A Shanghai exhibition reveals the ocean's wonders to inland students, blending art, science and environmental awareness.

Tang Linxi, 12, and her friend Yang Yunyi, 10, sit quietly before a screen, watching a documentary about industrial pollution of the oceans.

"In my dreams, the ocean is a dwelling place for living creatures, clear, boundless and free. However, when I see videos of how humans have polluted it, I feel sad for the fish and long even more to see it in person," says Linxi.

Her friend, Yunyi, nods in agreement. "I have seen streams, small rivers and lakes, but I have never seen the ocean. I imagine it stretching endlessly, powerful and free. It always fills me with longing. We should do something to protect it from pollution."

Linxi and Yunyi are among a group of elementary school students from Rongjiang county, Southwest China's Guizhou province, far away from any coastline. They are visiting Shanghai for the first time to experience The Ocean & Climate Village, an immersive and interactive science exhibition designed to help children understand the ocean and the environmental challenges it faces.

Throughout their stay, the students will learn marine science through hands-on workshops tailored for children ages 6 to 16. They will explore the diversity of marine life, study the threats of pollution and rising sea levels, and participate in activities that blend art and science.

Among the activities are storytelling through the eyes of endangered creatures and traditional Chinese rock-color painting, a technique rooted in ancient mural traditions, used here to visualize the harmony between nature and art.

The exhibition and the activities are part of Sea Beyond, an educational program aimed at raising awareness of sustainability and ocean preservation, contributing to the progress of ocean education on a global scale through a series of training initiatives for younger generations, developed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and the Italian Prada Group.

From Friday to Oct 19, visitors are welcome to Prada Rong Zhai, a historical residence on North Shaanxi Road, to explore the stories of the ocean.