01 / THE PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY
Go beyond the view.
Photograph birch woodland, rolling grasslands and autumn light around Beigou, Wucai Mountain and Aobaotu. A staged galloping-horse session and returning-herd photography offer practice with front light, backlight and movement. Timing depends on weather and local conditions. Visit Princess Lake, Panlong Canyon, Hamaba and Toufeng Gully for reflections, valleys, sunrise and sunset. Morning mist depends on the weather.
Birch forests and autumn grasslands
Photograph birch woodland, rolling grasslands and autumn light around Beigou, Wucai Mountain and Aobaotu.
Galloping horses and herds
A staged galloping-horse session and returning-herd photography offer practice with front light, backlight and movement. Timing depends on weather and local conditions.
Lakes, valleys and changing light
Visit Princess Lake, Panlong Canyon, Hamaba and Toufeng Gully for reflections, valleys, sunrise and sunset. Morning mist depends on the weather.
The journey in pictures
Leading photographers: Chuzhong Huang →
Destination illustrations · select a photo to explore
02 / IN GOOD COMPANY
A different way of seeing.
Leading photographers
Chuzhong Huang · View photographer profile →
Chuzhong Huang
03 / THE DAYS AHEAD
A rhythm shaped by light.
Shooting locations, accommodation and transport are subject to confirmation before departure and may change with the weather.
Note: The itinerary may be adjusted according to weather or force majeure.
Itinerary dates and text times without their own zone use: Beijing · Asia/Shanghai。Exact times use your selected timezone; dates alone and descriptions such as “morning” are not converted.
DAY 01Sep 28 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiChifeng arrival–Ulan Butong
Arrive at Chifeng Airport for dedicated pickup, then take a tour coach to Bashang. After passing Saihanba, enter Ulan Butong's Bashang Grassland and stay at a hotel in the military horse farm area that night.
Accommodation:Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 02Sep 29 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiFilm location–Beigou–Wucai Mountain
Morning: Depart at 4:00 for sunrise at the film location, a classic Bashang viewpoint, photographing Beigou sunrise or, with luck, morning mist. This distinctly European-looking grassland has served as an outdoor location for many films and television series. White Mongolian tents appear through ethereal mist while scattered horses stroll on meadows. After sunrise, photograph Beigou's birch woods, flowering crabapple thickets, flower-filled upland grasslands, clear blue Wild Duck Lake, and scenery along Five-Colored Mountain. Afternoon: Photograph light through birch forests and grassland scenery. In good weather, first arrange the galloping-horses scene. Horse photography on Bashang requires skill: downhill charges and level-ground galloping demand different techniques. The leader arranges front-lit and backlit runs and varied lighting angles. Backlit herds, flowing manes, and flying hooves create a powerful spectacle. Photograph horse-herder silhouettes in evening glow until sunset.
Accommodation:Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 03Sep 30 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiAobaotu–Yangshubei–Hulunuori
Morning: Leave early for sunrise on Aobaotu's southern mountain, with cloud seas among rolling peaks and beautifully spaced birch forests. After sunrise, photograph light in the birches. Afternoon: Follow the Yangshubei–Hulunor route. Sunshine lays golden gauze across the land; cattle and sheep graze or stroll peacefully through dappled light. As the sun sets, evening glow outlines the herds in gold, merging them with magnificent clouds and boundless landscape in a beautiful pastoral homecoming.
Accommodation:Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 04Oct 1 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiPrincess Lake–Panlong Canyon–Hamaba
Morning: Leave early for sunrise at Princess Lake, photographing mist, reflected birches and cabins, and, with luck, cattle, sheep, and horses drinking. Continue to Panlong Canyon to photograph the Salike River winding with the mountains like a dragon through the valley, its course lined with lush vegetation and flowers. Return to the Bashang hotel at an appropriate time for a midday rest. Afternoon: Photograph Hamaba panoramas and broad landscapes at Hamaba Reservoir, whose clear mirrorlike water reflects blue skies, white clouds, green hills, and trees. Rustic villages below the slopes and scattered wooden-fenced livestock pens create a simple, natural setting. Photograph cattle and sheep returning from pasture until sunset.
Accommodation:Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 05Oct 2 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiToufeng Gully–Nanjing–Songshujingzi
Morning: Leave early for sunrise in Toufeng Gully: rolling peaks in light and shadow, a blue river winding through the canyon, and dead but standing birches in the water conveying age. Then visit Nanjing to photograph cattle and sheep leaving for pasture, rustic villages with curling cooking smoke, and linear wheat fields stirred by morning breezes. Afternoon: Visit Songshujingzi for sunset, photographing light in birch forests and cattle, sheep, and horses scattered around rolling hills en route.
Accommodation:Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefDAY 06Oct 3 · Beijing · Asia/ShanghaiUlan Butong–Chifeng departure
Check out after breakfast and return by coach to Chifeng Airport, concluding the six-day autumn photography trip.
