Food with friends proves a winning recipe for Chinese photographer

Li said she had specifically practiced food photography before entering the competition, and had taken numerous shots to capture exactly the right moment, but the finished product was one of her personal favorite images.

She explained that the picture showed how "food makes people happy – they enjoy a beautiful and joyful life," and also contained a cultural reference which may elude non-Chinese audiences, the so-called Dragon's Gate formation of how the women are seated.