The 6th International Photography Symposium and 2025 Lishui Photography Festival will be held from Nov 7 to 11 in Lishui, Zhejiang province. The announcement was made during a news conference on Sept 16.

Under the theme "Innovation Sparks Possibilities", this year's event emphasizes public participation and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage. 

Unlike previous events, the opening ceremony will take the form of an open-air exhibition-performance, combining street art displays with fixed booths to highlight Lishui's intangible cultural heritage projects.

The festival is characterized by five ideas: openness to the public, increased international reach, academic depth, industrial exploration, and multicultural integration.

By the submission deadline, the event had received 36,123 works from 2,418 photographers and institutions worldwide, covering 1,729 exhibitions. Participating contributors include prestigious international organizations such as the FORMAT International Photography Festival and Parsons School of Design, as well as 105 domestic and international universities.

Since its start in 2015, the International Photography Symposium has become an important platform for academic exchange. This year's symposium is set to invite about 20 international experts.

Before the press conference, the China Photographers Association and the Lishui municipal people's government signed a cooperation agreement to co-host a series of photography events from 2025 to 2034. The collaboration aims to further establish Lishui as an international hub for photography.

A poster for the 6th International Photography Symposium and 2025 Lishui Photography Festival. [Photo/2025 Lishui Photography Festival]