Chen Jiali “Fitness Trail” (Series)

Xiao Jiafa “China’s Dam Builders – Portraits of the World’s Largest Clean Energy Corridor Constructors”

Chen Xiping “Smart Manufacturing” (Series)

Chen Guoxing “Mirror of Grain Core” (Series)

Li Wei “Wuhan Women’s Football Team Wins AFC Champions League”

Ying Wen “Top Excellence” (Series)

Lei Jiamin “Snow Leopards at the Source of the Yangtze River” (Series)

Li Lili “Mountain Spirits” (Series)

The Yangtze River flows down from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, winding over 6,300 kilometers to form the magnificent landscape where “mountains end as plains begin, the river enters the vast wilderness.” Its grand momentum that “washes away all the heroes of history” has become the subject of praise by literati throughout the ages, leaving behind immortal poetic works.

Using the Yangtze River as a bond and imagery as language – on September 16th, the “Moving Images of the Yangtze” National Theme Photography Exhibition opened at Hubei Provincial Library.

As one of the main activities of the 2025 Yangtze River Culture and Arts Festival, this exhibition features nearly 200 works that construct a brilliant visual museum. Photographers use their lenses as brushes to capture the natural beauty, cultural charm, and developmental changes of the Yangtze River, transforming each work into vivid annotations that tell the story of the Yangtze and continue its cultural heritage. The exhibition unfolds its narrative from three dimensions, comprehensively presenting the contemporary appearance of the Yangtze River.

Great River Memory Ecological Yangtze

The “Great River Memory Ecological Yangtze” section follows the strategic decision of “prioritizing protection and prohibiting excessive development,” writing a green answer of ecological priority and green development, witnessing the ecological transformation of Beautiful China.

Cai Lineng’s “Tiger Leaping Gorge,” with its majestic perspective, freezes the powerful momentum of the surging river water, transforming the Yangtze’s primitive vitality like ten thousand galloping horses into intense visual impact, vividly demonstrating the mother river’s magnificent spirit.

“Snow Leopards at the Source of the Yangtze River” captures the significant ecological changes in the Yangtze River basin since the implementation of the Yangtze River protection policy. Within the river basin, wildlife such as snow leopards and elk have received effective protection, with their populations continuously growing. These achievements in ecological civilization construction provide the courage to pick up cameras and record those unforgettable moments.

In nature reserves, black leaf monkeys, as first-class protected animals, move freely in the forests – either foraging attentively, resting quietly, or carefully caring for their young, fully enjoying the gentle touch of spring sunshine. The “Mountain Spirits” series attracted many citizens for photo opportunities. Black leaf monkeys are called “leaf monkeys” because of their preference for eating leaves, while “black” comes from their unique body color characteristics.

These works break through the abstraction of text, making the thousand-year cultural heritage of the Yangtze River no longer just cold symbols in historical records, but becoming vivid and tangible living memories.

Era of Great Achievements Intelligent Yangtze

The “Era of Great Achievements Intelligent Yangtze” section highlights the vibrant energy and innovative power contained within the river that connects to the sea, injecting powerful momentum into China’s high-quality economic development, helping to open new chapters in the nation’s development landscape.

The Baihetan Hydropower Station was built through 12 years of hard work and selfless dedication by over ten thousand construction workers. This “national treasure” created six world firsts, two world seconds, and two world thirds in achievements, recorded in the history of world hydropower construction, establishing a monument to China’s hydropower development. “China’s Dam Builders – Portraits of the World’s Largest Clean Energy Corridor Constructors” used medium format cameras to photograph 168 Baihetan construction workers, ultimately creating this large-scale composite photographic work as a tribute to these respectable builders.

Chen Xiping’s “Smart Manufacturing” series focuses on factory workshops along the Yangtze River, completely presenting the entire process of automotive intelligent manufacturing from production and assembly to finished products. The precise operation of robotic arms and the sophisticated layout of automated production lines demonstrate both strong technological sense and unique industrial aesthetics, while highlighting human-machine collaborative production models, witnessing the transformation from “Yangtze Manufacturing” to “Yangtze Intelligent Manufacturing.”

Chen Guoxing’s

Yangtze River

The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and the third-longest in the world, flowing for over 6,300 kilometers across China. It has been a cradle of Chinese civilization for millennia, serving as a vital artery for transportation, agriculture, and cultural exchange. Its history is profoundly marked by the recent construction of the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest power station.

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, often called the “Roof of the World,” is the highest and largest plateau on Earth. It has a long history of human habitation, primarily by Tibetan and Mongolic peoples, and was historically traversed by ancient trade routes. This vast, high-altitude region is also the source of many of Asia’s major rivers.

Hubei Provincial Library

The Hubei Provincial Library, founded in 1904, is one of China’s oldest and largest provincial public libraries. It has a rich history tied to the late Qing Dynasty and was initially established by Zhang Zhidong, a prominent official. Today, it serves as a major cultural and information hub in Wuhan, preserving extensive collections of historical documents.

Yangtze River Culture and Arts Festival

The Yangtze River Culture and Arts Festival is a modern cultural event established to celebrate and promote the diverse heritage of the Yangtze River region. It typically features a wide range of performances, including music, dance, and theater, from the various provinces along the river. The festival aims to foster cultural exchange and showcase the artistic traditions that have flourished along one of the world’s longest rivers throughout history.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge is a spectacular canyon on the Jinsha River in southwestern China, formed by the powerful forces of the Yangtze River cutting between the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain. According to legend, its name originates from a tiger that once escaped hunters by leaping across the river at its narrowest point. Today, it is a world-renowned destination for its dramatic scenery and challenging multi-day hiking trails.

Baihetan Hydropower Station

The Baihetan Hydropower Station is a massive hydroelectric dam on the Jinsha River, the upper section of the Yangtze River in China. It became fully operational in 2022 and is the world’s second-largest power station in terms of installed capacity. The project represents a major achievement in China’s efforts to develop clean energy and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

Snow Leopards

Snow leopards are not a specific place or cultural site, but a species of large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. Historically, they have inhabited 12 countries across these regions for thousands of years, perfectly adapted to the harsh, high-altitude environments. They are now an endangered species, revered in local cultures and central to conservation efforts.

Black Leaf Monkeys

Black leaf monkeys, also known as spectacled langurs, are not a place or cultural site but a genus of Old World monkeys native to Southeast Asia. They are known for their distinctive black fur, white eye rings, and herbivorous diet. Historically, some species have faced habitat loss due to deforestation, impacting their populations in regions like Thailand, Malaysia, and Borneo.