With Facebook and Twitter blocked in China, and with VPNs having the tendency to shut down unexpectedly, Instagram is up and coming in China. There were initially worries about the popular photo-sharing and editing application, popular on smartphones, being blocked as it was acquired by Facebook, but it seems that those fears never come to fruition.

Instagram was first launched in China in October 2010, and the number of users grew to 1 million within the first two months. While it does have a lot of competition in China – with local apps like TuDing and PhotoSola growing exponentially and tailored to being compatible with Chinese social media – Instagram is definitely drawing the masses as well as expatriates. There are now even painters who can turn your instagrams into real oil paintings.
Instagram is also a good way to get involved in activities throughout China as many events are increasingly involving the app in their web marketing. A lot of entertainment venues around China even have their own accounts.

This is our selection of the best Instagramers to follow – so get your smartphones out. But if you think there is someone who deserves a mention add them in the comments section below and keep the community growing.

Top picks for China-based users to follow

1) aiww
Everyone’s favorite Chinese dissident/artist, Ai Weiwei, doesn’t follow anyone himself, but he currently has 55,000 people following him. He posts mainly art works but throws in the occasional selfie or picture of friends and family; especially of his, now famous, son.

2) cramepete
An American living and working in Beijing, cramepete focuses on landscapes and snapshots of daily life in China, with the occasional video. We especially loved the documentation of his recent trip to Yunnan province.

3) deonwong
China based artist and photographer with a wide array of pictures of people. One of her specialties is capturing people’s beauty as they are surrounded by nature.  This is the Instagram we wanted you all to see:

4) coinqian
Coin Qian is a blooming artist and designer based in Shanghai. She uploads photographs as well as images of her art – which is largely focused on women’s style and fashion. This is our pick: 

5) xiewen
Xiewen is a Brit living in Nanjing, and takes incredible pictures there and on her trips around China. Her focus is on the natural beauty of China. She captures wildlife wonderfully – this is our favorite shot:

6) lawrenceim
Based in Shanghai, lawrenceim is a TEDx curator, NGO volunteer and certainly enjoys his ‘iPhonography’. He is also working on trying to spread ‘IDEAS’ in China. His shots vary greatly, with a lot of focus on color, but also an abundance of cityscapes throughout the entire country.

7) americanalien
Americanalien calls himself an ‘urban explorer’, and we are guessing that he is an American living in Beijing. Regardless of a somewhat hidden identity, he has some amazing pictures taken in the hutongs, and some documentation of travels abroad, including his recent trip to Thailand. Keep an eye out for his recurring chair and construction shots.

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Instagramers to Follow