Photographs taken from an 11-day hike for charity through Tibet are on display at the 798 Art Zone. Photos: Courtesy of Chen Kun

A photography exhibition on Tibet has opened at the 798 Art Zone documenting an 11-day hiking expedition between August and September in the autonomous region. The expedition aimed to raise funds for charities working in some of China's most remote mountainous regions.

Titled "Power To Go," the exhibition includes more than 80 photos capturing the natural beauty of Tibet's rugged mountainous terrain while providing insight into the lives of locals. Five photographers, including expedition leader and Chinese actor Chen Kun, snapped moments of joy, excitement and tears during their high-altitude trip.

"Power To Go" was initiated by Chen in May. He picked 10 Beijing university students who volunteered for the 115-kilometer hike that began on August 25 and ended on September 4.

The team hiked up the Salad Uzbek Mountain, visited the Samye Monastery and camped beside the Yangzhuoyong Lake. They listened to monks recite Buddhist scriptures at Jokhang Temple, cooked for kids at a school for the blind and sat by bonfires at night when they shared their thoughts at the end of each day, during which they were asked not to talk to each other to allow them to hike with a clearer mind.

"The most difficult part was when we hiked 25 kilometers along a narrow mountain pass and we collected garbage left by tourists alongside Yangzhuoyong Lake," said Yuan Mengyao, a volunteer from the University of International Relations. "The trip was more of a mental challenge than a physical one, during which I feel I grew stronger."

The trip started with more than 10 accompanying reporters, but only one finished the hike together with all the volunteers.

At the exhibition's opening ceremony on November 3, three photos were auctioned and 300,000 yuan ($47,255) was raised for welfare programs including one that benefits sufferers of pneumoconiosis, a disease of the lungs characterized by fibrosis and caused by the chronic inhalation of mineral dusts. Another charity that improves education for children in remote areas also benefited.

"Celebrities can play an important role in promoting charitable causes and I'm happy to see more of them participate and raise public awareness," said Wang Keqin, assistant editor-in-chief at the Economic Observer, which founded the charity that helps pneumoconiosis patients.

Chen's initiative will continue to help young people clear the minds, while also recruit volunteers to work as teachers at schools in remote parts of the country next year.

A book on this year's hiking expedition is slated to hit shelves next month, with Chen Kun sharing stories with readers about the team's adventures.