The opening ceremony of Pingyao International Photography Festival held in Pingyao, North China's Shanxi Province on September 19. Photo: Courtesy of the official Wechat account of Pingyao International Photography Festival

The 23rd Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP) kicked off on Tuesday in Pingyao, North China's Shanxi Province, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its well-preserved architecture from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.       

True to form, it has captivated numerous photography enthusiasts, who are showcasing their best works that promote cross-cultural communication. 

The festival exhibition, New Light and New Orientation, features 13,961 works of art from more than 2,000 photographers from home and abroad. Among them, the international section features 1,627 works by 225 photographers brought by curators and artists from 27 countries. 

More than 120 domestic and foreign colleges are participating in the exhibition section, including 12 foreign colleges, making it the largest exhibition in the festival's history, according to media reports. 

This year, exhibiting photographers include Canadian photographer Robert Davidson, Belgian photographer Patrick Gries and Swiss photographer Andrey Gordasevich. Their works cover multiple dimensions of history and reality, according to organizers. 

Zhang Guotian,  exhibition director of PIP, said the exhibition is going global and staying youthful, adding that a large number of young people are displaying their works.  

"Photography exhibitions have also moved from being scattered throughout the ancient city of Pingyao to being concentrated at various exhibition areas," he noted.

The exhibition has innovated a highly participatory, interactive and immersive exhibition mode, making it evolve from a single photo exhibition to a new form with richer content. Additionally, it focuses on creating a digital exhibition space and exploring the fusion of AI and the art of photography.

Since 2001, when it was first launched, a total of "50,000 photographers and 350,000 works from more than 100 countries and regions have participated in the exhibition, attracting 5 million visitors from home and abroad to the city, " Wei Jiangfeng Party secretary of Pingyao county, said at the opening ceremony, adding that, PIP exhibition has become an internationally renowned photography stage with the longest history, the greatest influence and the most inclusive nature in China. 

The free photography exhibition is open from Tuesday to Monday.

Global Times