Shanxi province’s ancient City of Pingyao, rich in historical and cultural heritage, will hold its international photography festival in September.

The China Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP Festival) was launched in 2001 and has become a major annual gathering for photographers.

This year’s event will be held from Sept 19 to 25 and promises 1,600 photographers participating in 237 exhibitions. With a theme of “Mind of the World, Sentiment for the Homeland”, this event emphasizes careful physical observation and a real reflection of the delicate inner mind of all living creatures.

Director Zhang Guotian said this year’s photographs will be categorized into three fields-- social life, natural scenery, and artistic concepts.

In addition, the 2016 PIP Festival adopts the new “curator team” mode to make the exhibitions more professional and creative. Ten prestigious curators from all over the world will lead teams to scan all the exhibitions to ensure they reflect the theme of the event in subject and presentation.

A comprehensive upgrade of academic activities is another highlight of the festival. Experts will give lectures during the event which will be made into videos available online and on social media.

The Pingyao International Photography Festival started in 2001 and was awarded “One of the Ten Most Internationally Influential Festivals and Events” by IFEA on Nov 29, 2005.

The ancient city of Pingyao in Shanxi was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1997. It is an example of cities of the Han people in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties (14th-20th centuries), showing historical cultural, social, and economic prosperity in China.