Pingyao Photography Festival - September 2006

[TheFlyingCamera]

I know I posted something about this earlier in a different forum. Perhaps I posted it in the wrong place.

In any case, I'm looking to attend the festival in September of this year. If anyone knows anything about it, or has been before, I would really appreciate hearing from them. If anyone is interested in attending, I'd be very glad of a travelling companion. The festival is in Pingyao, China, which is a few hours from Beijing, south and west. The city dates back to the Ming dynasty, and still has its complete city wall. It was the banking capital of China until the 19th century, when Hongkong and Shanghai took over due to the influx of foreign trade with Europe. Pingyao became a sleepy backwater that was largely ignored by the forces around it until relatively recently, so it escaped being modernized, bulldozed, skyscrapered or revolutionized. It is on the World Heritage Monuments list. I'm interested in going even if the festival isn't happening this year. The festival website is at http://www.pipfestival.com but the English language version of the site is 2 years out of date (it has information about the 2004 festival). If anyone here can read Chinese to let me know if the Chinese version of the page has more up-to-date information, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[bjorke]

What's inspiring you to go there? Family? Contacts?

I remember hearing about this last year though.

[MurrayMinchin]

Pingyao became a sleepy backwater that was largely ignored by the forces around it until relatively recently, so it escaped being modernized, bulldozed, skyscrapered or revolutionized. It is on the World Heritage Monuments list.

Oh, I don't know...that bit is pretty inspiring

Murray

P.S. Can't go

[TheFlyingCamera]

What's inspiring you to go there? Family? Contacts?

I remember hearing about this last year though.

What is inspiring me to go? What's not to inspire?? I love ancient cities, I'm fascinated by Chinese culture, it's something very different to do, and while it is off the beaten path, it's not a tropical jungle with tropical diseases. Plus it's an excuse to do something photo related.

[ouyang]

I can read chinese and will take a look at the site today or tomorrow and see what's up, need to do some other stuff first

Pingyao is reported to be absolutely stunning by many of my friends who went there.. I really think you can't go wrong on it (and appearantly it's easy to combine with going to Xi'an, one of my favorites in China..)

cheers,
Onno

[livemoa]

Looks interesting, and I am living in Hong Kong now, so if people are interested I can see what I can learn from here.

Will post when I find out more

[ouyang]

well the chinese website is more up to date, up to 2005 but i can't find anything for the 2006 edition. Is there any specific information you're looking for? I could ask some chinese photographer friends I have in Shanghai if they know more about this year's edition.. But, from what I've seen from catalogues, it's awesome..

cheers,

Onno

[TheFlyingCamera]

Dave, Onno-

Any information you can find out about the schedule of events, dates/times etc would be much appreciated. Also, any information about getting to/from Pingyao vis-a-vis Xian and Beijing would be much appreciated. I have friends in Beijing, but they're not serious photographers (although one or two of them have been models for me in the past).

[livemoa]

I am still trying to find out more about this. Have spoken with people who have been there (not to the photo festival) and said it was an amazing place. The movie :Raise the Red Lantern" was filmed there.

I am thinking about going to have a look, might be going to Bejing soon and can do a side trip on the way.

Will let you know.

I am going to get a Putonghua speaking friend to send an email to them, I have sent a couple, but no reply.