THE PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY
Go beyond the view
Photograph grasslands, ridges, wind turbines and allium flowers at Ertaipo and Dajiucaiping, subject to flowering and weather conditions. Photograph the plateau lake, reeds and distant hills along the wetland shore. Photograph dawn and dusk across the grasslands and mountain scenery around Tianchi and Changhaizi.
Asilixi grasslands and flowers
Photograph grasslands, ridges, wind turbines and allium flowers at Ertaipo and Dajiucaiping, subject to flowering and weather conditions.
Weining Caohai
Photograph the plateau lake, reeds and distant hills along the wetland shore.
Wumeng Grassland
Photograph dawn and dusk across the grasslands and mountain scenery around Tianchi and Changhaizi.
The journey in pictures
Photographers linked to this route: Jiawei Jiang →
Itinerary images · Select a photo to enlarge
PHOTOGRAPHY LEADERS
A different way of seeing
Jiawei Jiang
Specializes in landscape and drone aerial photography. He has traveled independently to more than 200 cities and regions across China to create photographic work. These include Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, Yunnan, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Chongqing, Guangxi, Hunan, Anhui, Hubei, Shandong, Heilongjiang, Beijing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hong Kong and Macao. His overseas destinations include Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam.
THE DAYS AHEAD
A rhythm shaped by light
DAY 01Sep 17 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 1: September 17 — Bijie–Asilixi Ertaipo Grassland
Arrive in Bijie by high-speed train and follow the self-drive loop at Asilixi Ertaipo, driving directly into the scenic area. Photograph Wave Road, Wanfeng viewpoint, cattle and sheep on meadows, and wind turbines, using side light to capture rolling grassland terrain. During golden hour, 16:00–19:00, photograph sunset and low-angle cloud seas; aerial photography is excellent here.
Accommodation:Inside the scenic area
DAY 02Sep 18 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 2: September 18 — Asilixi Dajiucaiping (Flowers in the Sky)
Enter off-peak in the morning and ascend by cable car. Follow a gentle circular wooden boardwalk through ten thousand mu of purple wild allium flowers, framing wind turbines with distant mountains. In mid-September, photograph front-lit flowers from 9:00–11:00, await cloud-and-light effects after noon, and shoot again in side light around 16:00. Descend and return to the hotel.
Accommodation:Inside the scenic area
DAY 03Sep 19 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 3: September 19 — Hezhang–Weining Caohai
Supplement your photographs with sunrise, cloud seas, and portraits among flowers in the morning. Check out and have lunch, then travel to Weining Caohai, arriving in the afternoon. Walk the lakeside ecological path, Yangguanshan/Baijiaju viewpoints, and reed-lined wetlands to photograph the plateau lake, light over Caohai and distant mountains, and wetland life;
Accommodation:Weining
DAY 04Sep 20 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 4: September 20 — Weining–Wumeng Grassland
Arrive before noon at Wumeng Grassland. Tianchi, Changhaizi Grassland, and Guanfotai photography positions are directly accessible by vehicle. In the afternoon, photograph grassland wind turbines, plateau lakes, and cattle and sheep using slow shutter speeds; toward evening, capture sunset over golden pastures.
Accommodation:Gu Aimeng luxury wilderness starry-sky tent camp or Shifang Yunshe cabins within the scenic area
DAY 05Sep 21 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiDay 5: September 21 — Wumeng Grassland–Liupanshui
Rise early for grassland mist or sunrise at Tianchi. In the morning, supplement front-lit grassland photographs and aerial panoramas. Leave the scenic area after lunch and transfer to the station, ending the trip.
Trip staff
- Photography leader · Jiawei Jiang
- Up to 12 travelers
- IncludedPhotography instruction, services and trip logistics planning.
