Portrait of Lishui

From November 15 to 19， the 2017 Lishui Photography Festival， themed “Image of the Era of Hypermedia，” was held in Lishui， a city in southeastern China’s Zhejiang Province. During the event， the Second International Photography Seminar and the 26th National Photography Exhibition were also held. With an eye turned far beyond the traditional photographic medium of prints on paper， this year’s festival highlighted the usage of virtual reality （VR）， video， projection， installation， performance and other contemporary art methods.

This extensive array of trans-media images featured at the event heralded the impending hypermedia era and sought to arouse public reflection on this historic change， according to Bao Kun， a famous Chinese photographer and critic.

The Lishui Photography Festival has always endeavored to become one of China’s top photography events with international influence. Organizers hoped the event would help the city become more known to the world and allow more people to soak up the wonders of photography. James Ramer， director of the MFA Photography program at Parsons School of Design in New York City， predicted that the Lishui Photography Festival would soon rank among the most prestigious in the world.

From Portraits to Industry

Lishui’s journey to become a global hub of photography has been long.

In 1903 when Zhang Li， a Lishui native， returned from studying in Japan， he opened the city’s first shop offering photography services to the public， which initiated Lishui’s commercial portrait photography practice.

In 1979， Wu Pinhe， Chu Xiaoqing， Gao Jinlong and five other young elite local photographers founded Lishui’s first photography association， bringing its photography legacy to a phase of artistic creation. Lishui’s photographers then began coming to the fore both at home and abroad. In June 1980， one of Chu Xiaoqing’s shots won a prize in an Asia-Oceania photography contest sponsored by UNESCO.

Since then， photographic activities have mushroomed in Lishui. By August 2017， Lishui had 219 members of the China Photographers Association and 511 members of the Zhejiang Photographers Association， including several winners of the Golden Statue Award for Chinese Photography， the highest honor in Chinese photography. Local photographers have received many prizes and honors at photography competitions in and beyond China.

According to Wu Pinhe， Lishui has always made efforts to foster high-caliber photographers， and its administrators have endeavored to make the city a global photography standout. So， the year of 2004 saw its first photography festival held with 54 photography exhibitions. In 2015， the figure reached 339. The same year， the Lishui Photography Festival became sister festivals with the Orvieto Photography Festival in Italy and the Portland Photography Festival in the United States.

Themes of the Lishui Photography Festival have evolved with the times. From 2004 to 2006， themes focused on salon photography. In 2007， the festival introduced documentary and conceptual photography before turning to academic photography in 2009. Since 2013， the event has added more academic content and public participation. The evolution of the festival has contributed to the growth of local photographers such as Pan Shiguo， whose work in special topic photography has resulted in personal exhibitions at the Portland Photography Festival as well as the China Photography Festival.

Growth Point of Cultural Industry

Engulfed by flourishing green， Lishui boasts gorgeous landscapes and ancient tranquil villages as well as distinctive ethnic flavors and local cultures that draw tens of thousands of photog- raphers every year.

Ye Zengmiao operates a hotel in Lishui catering to visiting photographers， organizes photography exhibitions and training classes， designs tour routes for visitors and provides logistics support. In Ye’s eyes， his hotel has become a platform to spread local culture while creating profit.

The photo studio Unique U was founded by a group of fourth-generation photographers in Lishui. It employs a mode of “photography+internet” and has positioned itself as a pioneer of the industry. The Zhaitou Photography Base in Lishui’s Songyang County， featuring a“photography+family hotel” mode， uses the internet and social media to blaze a new market path.

In 2014， Lishui repurposed an old factory into a photography industrial park， where visitors can buy photography devices， receive photography training and have work printed. “The industrial park houses over 30 stores which employ more than 200，” notes Hu De， manager of the park. “If you add in filming projects， our annual output value can reach 100 million yuan.”

To fully capitalize on local advantages， the Lishui government issued the Lishui Photography Development Plan（2011-2020） in 2011， which counts on the photography industry to serve as an important driving force for local growth.

Lishui’s green mountains and clear rivers gave birth to its photography culture， which in turn produced good fortune for locals. In a new era of the photography industry， Lishui is embracing new opportunities.