Pearl River Workshop of Biophotonics was held at Jinan university on 27th July. It was co-hosted by the Institute of Photonics Technology, Jinan University and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania. The Pearl River Workshop of Biophotonics is a fresh take on the meeting series for photonics related research and applications and provide a valuable opportunity for scientists to interact in person for exchanging ideas and sharing experiences. More than 100 scholars were present including world-renowned bio-photonic scientist Prof. Arjun G. Yodh, fellow of AAAS. New science, cutting-edge technologies, emerging research trends in photonics and bio-photonics, as well as challenges and future were intensely discussed in such a one-day workshop.