The ‘Ten Years Overlooking Hami’ Photography Culture Week and the annual ‘Sweet Whispers to the Galaxy’ Festival, held last month in Hami, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, drew a mix of seasoned photographers and influencers. Among them was Li Qing, a photographer and livestreaming expert from Panzhihua, Sichuan province, who first visited Hami in 2015 for a drone photography competition. ‘The Gobi Desert, grasslands, and mountains are a treasure trove for aerial photography,’ Li remarked, expressing his excitement to return and capture Hami’s vast landscapes once more. Dai Jianfeng, a renowned astrophotographer with over 3 million followers, attended the festival with a specific mission: to photograph the Hami Solar Thermal Power Station, a marvel featuring a 696,751-square-meter mirror field and a 220-meter-high molten salt tower. ‘This year, I aimed to capture the station under a clear, starry night,’ Dai explained. Zhou Bo, cofounder of the China StarVision Alliance, has been hosting livestreams for the festival since 2022. However, this year, he noted a decline in online traffic, attributing it to the absence of a major astronomical event like the Perseid meteor shower. Wang Junfeng, a frequent visitor to Hami and cofounder of the CSVA, remains optimistic. ‘Hami will surprise us with its wonders in a different season,’ he said, highlighting the region’s enduring appeal for photographers and stargazers alike.