PEOPLE
Luo Hong – an African love affair
By Kirtan Bhana
27 June 2023
When photographer Mr Luo Hong travelled to South Africa in 2001 he fell in love with the African continent and has since returned 52 times to capture its true majestic artistry.
“Always be true to yourself” was his father’s advice when Luo left home at the age of 17 to follow his passion for photography. The extra–ordinary life of Luo Hong has humble beginnings in Sichuan province in the south east of China in the foot hills of the Hengduan Mountains. Luo's entrepreneurial instinct kicked in when he discovered a gap in the confectionary and bakery sector in China when he was unable to find a birthday cake that matched up to his quality and standards so he started his own bakery and confectionery.
Today Luo has a network of over 1000 stores in 79 cities all over China with over 80% of the market share. He has combined his love for photography with baking to create unique and delectable pastries, cakes and other confectionary, and built the Holiland brand into a business empire.
In 2016 the Beijing Luo Hong Photography Art museum was opened after six years of building an ‘art space for warm hearts’. The profound design of the museum precinct encompasses the Gallery, Black Swan Cake Art Museum and Oriental Garden Landscapes. A French restaurant, coffee shops, Holiland signature cake shops as well as a souvenir shop makes as visit to the gallery a breathtaking, awe-inspiring experience.
The life that Luo Hong has created is motivation for anyone who encounters their passion for the beauty of life which reflects in all the images he captures through the lens of his cameras. Luo’s works depict a moment when time stopped for a split second, when all the conditions coincided in an instant of sublime perfection. The documentary of Luo’s photographic art, however shows the days, months and sometimes years of preparation that it takes to take the ultimate shot, in sometimes precarious and life threating situations, hanging out of helicopters, face to face with wild animals, extreme climactic weather and hostile geographic terrains. He has been injured before in pursuit of his craft and had to take time off to recover from his adventurous escapades that have taken him to some of the most scenic, pristine and remote places in the world.
Africa, with its abundant natural beauty, the splendour of its bio diversity, the rich and vibrancy of the multitude of colours and shades, a place where humanity and nature co-exist is where Luo’s photographic talents found a special resonance. Leaders, statesman, dignitaries presidents from Africa and around the world have visited the museum in Beijing.
Luo has received numerous awards and accolades for his work, including the Global Climate Hero acknowledgement as an environmentalist and conservationist. He has launched several charities and through his gallery is able to share his passion and create a greater awareness of 'my whole life, moved by beauty, exist for beauty'.
The Luo Hong Gallery is fast becoming the tourist attraction every traveller and tourist to Beijing must see, like the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City.