Int'l photo festival to open in Pingyao, Shanxi province

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 ◆ Int'l photo festival to open in Pingyao, Shanxi province

Preparations are well under way for the second international photography festival scheduled for mid September in Pingyao, a town with a history of over 2,700 years in north China's Shanxi Province.

The aim is to attract more visitors from all over the world to the ancient town, which was listed as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1997.

The first festival last year pulled in more than 4,000 participants from 16 countries and regions, including France, the United States, Spain, Russia and Japan.

Pingyao, best-known for its almost intact Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) city walls, well-preserved ancient homes, stores and temples, is a popular destination for both Chinese and overseas tourists, including Giscard D'Estaing, former president of France; Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, princess of Thailand; and Ludwig Bieringer, president of the Austrian Federal Council.

To restore its original order and prosperity, authorities of the ancient town have begun a relocation campaign to move nearly half of its residents to outside the city walls.

There are about 45,000 residents in Pingyao, covering an area of mere 2.25 square kilometers. The population density, which is 16 times higher than that of Beijing, is far beyond the city's accommodation capacity.