Photographers capture beauty, culture of Hunan

About 300 international photographers captured the unique scenery and ethnic culture of Hunan province through their lenses during a recent field tour.

The photographers visited major attractions, including Furong town, Fenghuang ancient town, Shibadong village, Wulingyuan scenic spot and Tianmen Mountain in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture and Zhangjiajie.

"The people here have a real understanding of the history; they love to show their heritage," said French photographer Reza Deghati. "This is really very important, as I see everywhere they try to keep the culture and tradition alive."

At Zhangjiajie, Teodora Karin Gligor from Romania was impressed by the spectacular scenery.

"I have never seen such beautiful place. It is like stepping into a real-life fairy world. It looks like a traditional Chinese wash-painting. It is wonderful," she said.

The nine-day event, which ended on Monday, was organized by the International Federation of Photographic Art, the China Artistic Photography Society, and Hunan province's Foreign Affairs Office and Department of Culture and Tourism.

It was part of the ninth FIAP Photo Meeting, which also includes a photography exhibition by Riccardo Busi, chairman of FIAP, and Yang Yuanxing, lifetime honorary chairman of China Artistic Photography Society. The exhibition is being held at Furong town's tourist distribution center.

Xu Zhu contributed to this story.