Chinese photographers reach for the stars

Young talent shines in international competition, Julian Shea reports in London.

The significance of stars in Chinese culture dates back thousands of years. From the earliest known star catalogs compiled by astronomers Gan De and Shi Shen in the 4th century BC, to the modern-day Shenzhou XVI space flight, the mysteries of the heavens have held a particular fascination for the people of China, and that enduring celestial appeal has been reaffirmed by the recent Astronomy Photographer of the Year 15 competition, held by London's Royal Observatory Greenwich.

The 15th staging of the competition attracted more than 4,000 images from photographers in 64 countries. Chinese entrants performed well, with An Jiu's Grand Cosmic Fireworks winning the Skyscapes category, and Liang Weitang's image, The Eyes Galaxies, finishing as runner-up in the Galaxies class.

But it was in the Young Photographer category that China's photographic stars shone the brightest, providing the winner, runner-up, and two of the three highly commended entries.