Biodiversity Conference will be held in Kunming. In addition to showing the world Yunnan’s and China’s environmental protection efforts, he believes that the significance of the conference is to teach all the people of Kunming the lesson that everyone living in this kingdom of flora and fauna can truly love and protect nature.
联合国生物多样性大会今年将在昆明举办，作为土生土长的昆明人，他倍感自豪。除了向世界展示云南、中国在生态环保方面做出的努力外，他认为大会更重要的意义是给所有昆明人上一课，让每一个生活在动植物王国的人真正热爱自然、保护自然。
A lecturer introduces the animals on display. File photo
讲解员向小朋友展示陈列的动物。资料图
This sort of imperceptible influence also occurs in the “Sky Forest.” Soon after it opened, he was impressed by a little boy. Originally, his commentary would only last for one hour, but this little boy had endlessly many questions. So, as the curator, he accompanied the little boy for three or four hours, never leaving the rainforest area. He was excited to see that his curiosity and appreciation of nature had taken root in the young boy’s heart.
这样的潜移默化也在“天空森林”发生。开馆不久，一个小男孩让他印象颇深。原本讲解员的讲解只有一个小时，小男孩却有问不完的问题，作为馆长的他陪着小男孩逛了三四个小时，也没有走出雨林区。他兴奋地看到，对大自然的好奇和欣赏在少年的心里扎根生长。
Kids sketching at the rainforest area. File photo
小朋友在雨林区写生。资料图
“The best relationship between a city and nature is for the city to be in the forest and the forest to be in the city,” he says. Because it gives people a real forest in the city, it is called the “Sky Forest.” It is also his small effort as an individual toward the city’s ecological civilization.
“城市和自然最好的关系就是城市就在森林之中，森林也在城市里。”在钢筋森林般的城市上空给人们一片真实的森林，是“天空森林”名字的来源，也是他作为个体为城市生态文明做出的微小努力。
昆明日报全媒体记者：顾婷婷
翻译：语言桥集团 杨朋飞
责编：李冬雨 实习编辑：李晓梅
编审：周健军
终审：钱红兵