High school graduation is one of the most important milestones in a person’s life. Whether you partied your way through school or dedicated every waking moment to your education, walking across that stage and receiving your diploma is worth remembering for the rest of your life. And being an international school student, you deserve graduation photos that are as unique as your education experience has been.
You don’t want to move on to the next chapter with generic graduation photos that look like they could be taken at any ol’ school anywhere in the world. You want something uniquely Beijing, just like your education experience has been. Jingkids has been working with Dave Hanssen from Dave’s Studio on our outstanding magazine covers for years, and we’ve taken the chance to chat with him about his top 5 recommendations for uniquely Beijing graduation photos that every high school senior should check out.
Confucius Temple
Originally dating from 1302, the Confucius Temple is one of Beijing’s main temples honoring the great sage, from the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The grounds of the temple house hundreds of inscribed stele, recording the names of successful candidates for the examinations for the imperial bureaucracy. And locals believe it’s good luck to come visit and pay respect to Confucius before major academic exams.
It’s only fitting that you move on to the next chapter of your academic career with a visit to the country’s most famous sage.
Temple of Heaven
Known for its rigorous symbolic layout, peculiar structure, and magnificent decoration, it is the most representative example of Chinese ritual architecture. Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (from 1420 to 1900) worshiped the god of heaven and prayed for good harvests there. The large grounds are ideal for large group photoshoots, and you’ll definitely be able to find some beautiful spots without getting a ton of tourists photobombing your graduation photo.
Chaoyang Park
You don’t need to go to the most touristy places in Beijing to capture something meaningful. Chaoyang Park is ideal for photos where you want lots of greenery. It’s a favorite picnic and strolling destination for expats living in Beijing, so having some non-touristy graduation photos is very fitting to commemorate your time in the city.
The Hutongs
There’s nothing more iconic about Beijing life than a visit to the hutongs. Although, to be fair, finding a hutong that’ll accommodate a large group of teens in caps and gowns is going to be a challenge. But if you’re looking for a place to do photos by yourself or even with a small intimate group, having an iconic Beijing hutong be your backdrop can turn out some epic photos that’ll wow people for years to come.
On Campus
Last but not least, you definitely need to take photos somewhere on campus that show the name of your school. Whether you had a great high school experience or not, it’s something that you should capture in photos to remember for the rest of your life. Trust me, you’ll inevitably refer to your high school years later on in your life, and it’ll be an even more meaningful trip down memory lane with some photos from your high school.
To make sure you get the most amazing graduation photos that truly capture the moment, get in touch with Dave Hanssen from Dave’s Studio by scanning the QR code below.
Images: Pexels, jingkids, Uni You
