Beijing, December 15, 2016 - The Urban China Initiative (UCI) today announced the prize winners of its 2016 Photo Contest. The winning photos were selected from more than 10,000 entries from all over China. This year’s UCI Photo Contest received support from the World Bank and China Photographers Association.
The 2016 UCI photo contest chose “Inclusive Cities” as its theme. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11 calls for “inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” cities. Over the past three decades, about 260 million rural migrants moved to China’s cities. By 2030, up to 70 percent of all Chinese will live in cities. Building inclusive cities remains a challenge.
The 2016 UCI Photo Contest invited submissions in three categories: Creativity, People and Places. The panel of judges consisted of Li Ge, Vice President of the Photojournalist Society of China and Director of the Photo Department of the People’s Daily, Xu Jingxing, Director of the Photo Department of China Daily, and Jason Lee, Senior Photographer of Reuters.
The panel selected the first, second and third prize winners under each category and also 10 pieces of photographic work for the Excellence Awards. Dedicated to finding and implementing effective solutions to China’s urbanization challenge, UCI also encourages professional photographers and amateur photo enthusiasts to record memorable moments of China’s urbanization.
“The UCI Photo Contest takes the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ literally. We are pleased to show through photography the impact of urbanization on China both as a challenge and an opportunity. We hope you will see these pictures and reflect on how you can contribute to making urban China a better place,” said Jonathan Woetzel, Co-Chair of Urban China Initiative, Director of McKinsey Global Institute, and Senior Partner of McKinsey & Company.
“We are privileged to participate in the 2016 UCI Photo Contest. I am particularly pleased to see that the winning photos reflect the diversity of people that live and work in China’s cities, such as migrant workers, waste collectors, small business owners and the elderly. Cities should be inclusive and ensure equal opportunities and services for all people so that everyone can share the benefits of urbanization and economic growth,” said Bert Hofman, World Bank Country Director for China.
“The 2016 UCI Photo Contest is a direct and in-depth presentation of the cities and people under the context of China’s urbanization. It gives more exposure for the diverse aspects of urbanization, inspiring people’s thinking on and passion for China’s urbanization process. We are happy to participate in the 2016 UCI Photo Contest. We hope the contest will continue to bring positive impact on China's urbanization,” said Li Ge, Vice President of the China Photographers Association and Director of the Photo Department of People’s Daily.
View the winning photos: http://www.urbanchinainitiative.org/en/content/details_112_62239.html
The winning photos can also be viewed through the official websites of the two partner organizations.
About UCI:
The Urban China Initiative (UCI) is a joint initiative of Columbia Global Centers| East Asia, the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University, and McKinsey & Company. Its mission is to catalyze the next stage of China’s urbanization by developing and piloting effective and innovative solutions to China’s urbanization challenges. It aims to evolve into an independent public-private think tank focusing on China’s urbanization issues.
About the World Bank Group:
The World Bank Group plays a key role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. It consists of five institutions: the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Working together in more than 100 countries, these institutions provide financing, advice, and other solutions that enable countries to address the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and ifc.org.
