Photography enthusiasts explore an exhibition at the Lishui Photography Festival. [Photo/IC]

The 6th International Photography Symposium and the 2025 Lishui Photography Festival are currently taking place in Lishui, Zhejiang province, running from Nov 7 to 11. This event highlights the city's more than two decades of commitment to the photographic arts.

This year's festival breaks new ground in scale, featuring a record 1,335 exhibition units and 18,531 selected works, further solidifying its significance on the global visual arts stage.

The festival serves as a vital platform for international dialogue, featuring a diverse lineup. A major highlight is the personal retrospective of world-renowned master Thomas Ruff at the Lishui Photography Culture Center, showcasing 18 series from his 40-year career, including the Chinese debut of his latest work, Experiences Lumineuses.

The event also features a special exhibition titled Language is a Skin, which presents cross-media experiments by 16 emerging image creators from Parsons School of Design in the United States.

Other notable contributions include an invitation show with artists from the United Kingdom's FORMAT International Photography Festival and a joint exhibition involving international sister cities.

The event attracts both established professionals and emerging local talent. Brian Smith, a Canadian photographer with 43 years of experience, said that Lishui possesses a rich photographic culture.

For young creators, the festival serves as an invaluable source of inspiration, showcasing more than 2,000 works by students from 13 international universities at the Guyan Huaxiang Art Center.

The accompanying symposium has gathered around 20 global experts. An innovative opening ceremony — featuring street performances that showcase intangible cultural heritage — has provided vibrant material for photographers worldwide. The festival is now sharing Lishui's unique story through the universal language of photography.