I never imagined I’d have an experience like this. For the longest time, I had thought about doing costume rentals for photoshoots in places like Malaysia or Korea—those destinations felt familiar, accessible, and fun. China, on the other hand, had never really been on my radar.
That changed when I started planning a trip to Yunnan, specifically Lijiang. As I dug deeper into what the area had to offer, I discovered something fascinating: cultural costume photoshoots are a huge part of the tourist experience there. Traditional outfits, especially Tibetan attire, are a big draw, and seeing them in action completely changed my perspective. Honestly? It’s nothing short of incredible.
I have to mention their punctuality: if you’re told to arrive at 9 a.m., don’t show up at 8:30 or 8:45 unless you’re ready to brave the sun or cold—though, in fairness, the beautiful alley of Li Jiang’s South Gate (南門) makes it a little easier to bear.
Our session was at YiBan Photography. Once they've opened, they provided an iPad so we could browse different styles and outfits before trying anything on. I wasn’t completely sure at first, so I tried one outfit before deciding on another. The staff was very patient with me and never once rushed or rejected my indecision, which made the whole experience feel comfortable.
What made it even more enjoyable was how effortless the whole experience was. Everything was thoughtfully handled from start to finish—outfit, makeup, hairstyle, shoes, accessories—every little detail was prepared for me.
And there you have it—my behind-the-scenes makeup moment! Yep, the legendary super-white China makeup on the skin—bucket list checked, and now I’ve finally experienced it!
All I had to do was show up and immerse myself in the moment, which made it feel luxurious and surprisingly relaxing.
Since I have short hair, I was a bit worried at first that I’d have to stick with it—I wasn’t sure if they could extend it or provide a wig. If you have short hair too, don’t worry! You can end up looking gorgeous with long hair, thanks to their plaited long wigs that look super natural, especially combined with their expert makeup skills. The only thing is they need to cover the wig connection, so I ended up wearing a cute fur hat.
And here’s my best friend’s look… isn’t she just adorable in this outfit?
I also felt so fortunate to have an Influencer/Blogger friend, Qiqi who recently did a full family photoshoot in traditional costumes there. Her firsthand experience was invaluable. I could ask her all the questions I had—from which costume rental studios to were best to photographer—and she gave me crystal-clear recommendations, making my planning so much easier. Read her blog here.
On the day of the shoot, we had our own private driver pick us up and bring us to the studio. There, we were fully styled before heading out to the mountains and scenic spots for the shoot.
The photographers were all arranged by the same company (YiBan Photography), which meant there was no stress about coordinating schedules or quality—they were all professionals who made everything seamless. Anything extra, like props or add-ons, was entirely optional, so you could tailor the experience exactly how you wanted.
We went all out. We paid a little extra for entry fees, rented horses, and even had lambs included in the shoot.
Honestly? No regrets at all. It was pure YOLO energy—an unforgettable adventure that felt completely worth it.
These two images were taken and professionally edited by the photographer:
Just as I was flying to China, Nano Banana AI was at a stage where it could really transform unrealistic images into something real and even adapt them into different formats. That made it even more exciting when I got all my photos back—I was able to create even more stunning variations. The images below were all enhanced with AI:
To be honest, the sky wasn’t ideal for beautiful photos that day, and going up the snow mountain didn’t really suit me—but wouldn’t it be amazing to have a snow mountain backdrop? Thanks to AI, I can now get those stunning images without freezing in the cold!
On top of that, YiBan Photography team was super fast with editing (with their really good software too). We took the photos and received the edited versions the same day, either via WeChat or email. We got all the raw images plus six edited ones.
Here’s the pricing breakdown:
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Photoshoot: RMB798
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Deposit: RMB100
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Balance: RMB698 + 3% Alipay Fee (RMB20.94) = RMB718.94
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Ranch Entrance Fees: RMB170
It adds up to roughly SGD$190 per person. Also, you won’t be able to share a photographer—each person gets their own photographer. They don’t charge by the hour for the photographer—they charge for a half-day session instead.
If you’re even slightly tempted, don’t hesitate—just go for it. Experiences like this don’t come around often. I’ll leave the company details below so you can plan your own magical photoshoot adventure.
LOCATION
📍Yiban Photography 壹半摄影(古佑巷店)
云南省丽江市古城区南门古佑巷143-2号
(LiJiang, Yunnan, China)
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