In recent months, giant posters of spectacular African scenery have appeared on the walls of Beijing's metro stations.

Alongside them are the usual adverts, yet the breathtaking images of Africa do not come with a commercial tagline.

With a closer look, one can however find the photographer's name Luo Hong and his title, president of Holiland.

Is Holiland a photography shop? A maker of photographic equipments? A tourist agency?

None of the above. It is actually a successful bakery chain, and Luo Hong is not only its president, but also its founder.

Stepping into his office, one walks into a miniature nature reserve. There's a fake mountain in the centre of the room, a spring fountain, numerous plants, vines festooning the walls and a 10 foot-high fern covering the reception area. Employees have to brush their way through the protruding undergrowth.

"I'd go nuts if I didn't have something to remind me of Mother Nature," says Luo.

Dressed in a casual T-shirt and jeans, the cowboy-type entrepreneur sits among African carvings, a tea table made from a log and a vivid sculpture of a leopard crawling along a branch. Around him are piles of photographs on the floor and, plastered on the walls, images of water birds, migrating giraffe and frolicking rhinoceroses.

"These pictures were taken during my eight trips to Africa," Luo explains.

In June, he had a solo exhibition of his photos in Kenya as part of the United Nations' World Environment Day celebrations.

He gave a speech on environmental protection in his native Sichuan dialect.

"I feel much happier when people praise me for my photos instead of my bakery business. It is through the lens that I get to know how beautiful and harmonious nature can be," he says.

Since 2001, restless Luo has travelled to Africa twice a year, taking numerous pictures of the continent's sprawling wilderness.

His camera has recorded some of nature's most amazing scenes, such as a herd of gnus migrating, flamingos fishing, and lions at play.

He said that he jumped for joy or turned somersaults every time he managed to capture a unique moment.

To get a good photo he sometimes has to wait for days on end in the scorching sun, with wild animals only steps away.

"Once I was photographing a young elephant and became too obsessed. When I finished, I found myself surrounded by a troop of angry adult elephants," says Luo. Luckily, with the help of a local guide, he managed to escape.

"My craze for photography may be something I was born with," he says.

When Luo saw a Seagull-brand camera at the age of 12, he was immediately fascinated. "I was so amazed that this thing could capture a fleeting moment and record the images on paper."

Crazy about the gadget, the young boy later dropped out of school at the age of 16, becoming an apprentice in a photography studio. Two years later he opened his own shop, making a living by taking pictures for others and selling landscape shots of rural Sichuan.

Having the cake and eating it too

In 1982 Luo went through a life-transforming event: just before his mother's birthday party he saw some photos of exquisite foreign cakes.

He wanted to buy one for his mother's, but despite searching throughout the city he could not find one. He realized there was a gap in the market for his own cake shop.

The young man sold his photo studio and house, and borrowed money from friends to launch the new business. When the going got tough, he even thought of selling his favourite camera, his only remaining prized possession.

"But, thank God, that didn't happen," he says, smiling.

Business boomed and he recouped his investment in the first year, later opening more and more outlets.

Today, after 14 years of expansion, his bakery empire has more than 600 outlets, employing 8,000 people all over the country.

But Luo's number one passion is still photography, he admits. Though tied down by managerial chores, he squeezes time out of his busy schedule for a photography trip every year.

In 1995, he published his first collection. He began his annual trips to Africa in 2001, astounded by the wealth of subjects for photo shoots.

"Every time I'm there, I'm reluctant to return to the nitty-gritty of the business world," he says.

To avoid juggling his passion with his day job, Luo has decided to relinquish his position as president of Holiland sometime soon and devote more time to photography.

"I'm more of an impulsive type, so I'll focus on things I'd like to do for the rest of my life," Luo says with a smile.

Source: China Daily