Stars burn brightly for China in astronomy photo competition
The Milky Way on the Ancient Village ? Zhang Xiao (China) [Photo/The Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year 13 (2021) competition/exhibition]
Hongcun, an ancient village at the foot of Huangshan Mountain in China, has a history of more than 900 years and in 2000 it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its existing buildings have the unique characteristics of Hui style architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties. A galaxy of stars fell on the famous Yuezhao Lake surrounded by ancient buildings. This photo was taken after 1 am, the streetlights in the village had gone out, and no one was around.
? Hongcun, Anhui, China, Feb 21, 2021
? Canon EOS 6D Mark II camera, 35 mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 2500, 20 x 13-second exposures
In 2016, the competition's overall top prize was won by a Chinese photographer, Yu Jin, for his image of Baily's beads, a phenomenon caused by flecks of light appearing round the moon during a solar eclipse, and in 2019, two of the competition's categories were won by photographers from China, with another claiming third place.
That kept up a record of wider recent success for Chinese entrants in major international photography competitions.
This year, for the second time in three years, the top prize at the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year awards was won by a Chinese photographer, Li Huaifeng, with a picture called Taste, and Bao Yongqing's dramatic picture The Moment was chosen from more than 40,000 entrants to be named as overall winner of the 2019 Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
