Oleg's China Photo Travel Guide
中国摄影旅游指南
China boasts a great number of very unique and diverse photographic destinations and subjects which, without a doubt, would appeal to photographers of different cultural backgrounds and aesthetic perception. However, some objective factors such as somewhat limited tourist infrastructure and lack of adequate popularization have so far prevented uncovering them and non-Chinese photographers are only starting to tap into what the country offers photographically. The main purpose of this guide, therefore, is to introduce and make photographers aware of the immense photographic resourses that the country possesses.
Another purpose of this guide is to help photographers traveling to and in China to intelligently choose where, when, why and how they go to in this extremely varied country. It also aims at assisting them in properly making pre-departure preparations and decisions as well as eliminating the element of chance while en route.
The principal concern of this guide is photography, which has two implications. First, the places introduced here are chosen from the photographic perspective - though indispensable as they might be the country's culture, history, economy, etc. are of secondary consideration. Second, while some information provided here might be common to what you will find in general travel guides, other info (e.g., the best location to photograph at sunrise) is unique and indispensable for photographers.
I personally have traveled to and photographed in all the places introduced in the guide; moreover, I visited most of them at least twice. Whereas I appreciate that this guide is prone to subjectivity I nevertheless hope that it will provide you as a photographer with valuable information in spite of the possible biases.
This is a long-term ongoing project. Information on new destinations and related photographic issues is constantly added as I continue traveling and researching other sources. Please feel free to email me if you have any comments, find mistakes or would like to update any information. And of course, I will be happy to discuss your participation in the project or possible sponsorship.
Every place is introduced on a separate page yet in the same structural manner that generally covers the following aspects: introduction, transportation, accommodation and where/what to eat, photographic tactics, best time of the year to visit, sunset and sunrise, local contact, photo gear recommendations, issues to be aware of and other notes. This page explains what is covered in each part.
General issues to be aware of when traveling in China
This page covers some of the issues that you should be aware of regardless of where you travel to in China.
What is the best place to go photographing in a particular month? - under construction
While there are some months that by and large are suitable for visiting most of the main photographic destinations, the information on what places are worth going to in each particular month of the year is likely to be important for photographers who find themselves in China in months other than May and October or travel in China more than only twice a year.
Places classified by photographic subjects - under construction
Obviously, different photographers are interested in photographing different subject matters and this page classifies photographic destinations accordingly (e.g., landscape, architecture, culture, etc.).
Where to photograph autumn colours in China NEW!
|
Click on the links below for detailed photo travel information on or impressions of each of the destinations. The places for which photo travel guides have not been written yet are mentioned below because I wholeheartedly recommend visiting them.
|
Anhui Province |
Hebei Province |
Jiangsu Province |
|
Sichuan Province One of the classic photographic routes Yinchanggou (photo) Huanglong Jiuzhaigou Daocheng Danba Mugecuo A'ba |
Yunnan Province Yuanyang NEW! Mount Meili Tulin Dongchuan (hongtudi) |
Shandong Province |
|
Zhejiang Province |
|
|