On the afternoon of August 12, the "Center for International Exchanges in Pictures" Photo Festival, co-hosted by Beijing Foreign Affairs Office and the China Public Diplomacy Association and organized by  Beijing Enterprises Group Company Limited (BG) and Bosheng International Cultural Exchange Co. Ltd., was launched at the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Conference Resort. Luo Linquan, Vice President of the China Public Diplomacy Association, and representatives from Beijing Foreign Affairs Office and BG attended the launching ceremony.

Capture Highlights and Record Developments

Encouraging participants to use cameras to capture the highlights of how Beijing improves its role as the national center for international exchanges and record changes in the city, this photo festival aims to keep alive Beijing's stories of improving its role as the center for international exchanges in pictures. Professional photographers will be invited to take pictures of key functional areas and projects for international exchanges such as the Yanqi Lake cluster project, the second and third phases of the New China International Exhibition Center, the Fourth Embassy Zone, the central area of the Olympic Park as well as the three cultural landmarks in Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, namely a theatre, a library, and a museum. The goal of the event is to show Beijing's achievements in improving its role as the national center for international exchanges through pictures, promote its image as a cosmopolitan city, and celebrate the upcoming 20th National Congress of the CPC.

The activity will collect photographs from photography enthusiasts under the theme of the national center for international exchanges. It will also collect photos capturing the progress and highlights of major projects from the project owners and builders. Entries can be sent to gyjzbj2022@163.com. The organizers will invite experts to review the photos (sets) submitted and elect 30 to be awarded certificates and prizes. A special feature will be launched on the official website of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office to display the award-winning works.

Photography enthusiasts from diplomatic missions in China, including embassies of Russia, the Philippines, Cuba, Mongolia, and Iran, the China Public Diplomacy Association, and followers of the WeChat Account of Beijing Foreign Affairs office attended the launching ceremony. After the ceremony, they had their first photography tour for the festival at the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Conference Resort.

During the ceremony, letters of appointment were issued to the reviewers.

Expert List

Du Yang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of CNSphoto

Jia Ting, Associate Professor of Photography School, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Party Committee, Beijing Film Academy

Dai Bing, Deputy Director of the Photography Department of Beijing Daily

Bruce Connolly, British photographer and writer

Francois Nadeau, Canadian photographer