View trip staffing details
Photography leader · Jiawei Jiang Up to 12 travelers Included · Photography instruction, services and trip logistics planning. Included · During the course: on-location guidance from the instructor to help participants achieve their photographs;
Transport
- ExcludedRound-trip transport between your departure city and the destination;
- ExcludedLocal vehicle expenses throughout the trip;
Travel details and reference schedules
Reference services for this trip: [Round trip from Guangzhou] Outbound: September 17: G3886 Guangzhou South–Bijie 06:30–11:48 Return: September 21: G3798 Liupanshui–Guangzhou South 15:16–21:34 Before booking transport, please confirm the departure and travel arrangements through this website. Services are for reference only. Final transport and meeting times await operator confirmation.
Photography
- Asilixi grasslands and flowers
- Weining Caohai
- Wumeng Grassland
Photography details
Asilixi grasslands and flowers Photograph grasslands, ridges, wind turbines and allium flowers at Ertaipo and Dajiucaiping, subject to flowering and weather conditions. Weining Caohai Photograph the plateau lake, reeds and distant hills along the wetland shore. Wumeng Grassland Photograph dawn and dusk across the grasslands and mountain scenery around Tianchi and Changhaizi. Asilixi grasslands and flowers Weining Caohai Wumeng Grassland Included · Photography instruction, services and trip logistics planning. Included · Before departure: assist with insurance, hotel reservations and itinerary planning; insurance and accommodation are paid separately. Included · During the course: on-location guidance from the instructor to help participants achieve their photographs; Included · During the course: themed sessions integrating theory and practice; Included · After the course: participants share and review their photographs, learn from one another and develop work they are happy with.
Accommodation
- 4 nights
- Hotel booking assistance is included; accommodation costs are paid separately.
- Cost detailsBefore departure: assist with insurance, hotel reservations and itinerary planning; insurance and accommodation are paid separately.
Accommodation details
Day 1: Inside the scenic area Day 2: Inside the scenic area Day 3: Weining Day 4: Gu Aimeng luxury wilderness starry-sky tent camp or Shifang Yunshe cabins within the scenic area Hotels and final stays await operator confirmation. Day 1 · 2026-09-17 Inside the scenic area Day 2 · 2026-09-18 Inside the scenic area Day 3 · 2026-09-19 Weining Day 4 · 2026-09-20 Gu Aimeng luxury wilderness starry-sky tent camp or Shifang Yunshe cabins within the scenic area 4 nights Hotel booking assistance is included; accommodation costs are paid separately. Cost details · Before departure: assist with insurance, hotel reservations and itinerary planning; insurance and accommodation are paid separately. Excluded · Accommodation throughout the trip;
Meals
- ExcludedMeals during the itinerary;
Visa
- To be confirmed by the operator
A CLEAR PICTURE
Know what is included
Public prices may change. Checkout quotes expire at a stated time; your confirmed order records its price and payment deadlines.
Included
Photography instruction, services and trip logistics planning.
Before departure: assist with insurance, hotel reservations and itinerary planning; insurance and accommodation are paid separately.
During the course: on-location guidance from the instructor to help participants achieve their photographs;
During the course: themed sessions integrating theory and practice;
After the course: participants share and review their photographs, learn from one another and develop work they are happy with.
Not included
Round-trip transport between your departure city and the destination;
Local vehicle expenses throughout the trip;
Accommodation throughout the trip;
Meals during the itinerary;
All participants must have travel accident insurance, purchased on their behalf by the organizing team;
Admission tickets listed in the itinerary;
Personal expenses;
Attractions or activities added outside the itinerary;
Other unspecified additional services and personal expenses.
Single-room supplements, additional local expenses and the final total must be confirmed in writing.
BEFORE YOU GO
What to know before you go
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. Flight, road and boat journey times may vary with conditions on the day. 2. The high-speed train times listed are for guidance only. Timetable changes may require minor adjustments to the itinerary. Please follow the final trip details sent before departure. [Accommodation] The total is based on 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.
Shared travel expenses
Participants pay and share other travel expenses, including transport, meals, accommodation, guides, staged photography, supplies and related items. 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.
Image credit
Selected images: former participant @Lingling.
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.