Yang Shenghua is a National Senior Photographer, Senior Photography Teacher, photography competition Judge, professional photographer, member of the China Photographers Association, Vice Chairman of the International Photography Association (IPA), Vice Chairman of the International Union of Photographers (IUP), Vice Chairman of the Alliance of Photographers International (API), Vice Chairman of the International Federation of Travel Photography (IFOTP), Vice Chairman of the China National Photographers Association, Vice Chairman of the China Professional Photographers Association, Vice Chairman of the China Aerial Photography Association, Vice Chairman of the China Artistic Photographers Association, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong International Photographers Association (HIPA), member of the editorial board of “The Complete Collection of Chinese Photographers,” Senior Post-Doctoral Degree in Photographic Arts from the Asian “One Belt One Road” Photography Grand Alliance, and Fellow of the Australian Photographers Association and the China Folk Photography Association.
Since starting photography in 1980, he has won awards (and exhibited) for over ten thousand pieces (groups) of works in photography competitions around the world. He has successively obtained the sole Grand Award at the 9th Taiwan International Photography Art Exhibition, the Gold Award at the Austrian Super Circuit Photography Competition, the Best Photographer at the World Photographer of the Year Finals, the Best Photographer Overall at the International Federation of Photographic Art and the International Digital Imaging Association, and the Honorary Gold Photographer of China awarded by the Hellenic Photographic Society.
He is among the Top Ten Outstanding Chinese Photographers, Top Ten Fashion Photographers in China, Top Ten Asia-Pacific International Photographers, Top Ten IPA International Photographers, Top Ten International Photography Exhibition Photographers, Top Ten Global Chinese Photographers, recipient of the Daguerre International Photographic Art Golden Image Award, World Chinese Photographic Art Golden Image Award, Asia-Pacific International Photographic Golden Image Award, Chinese Art Golden Horse Award, International Photographic Art Golden Eagle Award, and Top Ten Global Chinese Photography Mentors.
He has served as an international judge for the “Asia-Pacific Cup” International Photography Circuit, the First New Zealand International Photography Circuit, the Selena International Digital Photography Circuit, the “Picturesque Spring” International Photography Competition, and other events, as well as a division commander (mentor) for the “Hundred Regiments Battle” Super Photography Competition.
Mysterious Xiangxi
Where is Xiangxi, Hunan? It’s in Shen Congwen’s books, in Huang Yongyu’s paintings, in Song Zuying’s songs, and in the lenses of photographers from home and abroad… A cup of Jiugui liquor dispels one’s worries; a song of Tima takes one through the vicissitudes of life.
That sound, that painting, those people, those characters, that scenery—they still linger in dreams, so close to us, yet so far away. It’s the same landscape in Xiangxi, Hunan, but the world has silently changed around us.
Life changes, yet what does not is love for the land and people. The winding folk customs and charm of thousands of years still flow vigorously on the land of Xiangxi. After thousands of years, Xiangxi’s ethnic culture has become even more charming.
Stone-plate villages, Tujia houses, stilted buildings, Baishou dances, Miao drums, antiphonal folk songs, Xilanka melodies, as well as the Miao Autumn Festival, Silver Ornament Festival, “August Fourth of the Fourth Lunar Month,” “June Sixth,” and the famous drum dances—all are well-known and renowned. Tujia embroidery and Miao batik are superb crafts. Tujia and Miao villages are oceans of songs; everyone sings, and there is no place without song. The mountains echo with songs, and the villages are filled with warmth…
