An artists' impression of the Lishui international digital imaging center, which is currently under construction. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

In the wake of curtain-raisers launched on online platforms on Nov 5, the full 2021 Lishui Photography Festival officially kicked off on Nov 17 in the city of Lishui in East China's Zhejiang province.

This year's festival – which will run to Nov 21 – features the most countries ever to participate and the most submitted works.

The event is said to have won the favor of photography afficionados and academic circles on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other international social media platforms, due to its praiseworthy endeavors in digitalization.

It's understood they've given top marks to the 2021 Lishui Photography Festival for overcoming all kinds of difficulties, to successfully provide rich appreciation and communications platforms for photography lovers from around the world. 

"I still can't believe that this is all happening right now, somewhere a few thousand kilometers away. It's so amazing and I am really happy to see images and videos dropping in from the exhibition," said photographer Marcel Rickli from Switzerland.

Although he can't make it to Lishui in person, he said he was thrilled to see his exhibition Aeon – An Era Beyond Control being exhibited there.

In addition to the online exhibitions, after the official opening of the festival, some 887 exhibitions were launched on-site in Lishui.

After decades of development, Lishui's photography industry is said to have really come of age in terms of its high international visibility.

Earlier in the year, Lishui compiled and issued the Development Plan of Lishui International Photography City (2021-30).

In it, the city has proposed developing four major highlands in the next decade – a highland for international photography art exchanges, a highland for international ecology photography, a highland for photography industry innovation and development, as well as a highland for gathering the quality elements of photography.