VOTENOW：LifeinChinaPhotographyContest

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Thank you to everyone who submitted their amazing photos for our Life in China Photography contest.

We received submissions of over 200 photographs with photographers from over 40 countries and we have now chosen the shortlist of 30 photos for the public vote.

How to Vote

Scroll down to view each photo in our shortlist and then at the bottom of the page vote for your selection.

Each person may vote once.

Winner will be announced on Expat Hub on August 21st.

Prizes

First place: 1000rmb + Trophy

Second place: 500rmb

Third Place: 300rmb

1. Alexey, Russia, Living in Beijing

"Hutong Guards decided that there might be a mouse in their booth. " Beijing, 2021.

"The story is very simple. Those two guys were sitting near their booth. I spotted the combination of those three red items and decided to take a photo. They were starring at me without understanding what and why I am doing. So they have decided I am photographing something inside their booth – as if there was a mouse so they decided to check and looked inside. "

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '1'

2. Jane Leong, Malaysia, Living in Shanghai.

"The epidemic leads most of the expats putting on ice for their home returning plan. So when I came across to Veranda (QiLou騎樓) in Haikou, Hainan, I couldn't help shedding tears.Those buildings in front of my eyes are so familiar to the ones back home. Perhaps it is the affinity that runs in my blood as a Chinese descendant. It seemed that I was finally home, and that I was back to Malaysia again after more than 400 days of homesickness. People come and go on the street. When will I be able to walk the streets of my hometown like they do?"

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '2'

3. Michael aka Panda, South Africa, Living in Beijing.

"This photograph was taken in Hemu Village, Kanas, Xinjiang. I took a solo trip to one of the most beautiful and interesting provinces in China and met some amazing people along the way. This picture captures, I think, the hidden beauty of China's most secretive places and it just makes me want to explore more of this amazing country. "

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '3'

4. Ro Chain, Spain, living in Beijing

"I've been living in Beijing for four years, in one of the hutongs. I find them very special. It's like living in the countryside in the very heart of this concrete jungle. As for me, the most important thing is its people. My old neighbours are the main reason why I don't want to leave. It's a generation that might not get the attention they deserve, but they treat every person that comes in a very familiar way. They are the relatives we have back in our countries. To my sweet neighbour, a 70 year-old woman that always prepares 餃子 for me when she does for her son. I feel at home."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '4'

5. Mark Wu, UK, Living in Shanghai

"This was taken during the centennial of Chinese Communist Party on August 6th 2021. had long been scouting for new locations off the beaten track, August is burning hot and humid here in Shanghai, with temperatures this day hitting 37 degrees nevertheless I spent 5 hours and this is the sum of my sweat, sunburn and dehydration. The metropolis that is Shanghai."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '5'

6. Anton, Russia, Living in Shenzhen

City of future This is how old sci-fi books portrayed the future cities: gleaming skyscrapers amid flower fields and clear blue skies. Shenzhen has become the city of future, and sometime it looks like another planet.

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '6'

7. Marnitz Breytenbach, South Africa, Living in Beijing

"One of the many cultural elements on display in everyday life here in Beijing. Took this photo while on an e-bike tour through the hutongs in central Beijing. "

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '7'

8. Ivan Soljic, Living in Shanghai

"I know that this photo is nothing special for most of the viewers but I like it a lot. That is my neighbor who knows that I don't speak Chinese but always talks in Chinese to me. She was offering some fruit that time."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '8'

9. James, UK, Living in Shanghai

"Shanghai can often feel like a lonely place to live, despite it's huge population, as faces and places constantly change around us. "

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '9'

10. David Lambert, Belgium, Living in Guangzhou

"This picture was taken in Hangzhou. I love the street life in Hangzhou especially when it rains. I saw these two men playing Chinese chess on a rainy evening and had to capture the moment. "

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '10'

11. Anil Ratna Shrestha, Nepal, Suzhou

"This photograph was taken during the fall of 2019 at Dushu lake, Suzhou, China. I had just arrived to this beautiful city and was raring to explore the city. I was alone and had just made few friends over there. During the weekend I went there alone with my trusted friend a Canon 1300D attached with 50mm lens. The late afternoon sun was caressing the beautiful lakeside, people were enjoying the holiday, some bathing the sun, some chatting with friends and some couples sharing their love for one another. I manage to capture this shot of a two people in love holding each other's hand. Deep down I felt the gesture so relatable and made me realise how the language of love and two hearts are so universal. "

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '11'

12. Or Ben Lev, Israel, Living in Chengdu

"A blast from the past: a beautiful Lady performs a traditional dance in traditional clothing attracting today's customers to the tea house at Kuan Zai Xiang Zi, Chengdu, Sichuan."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '12'

13. Andrea Massignani, Italy, Living in Shanghai

The picture was shot in a Hutong street in Beijing. "Life in China" is a complex topic: there are too many faces of China, it's almost impossible to describe it in a single picture; you can only pick one little aspect of this incredible and overwhelming country. I chose an aspect that fascinates me the most, the lifestyle in the "city villages", where the time seems to have stopped.

