One of China's best-preserved ancient cities, Pingyao, in north China's Shanxi Province, saw the opening of a large photography festival on September 19.

More than 20,000 pictures by 1,232 photographers from 46 countries and regions were put on display in the seven-day Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP).

A foreign tourist watches photos displayed at a photograph exhibition held in Pingyao, an ancient city of north China's Shanxi Province September 19, 2009.

Pingyao, 616 kilometers southwest to Beijing, was listed as a world heritage site by the UNESCO in 1997. It can be traced back to 2,700 years ago and was rebuilt in 1370 when most of the remaining brick houses and a city wall were built up.

"The ancient city itself is a great attraction for photographers, making it an ideal rendezvous for us to communicate while having fun," said professional photographer Long Jinxiang.

PIP is among the 10 largest photography festivals in China and the only one to be held in a world heritage site, said Hu Suping, head of Shanxi Provincial Publicity Department.

People watch photos displayed at a photograph exhibition held in Pingyao, an ancient city of north China's Shanxi Province September 19, 2009. More than 1,000 photographers from 40 countries and regions will showcase their works at 138 stands in nine exhibition halls during the photo exhibition, which opened in the city on Saturday. Pingyao, a well-preserved ancient city, has a history of 2,700 years and was placed on the world heritage list by UNESCO on Dec. 3, 1997.