Photography Awards and Sharing Session at the Palace Museum Spotlight Mobile Imaging as a Catalyst for Cultural Exchange
Beijing, December 13, 2025 — The Palace Museum recently hosted a landmark event celebrating the intersection of culture, diplomacy, and cutting-edge mobile photography technology. On December 9, the “Capture the Splendor of the Forbidden City—Diplomats’ Photography Award Ceremony and Image Sharing Session” was held as part of the “2025 Foreign Diplomats’ Tour of the Forbidden City” program. The event underscored the transformative role of mobile imaging in fostering cultural exchange and appreciation across nations.
A Gathering of Global Diplomats and Renowned Photographers
Co-hosted by the Palace Museum, the Beijing Service Bureau for Diplomatic Missions, and China Photo Service, and organized by Photoworld Magazine, the ceremony brought together over 50 diplomatic envoys from more than 30 embassies in China. The gathering also included celebrated Chinese photographers and distinguished guests from the business sector, united by a shared enthusiasm for cultural dialogue and artistic expression through mobile photography.
Key figures attending the event included Wang Xudong, Director of the Palace Museum; Xu Yuchang, Secretary-General of Xinhua News Agency; and Zhang Chi, Deputy Director of the Beijing Service Bureau for Diplomatic Missions. Each delivered remarks highlighting the Forbidden City’s immense historical and cultural value. They emphasized the initiative’s intent to deepen mutual understanding between nations through visual storytelling. Jordan’s Ambassador to China, H.E. Mr. Hussam Al Husseini, spoke on behalf of the diplomatic community, reflecting on the event’s significance.
Photography as a Medium of Cultural Dialogue
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Palace Museum, this cultural exchange endeavor invited diplomats to capture the Museum’s enduring magnificence using their mobile devices. Over 6,000 high-quality photographic submissions were received from participants representing more than 30 countries. This rich collection offered a multifaceted, vibrant portrayal of the Museum, emphasizing its role as a global cultural nexus.
The annual Diplomats’ Photography Awards ceremony recognized outstanding works, with the top honor awarded to Laura Olivo, Second Secretary of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in China. In her acceptance speech, Olivo expressed delight at capturing the Forbidden City’s stunning scenery, noting: “The scenery of the Forbidden City is truly beautiful, with a clear blue sky, and the five roof ridge beasts reflected on the red walls. I was able to capture such a great photo with just my phone.”
Expert Insights on Mobile Photography’s Unique Role
During the Image Art Sharing session, celebrated photographer Li Shaobai praised mobile photography’s ability to present authentic, documentary-style glimpses of cultural heritage sites. Mobile imaging technology enables the capture of vivid Chinese stories from everyday perspectives, enhancing cultural accessibility to global audiences. Other distinguished speakers included Xing Guangli, Director of the Social News Interview Room at Xinhua News Agency’s Photography Department, and Senior Reporter Jin Liangkuai, who offered historical and journalistic narratives of the Forbidden City’s evolution from imperial grounds to a vibrant public cultural landmark.
Exhibition “Light & Ink · Forbidden City” Showcases Integration of Tradition and Technology
The event featured a thematic exhibition titled “Light & Ink · Forbidden City,” showcasing the mobile photography works by diplomats and renowned photographers. The collection highlighted the intricate architecture, historic symbolism, and rich cultural heritage of the Forbidden City from diverse cultural viewpoints. The exhibition captured the subtle interplay of red walls, golden rooftops, and palace structures, translating these iconic images into shared visual stories celebrating traditional Chinese culture.
Participants noted that advanced mobile imaging not only helped them document remarkable moments but also facilitated instant sharing with friends and family abroad, bridging distances through a shared appreciation for Chinese cultural heritage.
Complementary Exhibition Spotlighting Beijing’s Central Axis
Simultaneously, the photographic works were displayed at Beijing Fang, an iconic venue along the city’s central axis. This exhibition paired contemporary photographs of the Forbidden City and surrounding areas with historical images of Beijing’s central axis, illustrating the evolving urban and cultural landscape. The exhibition also highlighted outstanding entries from the “Beijing Central Axis · Images of the Era” Mobile Photography Initiative, supported by vivo, which attracted over 50,000 submissions. This initiative emphasized mobile imaging technology’s significant contribution to cultural innovation and historical documentation.
The Future of Cultural Exchange through Technology
The event showcased how modern mobile photographic technologies drive cultural exchange, transforming historical and cultural heritage into shared experiences that transcend borders. Supported by pioneering technology companies like vivo, this blend of creativity and innovation fosters new dialogues between cultures, making heritage more accessible and engaging to global audiences.
About vivo
vivo is a leading technology company dedicated to creating smart devices and intelligent services focused on user-centric innovation. Committed to building bridges between humans and the digital realm, vivo aims to enrich people’s mobile and digital lives through creativity and advanced technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and state-of-the-art imaging systems.
Headquartered in China, vivo boasts R&D centers across multiple cities and an intelligent manufacturing network with an annual production capacity nearing 200 million smartphones. Serving more than 500 million users globally, vivo operates a sales network spanning over 60 countries and regions.
For more information, visit: vivo News
This report is based on a press release supplied by PR Newswire and does not represent the editorial views of Tirto.id.
