The opening ceremony of the 2015 World Photographers Focusing on Beijing project marked the start of an event that an array of professional photographers from around the globe gather in Beijing and take unique shots of the city.

The 19 photographers from 18 countries were invited to attend the opening ceremony on May 19, at Yanqi Lake, in the city's Huairou district, and will take part in the project to take photos of Beijing's ancient cultural sites, landmarks, business areas and communities for the next few days.

Crowd at the event applauding the speeches. [Photo by Michael Chen]

In commenting on the importance of this project for showing the beauty of Beijing and its people and the help the photos can give the bid for 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, Wang Hui, the deputy secretary general of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games bid committee, said, "In Beijing we share a dream about hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games here, so we want you to show this dream and tell the world that Beijing is a charming city and an Olympic city."

Each photographer was given a unique itinerary and free reign to compose their shots and they have a chance to explore many different aspects of the metropolis. Many of them, such as áron Süveg of Hungary, are excited to be part of this project and he described his feelings as "waiting for the next wonder every day" and being "happy to be here as part of this event."

The event began back in 1999 and has drawn over 100 photographers from around the world in its 16 years, and has grown in popularity and scope over time, or, in the words of Jay Brousseau, an American photographer with over 40 years of experience in everything from advertising to design, "A great encounter with the city, and it has changed dramatically.Its appeal because of the architecture is phenomenal and it's a very warm charming place, and the people are welcoming."

Some of the photographers find beauty in the city's hutongs and the culture they hold, while others, like Philippe Bourgeois from France, find the modern construction in places like the central business district to be "very good".

Whether it's the evolution of the city or its past or present, the multitude of photographers seem to have found many different areas of interest. This year they come from Indonesia, the United States, Hungary, Greece, Italy, France, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Colombia, Belarus, Argentina, Egypt, Russia and Canada.