A photographer is taking photos outside the south gate of Pingyao. During the 2009 Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP) thousands of photographers from different parts of the world gathered together. Besides enjoying the beautiful photos, visitors are also recording the life of this city. Professional photographers and amateurs can all have fun creating photographs. [Photo: Xinhuanet]

The weeklong "2009 Pingyao International Photography (PIP) Festival" opened on September 19th in Pingyao, Shanxi Province, as reported by the news website people.com.cn.

In its eighth year, the festival is showcasing more than 20,000 photographs by 1,232 photographers from 46 countries and regions. 38 of the 150 exhibitions are from overseas.

The Exhibitions have been divided into five categories and are displayed in nine areas. The main theme of the festival is "Life & Dreams" and includes an exhibition entitled "Footsteps of the People's Republic of China" which is a tribute to the 60th anniversary of new China.

The festival also made changes to its awards this year. Besides its three main awards, this year's awards have been increased to include 14 prizes.

There are also a rich variety of academic activities in the festival. The theme forums, the conferences of curators and the training courses for young photographers provide a good interactive platform for photographers from home and abroad.

The festival was first established in 2001 in the ancient city of Pingyao, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This exhibition has become one of the world's largest photo exhibitions and attracts thousands of well-known photographers from all over the world. It bridges China and the world in terms of photographic art.