Fleet of taxis shows off scenes from China

Photos from mobile phone contest show 'fast-modernizing country that still retains its cultural identity'

A fleet of 50 London taxis began showcasing images of China on Oct 18, one day before President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United Kingdom. The images, affixed to the taxis' exteriors, are a blend of iconic Chinese scenes and London's landmarks and streets.

The photos were chosen from the Geely Cup 2015 Amazing China Mobile Phone Photo Contest organized by China Daily and sponsored by the Chinese international auto manufacturing company Geely Holding Group.

The launch ceremony was held at London's Chinatown, grabbing the attention of the Chinese community and international tourists in one of Europe's busiest Chinatowns.

"As you can see from the images displayed on these four London taxis, the results have provided an astonishing window on China, a fast-modernizing country that still retains its cultural identity and reflects its glorious history," said Gao Anming, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, at the ceremony.

The contest identified 100 photographs of some of China's great views and natural beauty to be displayed on the taxis for one month, including Xi's visit to the UK from Oct 19 to 23. More than 8,000 photos were submitted for judging.

Newlywed Sun Yinghao, a 25-year-old Chinese startup entrepreneur, was taking photographs with his wife, Zhang Yang, in front of Big Ben when he saw one of the taxis pass by.

"My wife and I both work in London. The taxi was so beautiful, and we were thrilled by the sight of a Chinese element to go along with the president's visit to London," Sun says.

The selected photos were also shown on commercial screens in the city's subway stations on Oct 19.

The launch ceremony was attended by Hu Pinghua, wife of Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming, and Michael Bates, a member of the House of Lords and minister of state at the Home Office and a member of the Privy Council.

The contest was launched in August in Beijing to show the world the beauty of China as captured through the lens of mobile phones. It was part of the China-UK Year of Cultural Exchange.

The contest was also supported by the cultural office of the Chinese embassy in Britain and curated by Chinalink London.

Jury members included Wang Wenlan, deputy chairman of the China Photography Association; Michael Pritchard, director-general of the British Royal Photographic Society; Colin Sheaf, head of Asian art at Bonhams Auctions; and Yang Xueliang, public relations director at Geely.

Yang says that Geely hopes the contest will help more people appreciate the beautiful scenery, people and culture of China.

Contact the writers throughtuoyannan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/23/2015 page8)