Picture-perfect Hangzhou

Photographers from G20 nations invited to capture scenes from 'heaven on Earth'

Hangzhou will be the center of the world's attention when it hosts the G20 Leaders' Summit, yet the picturesque city has been a focal point for photographers for decades.

The people and places of the Zhejiang provincial capital - often referred to as a heaven on Earth - were captured in a contest to coincide with the gathering of world leaders on Sept 4 and 5.

Winners of the Beautiful Hangzhou Langshi Cup Global Photography Competition were announced recently, and their works will be included in a photo album.

As part of the contest, a three-day visit was arranged in May for photographers from G20 member nations to visit Hangzhou.

The trip included historic areas, parks, temples and museums as well as local markets, alleyways and remote neighborhoods.

Organizers of the competition said they hoped the photos would "display the charm of our city to the world".

People take pictures along famous West Lake in Hangzhou on May 21. Every day, people gather to see temples, pagodas, gardens and artificial islands at the lake. Frederic Dufour / For China Daily

A woman glances over her shoulder as she walks alongside a pond in Xixi Wetland Park, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Frederic Dufour / For China Daily

A performance of a traditional opera is staged in the old village of Longmen. Jacob Haselkorn / For China Daily

Dancers of all ages leave their worries behind as they gather on the bank of West Lake. Chris Meehan / For China Daily

(China Daily European Weekly 08/26/2016 page4)