China-Britain photography competition to showcase cultural richness and exchanges

LONDON, July 26 (Xinhua) -- "Beauty Across Borders: China-Britain Photography Competition" was launched here on Wednesday with an aim to showcase China's landscapes and the richness of its culture, as well as the dynamic exchanges between China and Britain.

Jointly organized by the China National Tourist Office in London, Nouvelles d'Europe Britain Edition, and Shangtufang Image Art Studio, the competition also enjoys support from the Cultural Section of the Chinese Embassy in Britain, Britain's Royal Photographic Society, Global Photographic Union, Sino European Arts, as well as Beijing-London Short Video Festival.

The competition, open to photography enthusiasts from around the world, is divided into three sections: "Beautiful China," "Splendid China" and "Impressions of China and Britain."

It is important to understand the people and the culture of other countries, and "photography is the best way to do that," said Michael Pritchard, programs director of the Royal Photographic Society.

"At the time we enter AI, we need a world that works together and break down the barriers. A medium like photography, in a sense, is a language that crosses these barriers. You don't need to translate it into Mandarin or English," Tim Flach, president of the Association of Photographers of Britain, told Xinhua in an interview after the competition's launching ceremony.

In his view, competitions like "Beauty Across Borders" offer an opportunity to explore the differences and commonalities between the two cultures.

"In my understanding, the language of photography surpasses words as it unites cultures through a visual conversation of mutual understanding. It serves as the window to different cultures, enabling us to step into another world," said Li Liyan, minister counsellor for cultural affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Britain.

Works will be submitted until Oct. 31. The panel of judges is made up of professional photographers from both China and Britain, who are going to evaluate artworks' professionalism and score them based on three criteria: theme relevance, artistic meaning and visual presentation.

In December, three winners for the first prize, nine winners for the second prize, 15 winners for the third prize, as well as 30 winners for the honorable mention will be announced.