Accommodation:Departure; no overnight stay planned
Final arrangements follow the operator’s departure briefWhere we stay
Planned overnight arrangements; bookings, room types and hotel standards are to be confirmed. Day 1: Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed Day 2: Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed Day 3: Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed Day 4: Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed Day 5: Hotel in the Ulan Butong military horse farm area; property and continued stay to be confirmed Day 6: Departure; no overnight stay planned
Getting there
These are reference flights, not mandatory services. Confirm group operation, transfers and connections before booking. September 28: Guangzhou–Shijiazhuang CZ3183, 10:25–13:10; Shijiazhuang–Chifeng GS6675, 15:20–16:50. October 3: Chifeng–Qingdao GS6651, 15:20–16:40; Qingdao–Guangzhou CZ5900, 18:45–21:55. Coach transfers are planned for arrival and departure days, with three participants per off-road vehicle for four days in Bashang.
04 / A CLEAR PICTURE
Know what is included.
Platform service fee to be confirmed
Deposit USD 298.61 Original CNY 2,000 · Reference rates 2026-09-18 · Frankfurter / person
Included
Accommodation throughout;
Four days in Bashang with three people per SUV, plus coaches for the two arrival/departure days;
Admission to Ulan Butong and Hamaba scenic areas;
One staged galloping-horses session and cattle-and-sheep homecoming photography fees;
Photography instruction and services from the instructor throughout;
Insurance.
Not included
Round-trip major transportation;
Main meals, shared equally;
An unmatched male or female traveler, or anyone requesting a private room, must pay a full-trip single supplement;
Natural disasters, war, strikes, flight delays or cancellations may require itinerary changes or cancellation. Additional accommodation, meals and transport are settled according to actual expenses, with efforts to minimize participants’ losses.
Other additional service fees not listed;
Service fees, supplements, taxes and the final total are subject to written confirmation.
05 / BEFORE YOU GO
Clarity before departure.
Availability and registration
Register your interest in this trip. Group operation, availability, total payment and booking terms are to be confirmed with the operator.
Cancellation and breach provisions
Participants and the organizing team may give written notice before departure to terminate the trip agreement. If notice is given more than 7 days before departure, calculated as the difference in calendar days between departure and receipt of the termination notice, neither party is liable for breach provided no actual expenses have been incurred, such as flight or high-speed rail tickets booked with both parties' knowledge. For later termination, the party terminating the agreement bears liability for breach. [Liability of the organizing team] If we notify participants within 7 days of departure that the group cannot operate, we will refund all fees and pay compensation. For notice given 7 to 4 days before departure, including day 7, compensation is 10% of the total trip fee; for 3 to 1 days before departure, 15%; and on the departure date, 20%. [Participant liability] Participants cancelling within 7 to 4 days before departure, including day 7, must pay us a business-loss charge under the following schedule: 50% of the total trip fee for cancellation 7 to 4 days before departure; 60% for 3 to 1 days before departure; and 80% on the departure date. If these percentages do not cover our actual losses, the participant must compensate the actual losses, up to the total trip fee.
Trip information
[Registration] Registration for this trip is confirmed upon receipt of the deposit. [Transport] 1. Flights booked by the organizing team are economy-class group tickets. Once issued, they cannot be endorsed to another carrier or refunded. 2. Actual flight, driving and boat travel times on the day apply. 3. Airlines and flight schedules above are for reference only. Changes to flight times may require minor itinerary adjustments; the departure notice takes precedence. [Accommodation] The amount is based on 2 people sharing 1 room. We will try to pair solo participants with another participant of the same gender. Participants who do not wish to share, or cannot be matched, must pay the single supplement for a room of their own. [Group meals] We try to choose meals suited to Chinese tastes and ensure that every guest receives an adequate portion. [Photography] 1. Photography activities follow the itinerary. In exceptional circumstances, time spent photographing each location will depend on the actual conditions that day. 2. Please read this itinerary carefully and choose a photography trip suited to your circumstances. If you give up part of the itinerary for personal reasons, including health, or request to forgo accommodation or transport, this is considered voluntary withdrawal. expenses already incurred are non-refundable. You are responsible for your personal safety while not participating in the itinerary. 3. Participants may not leave the group without permission during group photography activities, except during free time. Leaving partway through the trip is considered a breach by the participant. Unused photography activities, meals, accommodation and vehicle services are non-refundable, and the organizing team is not responsible for accidents occurring while the participant is away from the group. 4. If force majeure events such as typhoons or blizzards prevent travel according to the agreed itinerary, additional or reduced expenses following changes will be settled according to the travel agency's actual group operating expenses. [amount adjustments] the organizing team reserves the right to adjust amount if major fluctuations in international fuel markets cause substantial increases in fuel surcharges. If the increase is within what we can absorb, the trip fee will not be adjusted. [Departure notice] 1. The departure notice will be sent no later than 1 day before departure. If arrangements are confirmed earlier, we will notify you as soon as possible. 2. If the online itinerary differs from the departure notice, the departure notice takes precedence. [Optional activities at your own expense] Under the Tourism Law provisions prohibiting travel agencies from organizing or arranging optional activities at additional expenses, guests wishing to join such activities should contact the service provider themselves for information, amount and participation. If language difficulties lead you to ask a guide or tour leader for additional assistance, any paid or unpaid help is provided solely in that person's individual capacity, not on behalf of the organizing team or the local receiving agency. the organizing team has no involvement in the expenses, transaction amount or service standards of free-time activities; guests bear the outcomes themselves. The photographs above were taken by the photography instructors.
Fitness, equipment and conditions
Equipment and fitness requirements will be provided by the operator.
