Ancient Chinese city hosts int'l photo festival

PINGYAO, Shanxi - A photography festival opened Wednesday in the ancient city of Pingyao, drawing more than 1,700 exhibitors from home and abroad.

More than 13,000 images created by professional and amateur photographers from 45 countries and regions will be displayed in 332 shows during the seven-day 12th Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP), in the city in North China's Shanxi province.

Staff practise welcome ceremony for the 12th Pingyao International Photography Festival in Shanxi province on Sept 18, 2012. [Photo/CFP]

National pavilions showcasing the development of photography and local customs in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and four Nordic countries have been set up for the first time, the festival's organizing committee said.

The 2,700-year-old Pingyao, located 616 kilometers southwest to Beijing, was listed as a world heritage site by the UNESCO in 1997.

"The ancient city will, again, become a paradise for photographers to communicate and have fun," said Hu Suping, head of the publicity department of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

"We are always endeavoring to keep the festival global, professional and diversified," Hu said.

During the past 11 years, the annual festival has attracted more than 32,700 Chinese and foreign photographers and exhibited over 150,000 photographs.