THE PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY
Go beyond the view
Create environmental portraits among the Xuan Paper Museum's white walls, Guangde's industrial settings, Qishu Lake's autumn woodland, Hongcun's lanes, Tachuan and Jichuan in She County.
Portraits at the Xuan Paper Museum
Use white curved walls, reflections and layered spaces for high-key environmental portraits at the Xuan Paper Museum.
Industrial settings in Guangde
Create portraits using industrial textures and changing light around Lacasa Coal Silo Café and the old mining and railway settings.
Southern Anhui autumn and villages
Photograph autumn reflections, white walls and dark tiles, and village portraits at Qishu Lake, Hongcun, Tachuan and Jichuan. Autumn color and mist depend on conditions.
The journey in pictures
Photographers linked to this route: Ling Zi →
Itinerary images · Select a photo to enlarge
PHOTOGRAPHY LEADERS
A different way of seeing
Ling Zi
Specializes in filmmaking, writing and directing, production, planning, documentary photography, portraiture and landscapes. Gold award in the folk customs category of the 4th Asia-Pacific Cup International Photography Art Exhibition. She has extensive experience directing and producing promotional films and documentaries, and leads photography trips within China and overseas each year. Her photography post-production training has included more than 400 sessions and 20,000 participant attendances for organizations including the Futian urban management bureau, the water group, the Nanshan publicity department, the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration, Peking University's MBA program, the Hangcheng, Xixiang, Yutang and Taoyuan community offices, the Guangming New District Photography Association and the Shenzhen Senior Photographers Association.
THE DAYS AHEAD
A rhythm shaped by light
DAY 01Nov 22 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 1: November 22 | Your departure city–Xuan Paper Museum
Arrive in Jing County and check into the hotel; photography arrangements depend on arrival time.
Accommodation:Jing County; hotel awaits operator confirmation.
DAY 02Nov 23 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 2: November 23 | Full-day photography at the China Xuan Paper Museum and nearby areas
High-key architectural art portraits
Accommodation:Jing County; hotel awaits operator confirmation.
DAY 03Nov 24 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 3: November 24 | Guangde · Lacasa Coal Silo Café: a full day of industrial-style photography
Photograph the old coal silos, railway tracks, industrial walls and tunnels, along with close-ups in the cafés. Explore portraits around the former mining areas, railway lines and platforms, using both front lighting and backlighting. In the evening, head towards Hongcun and Qishu Lake.
Accommodation:guesthouse near Hongcun/Qishu Lake
DAY 04Nov 25 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 4: November 25 | Full day at Qishu Lake · Morning mist and autumn forests
Early morning: Photograph portraits in the mist around Qishu Lake, using wooden bridges, distant mountains, autumn grasses and reflections of dawn redwoods and bald cypresses. Afternoon: Visit Hongcun to photograph South Lake, Moon Pond, horse-head gables and the light in the lanes. Evening: Return to Qishu Lake for sunset and colorful skies.
Accommodation:Qishu Lake/Hongcun
DAY 05Nov 26 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 5: November 26 | Environmental portraits amid Tachuan’s autumn scenery
Morning: Photograph Tachuan's autumn scenery, including terraced fields, red leaves, white walls, dark roof tiles and cooking smoke. Around noon, head to She County and check in. Spend the afternoon photographing Jichuan Village.
Accommodation:Near She County; hotel awaits operator confirmation.
DAY 06Nov 27 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 6: November 27 | Jichuan, She County
Morning: Visit Jichuan, also known as Persimmon Village. Photograph fruit-laden branches against white walls and dark roof tiles, along with portraits of the harvest. The trip ends in the afternoon.
Trip staff
- Photography leader · Ling Zi
- Up to 5 travelers
- IncludedPhotography instruction, accompanying photography, photo editing, service and full-trip logistics planning.
View trip staffing details
Photography leader · Ling Zi Up to 5 travelers Included · Photography instruction, accompanying photography, photo editing, service and full-trip logistics planning. Included · Before departure: The logistics team purchases travel insurance, books hotels, and organizes and plans the itinerary, giving everyone an overall understanding of the photography journey;
Transport
- ExcludedRound-trip transport between your departure city and the destination;
- ExcludedChartered transport during the trip, paid separately on a shared basis.
