"Advanced technology can only help to mitigate light pollution. Taking astronomy photos in the city is always hard," Xu says.

"More and more astronomy enthusiasts from all over the country are coming to observation spots in Fengxian," he adds. "Sometimes there are more than 30 astrophiles camping out on the seawall to get a good photo. Nanhui town in Pudong New Area and Chongming Island in Shanghai are also good spots for astrophotography."

Tang Haiming, the secretary general of the Shanghai Astronomical Society, concurs with Xu.

"The growing economy has led to greater levels of urbanization, which in turn affects astronomy observation. Severe light pollution makes it difficult to see the sky and this is the biggest challenge for an astrophile," says Tang.