Chinese Celebrity Power Couple Choose Waitomo

MEDIA RELEASE June 2016

Chinese Celebrity Power Couple Choose Waitomo

Earlier this year Chinese celebrity power couple, Nicky Wu (China’s answer to Justin Timberlake) and popular actress, Shishi Liu, chose Waitomo Glowworm Caves to take their pre-wedding photos. Now that their wedding has taken place, the world can finally see the spectacular images, shot by world-renowned fashion photographer, Liu Zongyuan, whose work has featured on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar, Vision and many more. Chinese custom sees couples having photos taken ahead of their nuptials to share with their guests on their big day (the more unique the backdrop, the better). The epic photos taken in Waitomo Glowworm Caves were part of a line up of pre-wedding photos taken at spectacular locations.

Since the recent public release, one particular image of the bride, actress Liu Shishi in the Waitomo Glowworm Cave looking up at a sky of glowworms has gained immense attention amongst fans. The image has been shared more than 10,000 times on Chinese social channels Weibo and WeChat. In the image Liu appears like Cinderella floating in a world of stars.

Considerable logistical planning is required to photograph the caves, given its delicate nature and the need to respect the cultural links with Tangata Whenua. Permission to do so is only granted on very special occasions and is normally reserved for professional photographers.

“Waitomo Caves region continues to increase in popularity with international visitors,” comments Gordon Hewston, Operations Manager at Waitomo Glowworm Caves.

“We always have great feedback from visitors about how much they love the experience and Nicky and Shishi Liu choosing to have their photos taken here, just shows that the caves are renowned even amongst the international celebrity elite.”

Recently local photographer, Shaun Jeffers, received considerable attention for his photography work within the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a project that took an entire year inside the Waitomo Glowworm to shoot. Shaun’s photos have been shared on Buzzfeed, Daily Mail, Huffington Post, along with a number of local and international news outlets.

Gordon Hewston continues: “The unique landscape of Waitomo Glowworm Caves makes it isually mesmerising and challenging to capture – but the final results are breathtaking. Thanks to the wonder of social media and the world renowned talent associated with the images, photos of Waitomo Glowworm Caves have been putting the destination at the top of many travellers lists.”

It’s stunning visuals has driven Waitomo Glowworm Caves into the top 10 most pinned global locations on Pinterest.

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