At night Xinghua city, the county-level city administered by Taizhou city in East China's Jiangsu province, is dressed to impress – decorated by a raft of lanterns and other lighting that extends from city to countryside.

Recently some of the entries from a photo contest, organized by the Jiangsu Province Photographers Association and the publicty department of the CPC Xinghua Municipal Committee, were displayed to show just how splendid Xinghua is at night.

A brightly lit street and the houses on either side of it run through the middle of rural rice paddies, as dusk descends on a charming countryside scene in Xinghua. [Photo by Hong Xin]

The lights reflecting elegantly on the water add to the luster of the night. [Photo by Hu Zhaoming]

Zhaoyang Lake Park is a great spot for locals to take a stroll at night, to enjoy the fresh air. [Photo by Wang Yuhan]