Salute to the Rebirth of All Life! 2022 China Wildlife Photography Awards Unveils 19 Stunning Categories!
On February 24, the 2022 China Wildlife Imaging Awards ceremony was released online, unveiling a total of 19 awards across photography and video categories.
This year's photography competition featured seven groups: Mammals, Birds, Plants & Fungi, Other Animals, Protected Areas, Chinese Endemic Species, and the Snapdragon Special Award for Mobile Photography. After rigorous preliminary, secondary, and final evaluations, the judging panel selected 62 winning works from 53,900 domestic and international submissions.
"Running Across the Ink-Wash Qiangtang" by Li Binbin. As a young female scientist, conservationist, and nature photographer, Li Binbin was honored as the Nature Photographer of the Year.
The video competition comprised four groups: Short Films, Short Videos, Snapdragon Special Award for Mobile Videos, and Bilibili Special Creation Group. From 756 submissions, the judging panel selected 22 winning works.
The 2022 China Wildlife Imaging Awards was hosted by Chinese National Geography, with Snapdragon as the imaging technology partner, China Environmental Protection Foundation as the public welfare strategic partner, and Bilibili as the exclusive strategic platform. Focusing on "Chinese Endemic Species," the event highlighted biodiversity through photography and videos, showcasing nature's wonders coexisting with humanity.
Video Competition Grand Jury Prize: "Guardians of the Qinling Mountains."
Since 2020, the China Wildlife Imaging Awards, the first global competition of its kind initiated by China, has been successfully held for three years, attracting attention from 73 countries and regions. It has amassed over 20,000 minutes of precious wildlife footage, nearly 100,000 submissions, and 401 award-winning works, with total online views exceeding 300 million. Over three years, prize money totaling 4,161,500 RMB has been awarded. In 2022, it was invited to the United Nations to share China's story of using nature imagery to advance ecological conservation.
Preview the 62 winning photographs and 22 award-winning videos.
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Awards
Birds Category Champion – "Danger! Beware!"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Awards
Birds Category Runner-Up – "Snow Pigeon"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Awards
Birds Category Excellence Award – "Black-Winged Stilt"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Awards
Birds Category Excellence Award – "Eagle Spreading Its Wings"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Awards
Birds Category Excellence Award – "Home Decoration"
Photo/Kallol Mukherjee
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Awards
Birds Category Excellence Award - "Flamingo"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Birds Category Excellence Award - "Sharing the Meal"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Birds Category Excellence Award - "Winter Jasmine"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Birds Category Excellence Award - "Through the Dream"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Champion - "First Round"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Runner-up - "Moon Civet"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Excellence Award - "Elf Family"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Excellence Award - "Plateau Pika in the Snowstorm"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Excellence Award - "Mother and Child"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Excellence Award - "Guardian Of Nature"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Excellence Award - "Hunting"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Excellence Award - "Anticipation"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Excellence Award - "Homeland"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mammals Category Excellence Award - "Tibetan Wild Ass"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants & Fungi Category Champion - "Ice and Snow Wonderland"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants & Fungi Category Runner-up - "Blue Mist"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants & Fungi Category Excellence Award - "Flamboyant Vitality"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants & Fungi Category Excellence Award - "Dance of Spores"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants & Fungi Category Excellence Award - "Dreamy Passage"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants & Fungi Category Excellence Award - "Elegant Breath"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants and Fungi Category Excellence Award – "Standing Alone in Solitude"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants and Fungi Category Excellence Award – "String of Pearls"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants and Fungi Category Excellence Award – "Rainbow Tree"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Plants and Fungi Category Excellence Award – "Beautiful Primrose Under the Rhododendron Forest"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Champion – "Nuptial Flight"
Photo/Anirban Dutta
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Runner-up – "Colourful Wings"
Photo/Kallol Mukherjee
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Excellence Award – "Mother and Child"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Excellence Award – "The Wonderful Journey of Fish and Jellyfish"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Excellence Award – "Gestation"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Excellence Award – Nature's Design
Photo/Anirban Dutta
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Excellence Award – Fleeing Home
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Excellence Award – Web Design
Photo/Kallol Mukherjee
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Other Animals Category Excellence Award – Macro
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Protected Areas Category Champion – Running Through the Ink-Wash Qiangtang
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Protected Areas Category Runner-Up – Peeking
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Protected Areas Category Excellence Award – Autumn in the Wetland
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Protected Areas Category Excellence Award – Emerald Pool in the Deep Valley
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Protected Areas Category Excellence Award – The Last Shangri-La
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Outstanding Award in Protected Areas Category – "The Wanderer"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Champion in Endemic Species Category – "Tibetan Antelope"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Runner-up in Endemic Species Category – "Picking Under the Eastern Fence"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Outstanding Award in Endemic Species Category – "Golden Homeland"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Outstanding Award in Endemic Species Category – "Joy and Despair"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Outstanding Award in Endemic Species Category – "Blue and White Porcelain"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Outstanding Award in Endemic Species Category – "Mother and Baby White-Headed Langur"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Outstanding Award in Endemic Species Category – "Kangding Magnolia Under Snow Mountain"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Outstanding Award in Endemic Species Category – "Living Fossil Plant: Dove Tree"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Outstanding Award in Endemic Species Category – "Battle of the Deer Kings"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Champion - "Formation"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Runner-up - "Aerial Duel"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Excellence Prize - "Golden Hada"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Excellence Prize - "Above the Glacier"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Excellence Prize - "Spirit of Tibet"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Excellence Prize - "Solitary on a Branch"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Excellence Prize - "Peeing Moth"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Excellence Prize - "Saussurea Medusa"
2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition
Mobile Category Snapdragon Special Award Excellence Prize - "Gaze"
As nominated works were previously announced, only awards declared at the ceremony are listed here. Winning entries will be updated on the Bilibili homepage of the China Wildlife Imaging Competition.
