The Cities of the World photography exhibition. [Photo/Zhou Jian for Chinanews.com]

The "Lishui Declaration" was released at the 2022 FIAP World Photographers Conference in Lishui, East China's Zhejiang province, on Nov 17.

The declaration points out that photography is an artistic language and means of communication. The universal language of photography has had a profound influence on promoting the development of human civilization and global cultural exchanges.

The 2022 FIAP World Photographers Conference is expected to display the achievements of world photography development, promote the progress of global photography art creation, education research, and technology application, and facilitate a global cultural cooperation and exchange, said Riccardo Busi, president of the International Federation of Photographic Art at the opening ceremony.

Visitors admire a photography work. [Photo/Zhou Jian for Chinanews.com]

As a universal language, photography should help connect people faced with global changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century.

The conference's major sideline event – Cities of the World photography exhibition – offers 548 works shot by 252 photographers and institutions to show the urban landscapes, cultures, histories, and social lives in 215 cities across the globe.

An outdoor photography exhibition. [Photo/Zhou Jian for Chinanews.com]

The conference will also include a launch ceremony of the Lishui Exhibition Center of the International Federation of Photographic Art, which will hold five international photography exhibitions every year.

Lishui, the "Home of Photography", located in the mountainous area of Southwest Zhejiang, is a "pathfinder" that promotes the exchange and mutual learning of photography around the world.

Since 1999, the city has been holding international photography festivals, national photography exhibitions, and large-scale photography exchange activities, aiming to build a bridge of communication for photography enthusiasts around the world.

In 2021, Lishui issued the "Lishui International Photography City Development Plan (2021-30)", which proposes to develop an international city where photography art and industry are perfectly integrated.