To Italian Lorenzo Barbieri, the Beijing spirit is a mix of love, possibility and responsibility, best displayed by an embrace between a grandfather and a grandson.

Barbieri showed this in a photo, which won the first prize at the Beijing Spirit in the Eyes of Foreign Friends Photo Contest.

The annual contest, which is in its fourth year, received 3,729 submissions.

Seventeen were selected and awarded by the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries on Tuesday.

Michelle Tang, the other first-prize winner, said she was very surprised.

"I didn't know I won the first place until I got here," Tang said.

The photo enthusiast said she had participated in previous years. She submitted three photos this time.

"I'll definitely enter the contest next year,' she said.

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