Celebrities Grace the Awards Ceremony: Goddesses, Masters, and Youths Share Conservation Stories
At the 2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition Awards Ceremony, female power shone brightly. Three generations of female scientists shared the stage in a "century-spanning moment": Dr. Jane Goodall, a biologist and ethologist of unparalleled global renown; Professor Lü Zhi, a leading figure in China’s biodiversity conservation; and Li Binbin, a promising young scholar and nature photographer. These three remarkable women embodied the enduring legacy of wildlife imagery and conservation across generations.
Li Binbin, who won the title of Nature Photographer of the Year at the competition, was inspired by Professor Lü Zhi to embark on a path of biodiversity conservation research. In her youth, Professor Lü Zhi herself was deeply motivated by Dr. Jane Goodall, a UN Messenger of Peace, and remained steadfast in her career choice despite societal and industry biases against women at the time. The passing of the torch across generations of female scholars, conservationists, and nature image creators is profoundly moving and admirable.
Bao Yongqing, the first Chinese photographer to win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) grand title and creator of the widely acclaimed "Life-and-Death Duel," shared his creative journey. Over a decade of wildlife photography has allowed him to witness countless miracles of life on the grasslands, with the iconic "meme-worthy" expressions of Tibetan foxes and marmots being just a ripple in the vast ocean of life's wonders. Through his lens, he has presented the world with the beauty of his homeland—the Qilian Mountains, Tianjun Grassland in Haixi, Qinghai, a "paradise for wildlife."
Bao Yongqing's team achieved remarkable success in the video category of this year's competition. "The Tibetan Fox" received a nomination for Best Wildlife Short Video, vividly depicting the survival strategies and interactions between Tibetan foxes and marmots in harsh environments. "Cloud Cats" was nominated for Best Wildlife Short Film, telling the heartwarming yet tumultuous story of a Pallas's cat family in a fairy-tale tone. "Call of the Snow Mountain" won the Best Cinematography award in the Short Film category, showcasing masterful camera work to capture challenging animal behaviors and narrate the enduring legacy of two generations of snow leopards.
Zhu Xingchao, winner of the Birds category in this year's photography competition, has participated for three consecutive years. In 2021, his son Zhu Zimo also joined the competition and won the Youth Wildlife Award in the Natural Painting category with his work "Snow Leopard Family."
Zhu Xingchao has spent over two decades photographing Black-faced Spoonbills in Shenzhen Bay, adhering to the principle of equality for all beings: minimizing shutter noise to avoid disturbing animals, shooting from low angles to create eye-level perspectives between humans and birds. Zhu Zimo is always the first viewer of his father's work. Together, they share their reverence for nature and love for life with others.
Technology empowers ecological conservation, revealing more of nature's wonders.
Over the past three years, the China Wildlife Imaging Competition has consistently harnessed technology to convey the power of life: pioneering mobile wildlife photography and leading technical innovations in nature imagery. In 2022, the organizing committee used Snapdragon-powered smartphones to produce the "Discover China's Endemic Species" documentary series over seven months. They also integrated smartphones, drones, and smart vehicles with IoT technology to film wildlife in the Qinling Mountains, exploring new creative frontiers.
Advances in imaging technology have made mobile photography both versatile and powerful, offering unprecedented freedom in conceptualizing and capturing nature: night shots, aerial views, underwater scenes, and ultra-macro photography—from bamboo cells to golden snub-nosed monkeys leaping through forests—can now all be achieved with a smartphone. Celebrated wildlife photographer Xi Zhinong, founder of Wild China, and "Fox Director" Wu Qiaoling from China National Geographic's media center presented the Snapdragon Special Awards for mobile photography and videography. Xi shared his experience using a phone to document the snow-buried Cangshan Nature Center, while Wu recounted a magical journey in Hainan's Diaoluo Mountain, where he recorded 17 endemic species along a single stream.
Zhang Chenliang, Director of China National Geographic's Media Center, and Hou Mingjuan, Qualcomm's Global Vice President, presented the Snapdragon Special Award for mobile photography to Wu Junnan, representative of the creative team behind "Nice to Meet You."
Hou Mingjuan, Qualcomm's Global Vice President, stated that Snapdragon remains committed to leveraging technology to celebrate life, protecting ecosystems in an era of intelligent connectivity. She expressed hopes to explore the limitless possibilities of mobile imaging, expanding the "circle of friends" in nature photography, enabling more people to easily participate in recording and sharing species imagery, and unlocking greater creative potential and new opportunities for conservation.
Speech by Ms. Hou Mingjuan, Global Vice President of Qualcomm.
Capturing nature's great stories reveals the power of life. The breathtaking beauty of the natural world in these images awakens our understanding and concern for biodiversity conservation. The "New Life" 2022 China Wildlife Imaging Competition Awards Ceremony celebrates the joy of myriad creatures, inviting all to a wild revelry embracing nature.
Li Shuanke, Researcher at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, and Editor-in-Chief of China National Geographic, and Xu Guang, Chairman of the China Environmental Protection Foundation, presented the Jury Grand Prize to Zhang Wenqing, director of Jiuzhou Huasheng, representing the creative team behind "Guardians of the Qinling Mountains."
Click "Read More" or search "China Wildlife Imaging Competition" on Bilibili or Weibo to rewatch the awards ceremony. Let’s experience the awe and emotion of wildlife imagery together, listen to the wild calls hidden within these visuals, and celebrate technology’s tribute to life. May more join in documenting species and their habitats!
Design | Yu Yitiao, Jiuyang