A worker stirs the boiling donkey hide at a traditional ejiao workshop of Dong'e Ejiao Co Ltd in Dong'e county, Shandong province, Aug 11, 2017. [Photo by Wang Qian/ China Daily]

Ejiao, a gelatin made of donkey hide, is a centuries-old remedy used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat ailments such as anemia, dry coughs and dizziness.

The photographers visited Dong'e as part of the Fifth FIAP Photo Meeting, one of the flagship events in world photography, which is being held in China for the first time this year.

The visit started with a lecture by Qin Yufeng, CEO of Dong'e Ejiao Co Ltd, a local company that produces the county's signature product.

Qin Yufeng, CEO of Dong'e Ejiao Co Ltd, explains the ejiao industry to visiting photographers of the 2017 FIAP Photo Meeting in Dong'e county, Shandong province, Aug 11, 2017. [Photo by Zhang Yu/ Chinanews.com]

"Ejiao is part of China's intangible cultural heritage, and has a 3,000-year history in Shandong," Qin told the assembled photographers.

According to Qin, the popularity of the traditional tonic is down to the unique qualities of Dong'e itself: namely, the county's local water resources and the ancient skills possessed by Dong'e's ejiao makers.

The underground water quality in Dong'e is conducive to making ejiao. Trace elements in the water can help the liver better retain blood and regulate the amount of blood it retains.

"We feel grateful that we inherited from our ancestors such invaluable techniques to make ejiao," Qin added.

Photographers concentrate on what Qin Yufeng is saying during their visit to Dong'e county, Shandong province, Aug 11, 2017. [Photo by Wang Qian/ China Daily]