TAIYUAN — On an early autumn morning, Shi Hui, a photographer from Chongqing municipality, arrived at an exhibition area located in a former diesel engine factory in Pingyao, Shanxi province.

"This is a good opportunity to learn from photographers from all over the country and the world to get inspiration about composition, angle and new techniques," he said.

As a teacher at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Shi has been to the ancient city on 10 occasions to participate in the Pingyao International Photography Festival. This time, he brought with him the work of teachers and students from 10 universities in Chongqing.

The 22nd PIP Festival kicked off on Sept 19 in the UNESCO world cultural heritage site known for its well-preserved ancient architecture.

Under the theme of "A world of light and shadow, for a bright shared future", this year's week-long festival attracted some 12,000 entries from 1,200 photographers from 28 countries and regions.

Launched in 2001, the annual festival has featured photographers from more than 100 countries and regions and is considered an important platform for cross-cultural communication.

"Every time I go to Pingyao, I find something new and different," said Susan Dooley, from the United States. On her first visit to Pingyao 10 years ago, the ancient city was not in very good condition and the exhibition hall was rather old.

Nowadays, the exhibition area is spacious and bright, the ancient city is classical and elegant, and there are theaters, shopping centers and a high-speed railway station, which gives Dooley and her husband the feeling that Pingyao is a more cosmopolitan place.

"Pingyao ancient city's successful application to become a world heritage site in 1997 opened a window, but it was the PIP that really introduced this city to the world," said Wu Xiaodong, who has participated in the planning of more than a dozen photography festivals, adding that many photos taken by Chinese photographers have gone on from Pingyao to international exhibitions, while foreign photos have also had a chance to be seen by the Chinese public.

"Every step PIP takes is as a pioneer and practitioner, and it appeals to the imagination of every photographer," said Zhang Guotian, artistic director of the festival.

In the "Young Chinese Photographer Promotion Plan" section, one exhibition entitled "Pixel" has attracted many visitors. A wall covered in mobile phones, each displaying a single pixel either in black or white, demonstrates the way that photos are created. When seen from a distance, the display comes together as a single image.

Wei Wentao, a photographer who recently returned from overseas, said that visitors posted many images of the display on social media, creating a situation in which images of the real and of the virtual overlapped.

"We focus on the possibilities that young people should have and explore how creators face new problems and challenges," said Du Zi, section curator. Du hoped PIP would help give young photographers access to a broader stage.

Sun Xiaolu, who was a photographer as a student and is now a university teacher, has seen the effect PIP has had on photographers and curators.

"Pingyao has become a cultural brand that epitomizes Chinese photography and even world photography," she said after participating once again in the festival as curator of a women-themed exhibition.

With the help of modern light and shadow technology, Pingyao has rapidly built up a reputation and influence at home and abroad.

French photographer Michele Terminet Schuppon has been to the ancient city multiple times to explore its stories, taking photos of an old vendor, a barber and a sedan bearer dressed in ancient costumes. In 2015, she held a photography exhibition in France introducing Pingyao to French exhibition-goers.

As the festival goes global, it has injected fresh energy into Pingyao's development and led to great change.

Zhang Shuai, manager of the Jinsheng Food Shop, a time-honored establishment on Pingyao's South Street, said that during PIP, there are more tourists and customers, many of whom try his products and buy them again online.

Xiao Sanyuan, a Pingyao native who drove tourists around the city and later worked as a booth builder at the festival, is now in charge of an exhibition services company.

"The festival changed my life," said Xiao, whose photographs have been exhibited at PIP.

Pingyao's openness has ushered in new life. With improvements to its water quality, electric power systems and other infrastructure, its residents now live more convenient lives.

Xinhua