A magnificent sunrise at Yunhe Terrace in Lishui enthralls photography enthusiasts. [Photo/FIAP World Photographers Conference]

Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province is fast becoming a global mecca for photography lovers – not least because of an international conference on the area of endeavor that is taking place in a few days' time – and the world is paying attention.

Experts have commented about the uncanny synergies between their passion and the city. As a result the Luxembourg-based International Federation of Photographic Art, or FIAP, is coming to town again.

Lishui will hold the 2022 FIAP World Photographers Conference on Nov 17-21, with the city set to  showcase its splendid environment and economic and social development through the lenses of cameras.

"The world of photography is rich because of Lishui and Lishui is wonderful because of the world photography," former FIAP vice-president Jacques Denis once said.

"The city will become a place that photographers all over the world will look forward to," he predicted.

Lushui's advent as an international photographic capital has long been in the making. For example, three days before the opening of the 2015 Lishui Photography Festival, the first Siena International Photo Awards gave the top prize to a Russian photographer's "On the river".

This superb image was taken during the 2013 Lishui Photography Festival, at the Oujiang River in Lishui.

The story of Lishui photography's connection with the world continues at the FIAP World Photographers Conference. The conference will promote the development and progress of global photographic art creation, education and research, science and technology applications – and promote cultural cooperation and exchanges between countries and regions.

A foreign photographer takes photos of an old lady during a previous Lishui Photography Festival. [Photo/FIAP World Photographers Conference]

The "Cities of the World" global photography themed exhibition will be held during the conference. A total of 7,407 works were submitted by 510 photographers and organizations from 549 cities in 81 countries and regions. After reviewing them, judges selected 548 works – taken by 252 photographers and organizations from 215 cities in 73 countries and regions – to be exhibited.

The exhibition focuses on the most representative city-themed works from different countries. It aims at fully reflecting the urban landscape, culture and history, social life, folk customs and ecological landscape of various countries.

During the World Photographers Conference, a young photographers sharing session will be held. It will invite outstanding youngsters from home and abroad – in the fields of fashion photography, minimalism photography, miniature creative photography and underwater photography, among others – to share their skills and creative experiences by way of talk shows.