[Photos] One city, one dynasty: China’s travel photography sells dynastic dreams

(Edited and refined by Candice Chan, with the assistance of AI translation.
All photos courtesy of Ng Kong Ling, except where otherwise stated.)

Before heading to Fenghuang old town, I reread “Border Town” and several essays on western Hunan by the Chinese author Shen Congwen. All imagination and anticipation, I finally arrived — only to find that it was already night, and I would be leaving early the next morning.

But a friend from the travel agency said the whole point was to stay overnight in the old town, since Fenghuang is most beautiful after dark, and the best way to enjoy it would be to sit by the river at a bar with a drink, listening to music. Coming here for Shen Congwen? I was being a nerd, removed from the vibrant world before me.

Trend-watching friends in the industry recommended the latest fun activity. The highlight of Fenghuang is not just admiring its night scene, but being a part of it, by doing travel photography amid the bright lights of the ancient town at night.

Such so-called “travel photography” is not just casual snapshots to record one’s travels, but complete service packages that are emerging across China’s tourist destinations: from providing costumes suited to the setting, and professional makeup and hairstyling to photography, post-production editing, and even video creation with music and effects.

Tourists no longer just look at scenery, but are placed in it as part of the picture. This new, highly visual trend caters to the social media era and has surged in popularity over the past few years, thriving in ancient towns and scenic areas throughout China.

I first came across costume photography in Jiangsu in 2019. In Xuzhou, the birthplace of Han culture, during a Han cultural festival, I saw modern urban streets filled with visitors dressed in hanfu, as if reenacting a time-travel costume drama. I thought it was a unique feature of a particular city and festival.

But later in Suzhou, classical beauties in traditional attire filled the quaint bridges and flowing waterways. After visiting several more scenic spots, I noticed that the best photo locations were always occupied, and I gradually realised that costume photography was not cosplay, but had become a permanent feature of tourist sites.

Travel photography services are not new. Even in the previous century when cameras were not yet as common, photographers would set up simple stalls in scenic spots to take souvenir photos for travellers without cameras. Even today, with everyone carrying a smartphone, such services still exist, with photo platforms, exclusive backdrops and aerial angles enhancing the classic “I was here” snapshot.

But professional travel photography goes a step further. It evolved from high-end wedding photography and is generally believed to have started in Lijiang old town, a Mecca for wedding shoots.

The rise of social media has changed the way people share their travels. With landscape photos all looking the same, attention has shifted away from the scenery to the self within the scenery. Taking selfies may seem easy, but taking nice ones is not. Wedding studios have seized the opportunity to pivot, expanding their clientele from newlyweds to couples, families, young women, and anyone who wants to be well photographed during their travels.

In Lijiang, videos of visitors dressed in Naxi costumes against the backdrop of the old town have gone viral, attracting bloggers and influencers in droves as “Naxi girls” in heavy makeup fill the streets. Travel photography has been elevated from a simple service to a social event in costumes, spreading across China’s scenic spots and even its streets.

Even in the Suzhou gardens, bursting with tourists during the holidays, winding pathways streaming with the crowd, people still managed to conjure up angles that captured a serenity of their own. In faraway Shangri-La, the stone-paved alleys lining the newly restored ancient town were filled with travel photography studios. Most people wearing vibrant Tibetan attire were not Tibetans; surrounded by photography crews, they seemed to have stepped onto a film set by mistake.

Travel photography has become a must-do in Chinese tourism and has gradually gained popularity among overseas visitors. Some hotels now offer costume rental services or include a photography session as part of the stay. Recently, tour groups to China also arrange travel photography experiences in response to travellers’ requests.

In 2025, on a group tour to Tibet, one stop was the internet-famous photography spot known as Han Di Ba Cong (旱地拔葱, lit. “pulling scallions out of dry land”), a name that told me nothing. It turned out photographers shot from a mountaintop, using lens techniques to create the visual effect of plucking the Potala Palace out of barren land. After the images went viral on social media, any corner of the city with a view of the Potala Palace was turned into a photography site, spawning a mature business ecosystem.

Our shoot location was a cafe with an outdoor terrace facing the Potala Palace. Two raised platforms were specially built for customers to “pull the scallion”. The photographer directed poses: arms raised high, hands clasped, making a heart sign, waving the national flag — every gesture was second nature, and the shoot was smooth and well-practised. When the video came out, everyone admired and critiqued it. The conclusion: it was a pity there was not enough time, and we hadn’t changed into Tibetan costumes, so the experience felt incomplete.

For every missed chance, there is another opportunity, all the more so with travel photography flourishing everywhere. And Fenghuang old town is one of the most iconic examples of this trend.

In 2019, videos of visitors in Miao attire against the backdrop of Fenghuang old town went viral on social media, as views and shares rapidly jumped, and the town became a key location that sparked the travel photography boom as such services exploded and shops and operators grew, becoming its most visible commercial presence.

