The sun shone brightly on the warm summer day of 2021 in Nanjing. I held my Sony Alpha with an 85mm prime lens, and my steps led me to the lush greenery of Baguazhou. The scenery that greeted me took my breath away. The rolling hills of green stretched as far as my eye could see and my heart raced. In this moment, I knew I had to press the shutter and capture this beauty forever.
The color green has always been associated with the idea of hope. To me, this photo in particular was a symbol of the future. It promised of a better tomorrow, even in these uncertain times.
My photo from Baguazhou served as a token of optimism, a reminder of the beauty that comes with looking towards the future. As the sun began to set, I was left with the hope that this image, this beautiful piece of landscape, could bring a sense of solace to those who may be struggling.
Photography has the power to capture a moment in time. It’s a unique, creative outlet for photographers of all levels and skillsets. With just a single click, you have the ability to preserve a moment in all its beauty and complexity. As you look through the viewfinder of a camera, it can be likened to looking through a lens; an oval looking glass allowing us to glimpse a second in eternity that we are all a part of.
The photo shows a skylight perched atop of a building, seemingly looking down like a greyish-blue eye with an oval shape. While it neither captures nor reproduces the beauty of the sky, it still has a mesmerizing effect that can’t be missed.
In the early morning, the first rays of the eastern sun shine into the dark woods. Everything gradually awakens from the darkness before dawn. You can imagine birds chirping and the smell of sunlight wafting through the silent woods. Light and shadow are shining, and time seems to stand still.
Sometimes we imagine jumping from one state of life to another. Although this imagination does not have much basis for experience, it can still bring us spiritual satisfaction. Frankly speaking, most people’s yearning for idyllic scenery basically stems from the imagination of relevant content in classical works. In this sense, when I pressed the shutter to take this picture, I was actually trying to find a spiritual idyllic setting. Naturally, sometimes this effort is futile and frustrating, and the idyllic scenery you see and the idyllic scenery you imagine are so far apart. However, we sometimes need this state of wandering, to find spiritual satisfaction in our imagination.
It was early summer. With the clear river water and green trees, the early summer is continuing the strong vitality of spring, and everything is given new hope. I can deeply feel that hazy faith is like breaking through the dead night and running into the wilderness of dawn, with a trace of roughness and strength. This is an experience that winter does not have; Naturally, autumn cannot have such an opportunity.
However, for a moment, there was a sadness that things were right from wrong. This is probably the melancholy that beautiful things can’t stay in the world forever, right?
Probably influenced by the Chinese poet Li Shangyin’s poem “Leave the remaining lotus to listen to the sound of the rain”, my interest in this kind of poetic imagery seems to have never diminished. It is inevitable that I try to incorporate such elements into my photography creations! Mountain peaks, ancient pagodas, residual lotus, and still rivers under the setting sun, you need to handle these elements artistically in order to approach and achieve the purpose of artistic expression. Silhouette is a very common way of visual expression, I only keep the rough outline of the above elements, and remove redundant details. In this way, the visual form with traditional Chinese freehand brushwork style comes to life.
Loneliness is the norm. Only in the face of loneliness can we see a more true self, not be lost in the world, and not be swayed by the eyes of others. People who are open to loneliness often have a strong heart. They are able to maintain ambition in the face of setbacks and a normal mindset in the face of achievements.
There are many cultural relics and historical sites in Nanjing, especially the ancient buildings represented by the Ming City Wall can better reflect the cultural heritage of the city.
Nanjing Zhonghua Gate
As part of the Ming City Wall, Zhonghua Gate is located at the south gate of the city, between the inner and outer Qinhuai River, formerly known as Jubao Gate. Zhonghuamen Castle is the largest surviving castle-like urn in China, and is also considered to be the best-preserved and most complex ancient castle in the world. The city gate is large in scale, ingenious in design and complex in structure, and has been listed as a national key protected cultural relic by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
Inside the Zhonghua Gate is the Inner Qinhuai River, which is connected by Zhenhuai Bridge to Zhonghua Road, which has been prosperous for thousands of years since the Southern Tang Dynasty. The east side of Zhonghua Gate is called “Men East” area; while the west side of Zhonghua Gate is called “Men West” area.
Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang began to build the Nanjing city wall in 1366. Among them, Jubaomen was rebuilt on the former site of the southern gate of the capital of the Southern Tang Dynasty. According to legend, there is a cornucopia of Shen Wansan, a wealthy household in the south of the Yangtze River buried under the gate. In 1931, it was renamed Zhonghuamen. The gate is 118.5 meters wide from east to west and 128 meters long from north to south, covering an area of 15,168 square meters. There are three urn cities in total, which are connected by four coupon gates. The first gate is 21.45 meters high. And there are horse trails for riding to the city. Each door has a jack gate and a double wooden door that can be activated up and down. Now only the remains of the gate slot and the door position remain. There are 13 caves for Tibetan soldiers up and down the Wengcheng, and 14 caves for Tibetan soldiers under the left and right horse roads, which can store military supplies and ambush soldiers during wartime. It is estimated that it can accommodate 3,000 people.
Nanjing Zhonghua Gate
Walking on the city wall of China Gate, there is an illusion of time and space disorder from time to time. Some of the bricks that have been eroded by wind and rain have begun to peel off, showing a deep sense of historical vicissitudes. Looking at these ancient buildings made me fall into deep contemplation.
The quarry is located in Jiangning District, Nanjing City, adjacent to She Village, surrounded by mountains and rivers, making it a good tourist attraction. A quarry is a gravel pile of ruins formed after years of mining. They show amazing power over the years. After years of weathering, the gravel gradually forms a hard shell. The uplifted part forms a hill-like shape with a narrow top and a broad bottom, where it shows ravines of varying depths, probably formed by years of rain. Such “hills” can be described as “unique”. If the sun sets in the evening, the side of the hill seems to be covered with a layer of golden brilliance, the protruding part is dazzling and bright, and the sunken part is dark and hidden, forming a rich layer of tones. This time will attract tourists and photographers in twos and threes to come and take pictures. Although it is not a scenic spot, they seem to regard it as a tourist attraction.
Quarry
The cavity is located between the two hills, and the space inside is narrow, but people can burrow into it. After all, it is a hill formed by piles of gravel, and it may collapse if you are not careful, so people should always be cautious enough during climbing and walking. Those who are keen to explore are good at imitating this place as an adventure place, trying to show their extraordinary courage and survival skills.
When the tourists dispersed one after another, I took a few more pictures. They better reflect what I see as a quarry, with a mysterious, primitive, desolate flavor.
I have walked into She Village many times. She Village is located in the northeast corner of Jiangning District, Nanjing City, surrounded by mountains, like a basin. What impresses me the most is that this place is independent of the surrounding environment and is self-contained.
That day, I wandered alone in the streets, pavilions and pavilions of She Village, recording everything in front of me with a camera.
Most of the buildings here continue the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with white walls and black tiles, especially the horse head wall has almost become the scenery line here. The Horse Head Wall originated from Hui-style architecture and can be traced back to the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty. Now, when talking about Hui-style architecture, the first thing that comes to mind is the Horse Head Wall.
The tourists who came with me, who seemed more interested in water parks, all dispersed. Only I seem to be interested in this ancient building. In fact, it is not entirely correct. It may be more because ancient architecture can give photography more meaning.
Just like this grass pavilion in front of me, it is the most characteristic one I have ever seen, quite Japanese style. The grass pavilion stands behind a clump of weeds, looking into the distance, it is an endless blue sky. However, the sight was quickly drawn to the grass pavilion again. Outside the long pavilion, along the ancient road, the grass is endless. Such verses can better reflect the life of the ancients full of melancholy parting. Dreaming of returning to the Tang Dynasty, Li Bai rode his horse on the ancient road, bid farewell to his friends, and looked back at the grass pavilion in the wind, and couldn’t help feeling filled with emotion.
When I was about to leave She Village, the sky darkened before I knew it.
