In 2015, I went to China to attend the 9th edition of the Humanity Photo Awards (HPA) ceremony organised by China Folklore Photographic Association (CFPA) and UNESCO. The Humanity Photo Awards (HPA) is a biennial photography contest focusing on folklore cultures, including portrait & costume, architecture, living Custom, production & commerce, festivities and traditional rites. About 250 photographers were present from different countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, France, India, Italy, Oman, Sweden, etc. 

In this trip, I visited Shangri-La and Lijiang, two major cities in the northwest of Yunnan province, China.

Located at point where Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan all meet, Shangri-La County is administered by Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.

In Tibetan, Shangri-La means the "sun and moon in heart", an ideal home only found in heaven. The lofty mountains, endless grasslands, steep and grand gorges, azure lakes and the bucolic villages always leave a deep impression on visitors. As a Chinese saying goes, "The earliest sunrise is seen in Shangri-La; and the most unique place is also there". Here in this video I have tried to capture the meaning of this saying. In addition, the warm welcome of the residents of this land made me feel at home. 

Lijiang is famous for its UNESCO Heritage Site, the Old Town of Lijiang. The Old Town was once the center of the city and continues to maintain the original flavor of the local lifestyle of Naxi people, the typical local architecture and the profound cultural heritage of the region. Here I have tried to show how the Lijiang old town is graced by well preserved ancient buildings and the Naxi Culture.

This is a 8 min video of my short trip to China. Please take your time and watch the show. 

In this video I have used Chinese song: Jasmine, Arabian song: Fi Hagat and Russian song: Kalinka as background scores. I sincerely want to share the due credit to the respective lyricists, composers and vocalists. 

The sole purpose of this video is just to share my experience of China trip with the viewers. This content is not meant for any type of commercial use.