Travel details and reference schedules
Reference services for this trip: [Departing Shenzhen] Outbound: November 22 | Shenzhen–Wuhu | ZH8981 / 07:10 / 09:15 Return: November 27 | Huangshan North–Shenzhen North | G901 / 16:21 / 21:31 [Departing Guangzhou] Outbound: November 22 | Guangzhou–Wuhu | CZ3315 / 06:35 / 08:45 Return: November 27 | Huangshan North–Guangzhou East | G3087 / 15:35 / 21:03 Before booking transport, please confirm the departure and travel arrangements through this website. These services are for reference and do not constitute confirmed group transport. Final services and meeting times await operator confirmation.
Photography
- Portraits at the Xuan Paper Museum
- Industrial settings in Guangde
- Southern Anhui autumn and villages
Photography details
Portraits at the Xuan Paper Museum Use white curved walls, reflections and layered spaces for high-key environmental portraits at the Xuan Paper Museum. Industrial settings in Guangde Create portraits using industrial textures and changing light around Lacasa Coal Silo Café and the old mining and railway settings. Southern Anhui autumn and villages Photograph autumn reflections, white walls and dark tiles, and village portraits at Qishu Lake, Hongcun, Tachuan and Jichuan. Autumn color and mist depend on conditions. Portraits at the Xuan Paper Museum Industrial settings in Guangde Southern Anhui autumn and villages Included · Photography instruction, accompanying photography, photo editing, service and full-trip logistics planning. Included · Before departure: The logistics team purchases travel insurance, books hotels, and organizes and plans the itinerary, giving everyone an overall understanding of the photography journey; Included · During the trip: An accompanying travel photographer photographs you on location, records the beautiful scenery, and captures your memorable travel portraits!
Accommodation
- 5 nights
- IncludedBefore departure: The logistics team purchases travel insurance, books hotels, and organizes and plans the itinerary, giving everyone an overall understanding of the photography journey;
- ExcludedAccommodation throughout in twin rooms. Anyone requesting single occupancy throughout must pay an additional supplement;
Accommodation details
Day 1: Jing County; hotel awaits operator confirmation. Day 2: Jing County; hotel awaits operator confirmation. Day 3: guesthouse near Hongcun/Qishu Lake Day 4: Qishu Lake/Hongcun Day 5: Near She County; hotel awaits operator confirmation. Final hotels and stay arrangements await operator confirmation. Day 1 · 2026-11-22 Jing County; hotel awaits operator confirmation. Day 2 · 2026-11-23 Jing County; hotel awaits operator confirmation. Day 3 · 2026-11-24 guesthouse near Hongcun/Qishu Lake Day 4 · 2026-11-25 Qishu Lake/Hongcun Day 5 · 2026-11-26 Near She County; hotel awaits operator confirmation.
Meals
- ExcludedMeals within the itinerary;
Visa
- To be confirmed by the operator
A CLEAR PICTURE
Know what is included
Platform reservation deposit
per travelerThis deposit is credited toward your trip total. It is the first payment when booking through this platform; the balance is shown at checkout.
Public prices may change. Checkout quotes expire at a stated time; your confirmed order records its price and payment deadlines.
Included
Photography instruction, accompanying photography, photo editing, service and full-trip logistics planning.
Before departure: The logistics team purchases travel insurance, books hotels, and organizes and plans the itinerary, giving everyone an overall understanding of the photography journey;
During the trip: An accompanying travel photographer photographs you on location, records the beautiful scenery, and captures your memorable travel portraits!
Complimentary travel insurance throughout.
Not included
Round-trip transport between your departure city and the destination;
Meals within the itinerary;
Chartered transport during the trip, paid separately on a shared basis.
Admission tickets listed in the itinerary;
Accommodation throughout in twin rooms. Anyone requesting single occupancy throughout must pay an additional supplement;
Other additional service fees not listed;
In exceptional circumstances involving force majeure, such as natural disasters, war, strikes, or airline delays or cancellations, the organizing team reserves the right to cancel or alter the itinerary. Additional expenses, including extended accommodation abroad, meals, transport, or national airfare adjustments, may be charged based on the actual additional expenditure incurred. We will nevertheless do everything within our ability to minimise participants' losses;
Tax is excluded; the applicable invoice tax must be paid additionally if an invoice is required.
This is a shared-expense trip. Transport, meals, accommodation, guides, staged photography and supplies are paid separately and shared by participants. All participants share the instructor’s trip expenses, including the instructor’s meals and accommodation even when a participant skips a meal or overnight stay. The displayed amount covers photography instruction, accompanying photography, photo editing, service and logistics planning, excluding these shared travel expenses.
