China, where his passion for photography blossomed

With 449,000 fans and counting, Hammond's ascent to prominence surprisingly traces back to his one-year stint in Southwest China's Chongqing back in 2015.

In Chongqing, a city the Dover-born man calls his second home, Hammond worked as an English teacher, and on his days off and holidays, he explored China with his significant other, Sophia Pope.

To capture the diverse and beautiful landscapes in China that he fell in love with, the Briton was soon bitten by the photography bug and began instagramming his fine shots.

With a passion for scouting the gems in China's landscapes, the duo has visited vast swaths of the country, with their footsteps left in as many as 23 provinces to date.

Since realizing there was a huge interest in China photography on social media, the Briton decided to finish working at his school until his year contract was up and started to develop his photography skills, Hammond told China Daily Website in an exclusive interview.