A group from all walks of life was invited to visit a wetland in Jinning county, Yunnan province, on Aug 31, where they got the chance to snap shots of the unique and beautiful landscape.

Some local celebrities, foreigners and Kunming residents grabbed their cameras and took part in the trip along Dianchi Lake, aimed at promoting the local environment through photography.

So far removed is Dianchi Lake from what many think of as a wetland, many remarked the landscape seemed more akin to that which they might expect in the Maldives.

“I never thought such a wetland park existed in Kunming,” said a Yunnan television host. “I think we should update the encyclopedia entry, it seems wetlands can mean more than just shrubs, streams and plank pathways.”

The wet land, which is the biggest in Dianchi Lake, is a popular tourist spot for visitors on weekends and during public holidays. Its facilities are scheduled for an upgrade in the very near future, said an official.

“I like Kunming a lot. Its weather is much better than many other cities I have been to,” said a Ukrainian girl. “The lake water has become cleaner over the years. I really hope that one day in the future we can even swim here.”

Zhang Xinmin, a member of the Kunming Photographers Association even brought with him his aerial photography equipment to get sky high views of the lake.

Zhang said, “Aerial photography means we can get complete landscape pictures. Photos by the aerial camera give us a bird's eye view, different to normal cameras or mobile phones.” The second stop on the trip was a forest park which was also praised by the visitors.

A Kunming local took many photos of the water in the forest park, saying that it has become much cleaner. “This photo activity is of great value. Recording the lake with cameras can effectively call on people to protect wetland ecology.”

He also expressed his willingness to take part in more such activities to help protect Dianchi Lake.

On July 11 this year, the Yunnan Environmental Protection Association and other institutions, called for people to promote the protection of the local environment by increasing awareness of its beauty through photography.

As of Aug 30, the sponsors have received more than 2,000 photo submissions.

A group takes part in Yunnan's photography activity on Aug 31. [Photo/ynci.cn]

A Ukrainian girl takes pictures of Dianchi Lake. [Photo/ynci.cn]

Zhang Xinmin is a member of the Kunming Photographer Association and has spent  his life capturing the natural world with his camera. [Photo/ynci.cn]

Edited by Owen Fishwick