BEFORE YOU GO
What to know before you go
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, the USD 100 deposit per traveler is nonrefundable. The percentages below apply to the rest of the amount you paid.
The deposit is charged immediately and counts toward your total. Your 72-hour balance window starts when both the departure and third-party availability for your order are confirmed. Authorize the balance by the deadline shown on your order. Repeated confirmations or notifications do not extend it. Your card is charged after a 48-hour cooling-off period. Cancellation during that period releases the authorization; the deposit is nonrefundable. If no places are available, confirmation times out or the operator cancels, all amounts charged are refunded.
- At least 120 days before departure: 100% refund.
- At least 90 days before departure: 90% refund.
- At least 60 days before departure: 60% refund.
- At least 30 days before departure: 30% refund.
- At least 0 days before departure: 0% refund.
Days before departure are calculated in the destination time zone. The highest day threshold you qualify for determines the refund percentage. Cancellations on the departure date and no-shows receive no refund. If the operator cancels the departure, all amounts charged for active bookings are refunded.
Availability confirmation deadline: 2026-11-20 16:00:00 (UTC · UTC+00:00)
Policy version: reservation-v2Shared expenses and services
Participants pay and share travel expenses separately, including transport, meals, accommodation, guides, staged photography and supplies. Everyone shares the instructor's expenses throughout the trip and must contribute to the instructor's meals and accommodation, even if they skip a meal or overnight stay themselves. The displayed amount covers photography instruction, photography of participants during the trip, photo editing, support and logistics planning. It does not include these shared travel expenses.
Availability and booking
Let us know if you’re interested in this trip. Availability is not updated in real time, so please contact us to check whether the trip is confirmed, how many places are available, and the final total and booking terms.
Trip information
[Transport] 1. Flights arranged by the organizing team use economy-class group tickets. Before tickets are issued, check the airline's rules for changes and refunds. 2. Flight, road and boat journey times may vary with conditions on the day. 3. The airlines and flight times listed are for guidance only. Flight changes may require minor adjustments to the itinerary. Please follow the final trip details sent before departure. [Accommodation] Accommodation is arranged for two people sharing a room. We'll try to match solo travelers with a roommate of the same gender. If you prefer not to share, or no roommate is available, you must pay a single supplement for your own room. [Group meals] We aim to serve meals suited to Chinese tastes. We make sure everyone has enough to eat. [Photography] 1. Photography sessions follow the itinerary, but conditions on the day may affect how long we spend at each location. 2. Read the itinerary carefully and choose a trip that suits your health and circumstances. Skipping part of the itinerary for health or other personal reasons, or choosing not to use the arranged accommodation or transport, counts as voluntary withdrawal from those arrangements. You are responsible for your own safety while not taking part in the itinerary. 3. Stay with the group during photography sessions unless you have permission to leave. This does not apply during free time. The organizing team is not responsible for accidents that occur while you are away from the group. 4. Typhoons, blizzards or other events beyond our control may require changes to the itinerary. [Fuel surcharges] The organizing team reserves the right to adjust the amount payable if fluctuations in global oil markets lead to a substantial rise in fuel surcharges. If the team can absorb the increase, the amount payable will remain unchanged. [Before departure] 1. We'll send your final trip details no later than the day before departure. If arrangements are confirmed sooner, we'll let you know as soon as possible. 2. If the online itinerary differs from the final trip details sent before departure, the final trip details take precedence. [Optional activities at your own expense] Under the Tourism Law provisions prohibiting travel agencies from arranging optional paid activities, please contact the provider directly for details, charges and bookings if you wish to take part. If you need language assistance from a guide or tour leader, any help is provided in a personal capacity, whether paid or unpaid. It is not provided on behalf of the organizing team or the local tour operator. The organizing team is not involved in the payments, transactions or service standards for activities during free time. You are responsible for the outcome of those arrangements.
Image credits
Images above were taken by the organizing team’s instructor Ling Zi.
Itinerary notes
Photography locations, accommodations and transportation are subject to final confirmation before departure. Weather and local conditions may affect the itinerary.
Itinerary dates use Beijing time (Asia/Shanghai). Flight, transfer and other times follow the time zone stated for each location. Please confirm any time without a stated time zone before departure.