French photographer Nicolas Cornet poses for a photo on the Huangshan Mountain in east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua)

HEFEI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- At dawn on an April day, the summit of Huangshan Mountain was a world adrift in a swirling sea of clouds, dotted with majestic pine trees atop jagged peaks, as French photographer Nicolas Cornet clicked his shutter to quickly capture this breathtaking scene.

This was Cornet's eighth visit to the renowned Huangshan Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in east China's Anhui Province. Every visit, he said, brought fresh discoveries and renewed inspiration.

Cornet's fascination with Huangshan began about a decade ago when he came across photos of the mountain by a Canadian photographer. He was immediately captivated by Huangshan's "mysterious landscape" and started planning his own trip there.

In April 2016, Cornet made his first visit to Huangshan. The moment he set eyes on the mountain's gnarly pine trees, grotesque rock formations, and endless sea of clouds, he was hooked.

"I instantly fell in love with the mountains and knew I would be spending a lot of time there photographing them," he recalled.

That first encounter sparked a bond that would draw him back to Huangshan seven more times over the following nine years. For Cornet, the mountain never lost its allure as each season and each shift in weather unveiled a fresh and captivating beauty.

"As a landscape photographer, revisiting the same location under different light and weather conditions is essential for creating unique images," he said.

He added that one of his most memorable experiences at Huangshan was seeing the mountain covered in snow. "It felt like walking through a fairy tale. I rushed between various photo spots to make the most of the rare conditions," he said.

Cornet's visits to Huangshan culminated in a black-and-white photo series of the mountain, now featured on his personal photography website. He explained that the choice of style was "directly inspired by traditional Chinese ink paintings."

In February this year, Cornet's photographs of Huangshan were exhibited at the Xposure International Photography Festival in the United Arab Emirates. He said that while many visitors had never heard of Huangshan before, several began planning trips to the mountain after seeing his photos.

For Cornet, Huangshan has offered far more than stunning images; it has opened a window to Chinese hospitality.

He said locals have been very friendly to international tourists like him, and he has built friendships with local Chinese photographers.

He noted that as Huangshan continues to gain international recognition, services have been steadily improving to accommodate the growing number of overseas visitors. "I've also noticed that some staff members at key locations now speak English, which is very helpful," he said.

He also hailed China's visa-free entry policies, which made his two most recent trips to Huangshan much easier.

Currently, China grants unilateral visa-free entry to 38 countries, including France, and has extended the transit visa-free period to 240 hours for travelers from 54 countries.

Cornet said he expects the relaxed entry policies to attract more international tourists to China.

He is already planning his next trip to Huangshan. With a new cableway set to open, he said he looks forward to exploring and photographing parts of the mountain that were previously less accessible. "It will open up new creative opportunities for me." ■

This file photo shows French photographer Nicolas Cornet's photographs of Huangshan being exhibited at the Xposure International Photography Festival in the United Arab Emirates in February, 2025. (Xinhua)