The dusty streets of the ancient town of Pingyao in north China's Shanxi Province are packed with photographers and visitors who've come from home and abroad for the city's 2003 International Photography Exhibition which opened on the morning of September 16.
The opening ceremony was held at Pingyao's north gate. The modern stage provided an interesting contrast to the ancient city wall. Hundreds of artists from across China presented wonderful performances to welcome the event as well as photographers from all over the world.
Focused on life and culture, the exhibition showcases nearly 7,000 photos from 14 countries. The dusty streets, city walls and even citizen's houses have all been turned into temporary exhibition halls.
For better exchanges on photography, forums and a picture trade fair are to be held during the exhibition.
Initially built in the Western Zhou Dynasty, Pingyao has a history of over 2,700 years and was once a prosperous financial center. But a less fortunate period in the past century is what preserved the ancient buildings from the ravages of modernization. Pingyao is one of China's best－preserved ancient towns and was put on the World Cultural Heritage list in December 1997.
(CCTV.com September 18, 2003)
