Li Li’s award-winning work "Winter Charm of Huangshan"
Obsessed with the beauty of Huangshan, a veteran photographer from Wuhan visited the mountain 16 times over 32 years, often choosing harsh weather with rain and snow... It was learned on the 9th that among the recently announced "2011・Grand Beauty of Huangshan (International) Photography Exhibition," three of "Tiger Fan" Li Li’s works won awards. This marks his second win at the photo contest, following two award-winning works in the previous edition.
It is understood that the event was co-hosted by the China Photographers Association and the Huangshan Scenic Area Management Committee, and this was its second edition. A total of over 18,000 entries from more than 2,000 photographers across 29 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China, as well as from South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, were received. Among them, 108 works won gold, silver, bronze, and merit awards. Li Li’s "Winter Charm of Huangshan," "Azaleas of Huangshan," and "Surveying the Flying Clouds" received merit awards.
Bonded with Huangshan during honeymoon trip 32 years ago
Li Li is 59 years old. In 1980, when he and his wife got married, they opted for the then-popular honeymoon trip, with Huangshan as their first stop. The couple carried a twin-lens 120 camera and a 135 camera, along with black-and-white film and a rare roll of “Kodak” 120 color film. To take more color photos, they carefully calculated when to advance the film, always trying to “sneak in” an extra shot.
At that time, the road and cable car to Huangshan were not yet built. The couple started from Tangkou Town at the foot of the mountain and walked the entire way, taking a day and a half, even encountering rain along the way. But when the weather was clear, they walked and shot with great enthusiasm; when it rained, they shared a single umbrella and braved the rain together.
Doing homework and timing the climb perfectly
Ever since his first visit to Huangshan, Li Li has never forgotten its beauty. Later, in his quest to find a “home” for tigers, he climbed Huangshan 16 times over 32 years.
“Checking the weather forecast before each trip is essential homework,” Li Li said. “Ordinary tourists hope for good weather when going up the mountain, but I’m the opposite. Because the beauty of Huangshan is best captured after rain or snow. If it’s raining or snowing heavily, it’s hard to take good shots — timing that ‘sweet spot’ is tricky.”
Li Li is usually busy with work and mainly uses long holidays or weekends to visit Huangshan. To save time, he always takes overnight buses. On suitable weekends, Li Li prepares his gear and luggage in advance, then heads straight to the bus station after work.
The journey from Wuhan to Tangkou Town at the foot of Huangshan takes about seven or eight hours. Previously, buses could go all the way to Tangkou, but after the highway was built, there were no direct routes anymore.
“After running this route for so many years, the bus drivers and Xiao Cheng from Qing Song Grand Hotel in Tangkou have become friends with me. Every time around 3 a.m. when we’re close to Tangkou, the drivers deliberately get off the highway and drop me off at the hotel before getting back on the road,” Li Li said.
Sleeping in dorms, eating instant noodles, and braving the cold
After a quick nap in Tangkou, Li Li hikes up the mountain again with his heavy gear. To save money and time, he stays in budget hotels under 100 yuan and brings his own food. “The so-called hotels are actually large dorms where 10 to 20 people share a room and sleep in bunk beds.”
It gets very cold at night on the mountain, the quilts are damp, and sometimes Li Li can only sleep fully clothed, not even daring to take off his boots. By 4 a.m. the next day, he’s up to shoot the sunrise.
In 2004, Wang Zhenwu, a photography enthusiast more than ten years younger than Li Li, began joining him and became his best partner.
Wang Zhenwu recalled that the most unforgettable trip was last winter when they went to Huangshan to shoot snowscapes. They braved temperatures as low as -11°C. “Our chosen photography spot was right in the wind. We could only take a few shots before our hands froze. We had to find shelter to warm up before continuing.”
Li Li jokes that his friends say he’s crazy for going to Huangshan so frequently, but he thoroughly enjoys this obsession. “Shooting Huangshan is a spiritual exchange between myself and nature. The anticipation, anxiety, effort, and epiphanies — I love the process. Even after all these years, I still can’t get enough of Huangshan.”