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '13'

14. Daria, Ukraine, Living in Shanghai

"This photo was made in Mogashang area, HangZhou, where we traveled with my family. It was beginning of May. We walked close to the river 對河口. We saw plenty of kids playing nearby the river, no one even didn’t think to swim or play in the river. And suddenly I saw two little Spanish boys, who happily took their clothes off and started splashing in the water. Of cause I rushed to grab my camera that to capture this moment. That time I thought that childhood means simplicity. Look at the World with the child’s eye – it is very beautiful! "

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '14'

15. Dorota, Poland, Living in Guangzhou

"This photo is from my best holidays in China and it shows the Sacred Waterfall in Yubeng, Yunnan"

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '15'

16. Eva, USA, Living in Kunming

"This photo was taken at my husband’s village in Xuanwei county, Yunnan. Here grandpa and grandma are good-humoredly learning to use a smartphone."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '16'

17. Iakiv Pekarskyi, Ukraine, Living in Shaoxing.

"This photo was taken in Shaoxing. It shows a local farmer against the tallest building in the the city and the contrast of traditional culture and the modern city."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '17'

18. Jan Hoehne, Germany, Living in Beijing

"This picture is from me and my family in Beijing Wangjing last year. I gave it the title "Time in China Flies" I still can remember Wangjing when I arrived in Beijing at that time. This picture shows quite well the impressive speed of the development in China."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '18'

19. Marlon Villaverde, Philippines, Living in Shenzhen

"Life and Tai-chi"

"In this era of modernization in China one thing i observed is their ability to preserve chinese culture and tai-chi is one of them. You can see them at the park performing most of the time."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '19'

20. Ruth, Ethiopia, Living in Dandong

"My photography focuses on dandong city where am living at This is a beautiful view taken from the rooftop of yalu river in dandong city and the sunrise."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '20'

21. Sydney, US, Living in Qingdao

"This picture was captured at the Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou. It was a childhood dream of mine to set foot on a ground that had so much history, cultural influence, and spiritual power as this. This frame seems to capture the greatness of China with the glowing pagoda in the back."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '21'

22. Mike, Living in Beijing

My son was born in Beijing, a city where I' ve lived for more than 15 years. This is a self portrait taken near Lama Temple when he was still tiny, barely 1 month old.

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '22'

23. Sylvain, France, Living in Shanghai

"The title of this photo is "wind of freedom in a urban environment" Freedom and urban environment might sound like an oxymoron. Nature and megalopolis like Beijing can be opposed, but similarities are existing. Natural obstacles (cliffs, big mountains,…) or artificial ones (buildings) can be turned into a playground rather than a source of stress."

"China is well known for its huge cities and this urban environment is somewhat oppressing. This person on a roof is enjoying a moment of freedom: street noise fade away, the view is extended and he can enjoy a moment with himself. This feeling is enhanced by the fact that he is actually in a city center, surrounded by millions of people. This is such a pleasant adrenaline of being where no one is suppose to be. This photo illustrates the modern side of China contemplated by a foreigner living there, it's always important to get different point of views to get a larger vision and a better understanding of our environment."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '23'

24. Vlad Timofeev, Russia, Living in Kunming

"When people who haven’t been to China ask me how does it look on the streets, I show them this photo. I tell them that young people are not usually seen a lot on a regular sidewalk, but older people are. Perhaps that’s why the seniors have to bite the bullet for everyone and do all kinds of stuff out there.

This image is not the case when a photographer asks a person to do something on camera. It was at Beijing’s Dawanglu where I was having a busy-less day, when out of the corner of my eye I saw something strange going on in the greenery deep across the sidewalk. After turning all the way to have a proper look, I realized what was happening – the moment when carrying a camera with me everywhere finally pays off. I quickly snatched my camera and took a shot. The old man didn’t even blink an eye, like if he had originally started it all just for me to take his photo. With an intense look on his face and – well – an unbuttoned fly, he was hanging upside down in a tree as I photographed him, while his dog was yawning in the background. A serious couple of minutes, and then we bursted out laughing. "

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '24'

25. Andrés Maya, Ecuador, Living in Ningbo

"This is a photo of people praying around Dazhao Temple in Lhasa- Tibet"

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '25'

26. Baraka Paul, Tanzania, Living in Nanjing

"The image depicts a young African man who got accustomed to smoking cigarettes with is considered a social custom in the PRC. In China giving cigarettes in any social interaction is a sign of respect and friendliness."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '26'

27. Vlad, Ukraine, Living in Guangzhou

"This picture was taken at 超級文和友 building. That time I decided to go and explore a few authentic places in Guangzhou alone, just to focus more on my own vision of the place and communicate the atmosphere through the photograph. I took a few of my favorite shots that day and I decided to share this one with you. To me personally, this image is the symbol of exploring Chinese culture, learning more about myself and sharing experience through visual arts."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '27'

28. Peter A. Fodor, Hungary, Living in Shanghai

"Shanghai is a wonderfully vibrant metropolis. Glittering, flashing, sparkling, promising and pulsating… but sometimes it can be horrifyingly depressing and choking. Do not let the weight push you down. Live with it and feel it. Every coin has two sides… yin and yang. Stand your ground and fight!"

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '28'

29. Sarah Okhovat, Iran, Living in Shenzhen

"Kiss and taste the soul: I believe that hugging and kissing can light up the life and Im glad to capture this lovely kiss."

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '29'

30. Michael Wendling, France, Living in Shanghai

"I shot this photo during a walk in one of the old street going on the bund in Shanghai, what I like about it was the contrast between the quiet part of that old street and the busy part arriving on the bund with the tv tower"

To vote for this photo scroll to the bottom of the page and choose '30

Vote Now (Deadline August 20th)