Photographers take photos of traditional ejiao making techniques at a workshop of Dong'e Ejiao Co Ltd in Dong'e county, Shandong province, Aug 11, 2017. Ejiao is known to improve blood circulation and boost energy levels. [Photo by Wang Qian/ China Daily]

The photographers also got to experience the traditional production process for making ejiao at a nearby workshop operated by Dong'e Ejiao Co Ltd.

"I feel like I have transcended time and space to arrive in ancient China at the workshop: everything looks so antique and each process is done manually," said Herbert Gmeiner, a photographer from Austria.

"I'm very curious about the rich integrated TCM thoughts contained in ejiao and I've taken a lot of photos to record this wonderful trip," he added.

The photographers' next destination showed them a very different side to the ejiao industry: a smart factory with automated production lines and few workers.

A foreign photographer takes a photo of the modern production line at Dong'e Ejiao Co Ltd on Aug 11, 2017. [Photo by Wang Qian/ China Daily]

"We're totally committed to using technological innovation to modernize production," said Qin.

Irmeli, a photographer from Andorra, was fascinated by the nourishing and beauty-keeping function of ejiao.

"I am so amazed that ejiao has many medical effects and lots of women in Asia use it as a daily supplement. I will bring some ejiao products to share with friends in Andorra," she said.

A TCM doctor takes a foreign photographer's pulse in Dong'e county, Shandong province, Aug 11, 2017. [Photo by Wang Qian/ China Daily]

The 2017 FIAP Photo Meeting is supported by UNESCO China, and jointly hosted by the FIAP (International Federation of Photographic Art), Shandong Tourism Development Committee, Shandong Provincial Department of Culture, and the Shandong International Culture Exchange Center.