Aerial video footage of rolling mountains of China's Anhui goes viral

An aerial video featuring rolling mountains and clear waters in the late afternoon in Shucheng county, Lu'an city of east China's Anhui Province has recently gone viral.

In just a week, the video clip has been viewed 300 million times and was reported on by nearly 100 media outlets after it was uploaded online.

Photo shows Guo Hao's short video featuring the morning mist-enveloped Hongcun village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in east China's Anhui Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

According to one media outlet, the breathtaking scenery in the video clip resembles that of the Chinese painting masterpiece "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" created by a genius painter from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).

The stunning aerial footage was captured by Guo Hao, an undergraduate student from the school of journalism and communication under Anhui Normal University (ANU) in Wuhu city, Anhui. Born in the 2000s in Shucheng county, Guo has shown a strong interest in aerial photography since his high school days.

After returning to Shucheng county on July 11, Guo ran around with his drone for more than 20 days. He found that the county's Tangchi town is located at the east of the Dabieshan Mountain range and Wanfo Lake, a national 5A tourist attraction, which is the highest rating for Chinese scenic spots. He would often enjoy the scenery of rolling mountains surrounded by mist and clouds by looking in the direction of Wanfo Lake from positions near a river in the town.

However, it was not easy to find the perfect place to capture the stunning scenery. Guo filmed the mountains more than 10 times under different weather conditions and at different times, but he was not satisfied with his collected footage.

Photo shows the beautiful scenery of mountains captured by Guo Hao in Tangchi township, Shucheng county, Lu'an city of east China's Anhui Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

At about 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 10, Guo went there once again. When his drone was flying between an altitude of 100 meters and 500 meters, he was astonished by the breathtaking scene seen through his camera lens. After 15 minutes, he finally captured aerial video footage of the rolling mountains and the lake bathed in a continuous soft yellow light, almost blending with the sky, during the late afternoon.

Before that, Guo's short video featuring the morning mist-enveloped Hongcun village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Anhui, also caused a sensation online on the Internet.

Lin Yan, a teacher from ANU's school of journalism and communication, attributed the high popularity of Guo's two videos to two reasons. The first is the charm of traditional Chinese culture and China's picturesque scenes, which ignite young Chinese people's recognition of and passion for traditional Chinese culture and the country's stunning natural landscapes. In addition, an increasing number of young students have promoted Chinese culture through photography with the help of new media technology.

"I want to let more people appreciate the stunning natural landscapes of our country through my photographic works. Young people should be proud of their Chinese identity," Guo said, adding that this is what excellent photographic works are all about.