Why Fenghuang old town? It is a Miao ethnic settlement, and compared to traditional hanfu or other ethnic attire, Miao-style silver jewellery and embroidery create stronger visual impact, perfect for short-video costume transitions. Moreover, the spaces of the old town itself are made for photography, as the reflections of both banks on the water of the Tuo River create layered water-and-land compositions, rustic and elegant by day and glittering with colour by night. One outfit for photographs in two distinct styles — even more value for money.

With growing demand, Fenghuang’s travel photography services have also diversified, going from high-end customisation at first to becoming a mass-market complement to scenic spots. Prices and options are up to the buyer, and travel photography is no longer a niche novelty, but is quietly taken to be part of the itinerary. Visitors here all choose a set of Miao attire to get some photos as souvenirs; to visit Fenghuang without doing travel photography is to miss out on something.

We came to the old town on a group tour, which included the cost of a Miao costume change; makeup, hairstyling, photography, and editing cost extra, with many different packages for the number of photos taken and selected. My companion and I took the budget approach of just the free costume, saving where possible on the other stuff.

The travel photography shop was in our hotel. I have never been too concerned about appearances; the experience was what mattered. I picked a bright, easy-to-wear Miao blouse and slipped it on, while my more image-conscious companion picked carefully through the racks. The lady boss took one look and unhesitatingly selected an elaborate Miao outfit for her, off-shoulder and backless, while the temperature outside was just 10°C. After a moment’s hesitation, she bravely accepted the challenge of wanting to look good over keeping warm. Coming out after changing, with elegant light makeup and long hair flowing naturally, she needed no additional styling. With a layered silver headdress on, she looked every bit the radiant Miao village girl.

Should we head out directly for dinner and a stroll dressed like this? A brief hesitation, then a thought: as long as we don’t feel awkward, the awkwardness is on others. When the entire town is dressed like that, wearing costumes becomes normal.

Fenghuang old town stretches along the Tuo River, with the riverbank right outside our hotel. As night fell, group after group of visitors followed staff onto the streets. The river lit up, and professional teams arrived in force, complete with lighting technicians and equipment, as the powerful lights made it feel like daytime. Various teams occupied their own corners, like an open-air film studio.

It was a weekend, yet the old town was less crowded than expected. Perhaps because this was downstream, away from the bustling core, so there were fewer shoppers, which made it heaven for those after travel photography. Travel photography shops dotted the riverside at short intervals, while every corner that lent itself to photos had photography crews freeze-framing the scene for Miao-clad visitors.

We had no team and avoided crowds and hotspots, strolling in our own quiet corner. The old town was especially radiant at night. Even without professional lighting and equipment, our mobile phone cameras were sufficient. We stood casually on the stone-paved paths, with bridges, lanterns, rippling water and reflections as a backdrop. No crew meant no interference, and we walked and photographed at our own pace, relaxed and content.

Travel photography had shifted our perspective; the highlight was no longer the site itself. The scenes from Shen Congwen’s writing, the image of Cuicui from his novella Border Town, did not match what we previously imagined. We no longer felt like going to the locations in the old town we previously planned to see.

Is photography in travel meant for us to record what we see, or to express ourselves? When the lens is turned back to the self, all “must-see” attractions recede into blurred backgrounds.

Stripped of noise, the Tuo River shimmered dreamlike in half-light, half-shadow. Walking in the night, clad in finery, my companion’s silver ornaments chimed softly, swaying in graceful rhythm. I did not have to look elsewhere for beautiful scenery, as the most beautiful Cuicui was right beside me. One fleeting night in Fenghuang — yet it left the most beautiful images of this journey.

Travel photography has expanded from ancient towns to mountains, rivers, and everyday alleys, from fixed hotel and scenic shoots to roadside costume rentals. Each place has its own aesthetics: some depict people through scenery; others bring one into the scenery through role playing. Travel photography may seem to be about photographing people, but what it really captures is how a city imagines itself.

Lijiang: Naxi costume; short-video friendly; birthplace of travel photography; mature commercial system.

Fenghuang old town: Miao attire and silver ornaments; enhanced by night views and waterfront; strong visual impact.

Shangri-La: Tibetan costume; rich colors; exotic and sacred atmosphere coexist.

Suzhou: Jiangnan water-town elegance; Hanfu or qipao; subtle and restrained.

Hangzhou: Song-style and new Chinese aesthetics; literati taste; emphasis on mood and negative space.

Xi’an: Flourishing Tang dynasty grandeur; bold makeup; theatrical presence.

Nanjing: Qinhuai River night scenes and Hanfu boat rides; gentle historical imagination.

Beijing: Palace role-play; princess and prince themes; strong historical immersion.

Chengdu: Sichuan opera elements and teahouse settings; everyday vibrancy with cultural symbols.

Pingyao old town: Ming- and Qing-dynasty streets and city walls; rich historical atmosphere.

Which will you choose?

This article was first published in Lianhe Zaobao as “凤凰古城引爆旅拍热潮 这些景点让你秒变“古装美人””.

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