Most of these 19 photos were taken during a domestic trip from September to October 2024. The journey spanned across much of China, starting from Qinghai Province in the west, passing through Zhejiang Province in the east, and returning to Qinghai.
Except for the 12th photo, all were shot with a 35mm prime lens, with minor cropping, perspective correction, and slight color adjustments in post-processing.
1. Wuyue Plaza, Xining, Qinghai — September 10, 2024
A child standing by the doorframe gazes curiously at the colorful world outside. His eager steps are about to cross the threshold, yet his right hand lightly touching the glass betrays a hint of hesitation. The hurried figures passing by outside might be a reflection of his future self — walking across the vast plaza, seemingly free, yet still bound by unseen rules.
As I stood behind the glass, it felt as though I was looking into a reflection of my own past — a version of myself that was once brave yet fragile, filled with hope and endless imagination.
2. Nanhexia, Yangzhou, Jiangsu — September 18, 2024
Every 80s kid carries a memory of a street like this. It’s chaotic, narrow, and worn-out, even a bit untidy, yet it holds the essence of childhood. Seeing this scene brought a flood of childhood memories to my mind.
The slightly messy tangle of wires and clotheslines crisscrosses the sky. One side is filled with hanging laundry, while the other is entwined with lush vines. The power lines stretch into the distance, glowing softly in the sunset, leading to the hidden depths of the alley.
What lies there? Friends. Family who walked alongside me through my years of growing up.
3. Sanba, Hangzhou, Zhejiang — October 2, 2024
Eight years ago, I never imagined that I would leave Hangzhou. Perhaps this farewell is temporary, or maybe it’s forever.
At 6:30 in the morning, sunlight once again spilled through the window. The curtains remained open all night. I lay in bed, half-awake, enduring the sleepless night — no blankets, no change of clothes. As the sunlight gradually filled the entire room, I knew that the day had finally come.
Standing by the window, I realized that six and a half of the past eight and a half years were spent here. It seemed as though nothing had changed. Yet, through the reflection in the glass, I could sense that I had changed in ways I hadn’t fully noticed before.
4. Qinghai Lake, Hainan Prefecture, Qinghai — October 19, 2024
It’s been just 14 years since my first visit to Qinghai Lake, but over 30 years since these three people first met.
It’s still the same three people, the same car, and the same driver behind the wheel. The laughter along the way remains, and the destination is once again Qinghai Lake. Yet, time has already written different stories for each of us — our lives, entanglements, and uncertainties have woven into complex paths.
As an only child, solitude seems inevitable. But I still feel fortunate, because those friends who witnessed my growth are still there, ready to talk about life’s recent ups and downs.
5. Outskirts of Lanzhou, Gansu — September 10, 2024
After driving back and forth a few times, I finally decided to stop and take a photo of this lady. She stood by the roadside with crutches, gazing into the distance as if waiting for something.
I politely asked if I could take her photo. She nodded in agreement and adjusted her clothes, even trying to put down her crutches. I quickly suggested she keep holding them, as it would look more natural and comfortable that way.
During our brief conversation, I learned that she lived just behind us, and her home was currently without power, with no idea when it would be restored. I asked if she had WeChat so I could send her the photo, but she smiled, a bit embarrassed, and said she didn’t have a phone. Instead, she suggested that if I ever passed by again, I could print the photo and bring it to her.
6. South Gate of Slender West Lake, Yangzhou, Jiangsu — September 19, 2024
Where is the destination? Perhaps it’s like the wooden chair forgotten in an old house soon to be demolished, quietly lying in a corner, waiting for its final resting place.
Outside the window, greenery flourishes with life, yet the chair is already covered in dust. Once a place of rest for people, it can no longer resist the passage of time. The house will collapse, and the chair will face its final moments in the wind.
Who once cried on this chair? Who once laughed heartily here? Those stories, those emotions, will eventually fade with time, becoming memories of the past.
Standing at the end, we still have the choice to hold our heads high and face it all with a smile. Life is but a few decades — whether lived in grandeur or quiet diligence, in the end, it’s enough to witness the sunrise glow and the boundless starry sky.
7. Feicui Community, Baoji, Shaanxi — September 12, 2024
Moving can be a choice, or it can be forced upon us. A sudden downpour brought a series of unexpected consequences. Floodwaters, carrying dirt, surged from the mountains through the river channels into the residential area, and a once-warm home was instantly consumed by chaos.
Even two months later, revisiting the scene, I could still feel the terror and helplessness of that moment. The darkness still lingers in the room. Standing in this empty house, the watermarks on the walls and the paintings left behind vaguely trace the height the water reached. The switch on the wall still sits where it once powered the lights, but that night, it was destined to remain dark.
8. Lianbaoyeze, Aba County, Sichuan — October 10, 2024
There is no place like the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is so unique, the place where I was born and raised, the starting point of endless solitude and myth. Every mountain, every lake, has its own name and story, passed down for thousands of years and still spoken of today.
Lianbaoyeze in Sichuan and Nianbaoyuze in Qinghai belong to two parts of the same mountain range. Nianbaoyuze, known as the “back garden of the gods,” features towering peaks, swirling clouds, clear waters, lush grass, and vibrant flowers. Unfortunately, in April 2018, all operations in Nianbaoyuze were halted due to environmental protection regulations. Since then, Lianbaoyeze in Sichuan has become the only way to glimpse this divine garden.
The jagged peaks rise sharply, like the pointed tips of a crown piercing through the clouds. The lake beneath the crown reflects blue and green hues, shifting with the movement of the clouds and mist. Standing at the foot of the stone mountains, the smooth stone walls seem to reach for the sky. Looking up, I follow the direction of the stone walls, where snowflakes gently fall.
9. Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Zhijiang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang — September 26, 2024
The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains is one of China’s top ten famous classical paintings, and its original piece, The Remaining Mountain, was on a limited-time exhibition at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum before National Day. On the day before the exhibition closed, I hurried to the museum to see it in person. Although I had seen this painting countless times on TV and in books, I was still in awe as I stood in front of the display case.
The Fuchun River is located in the middle section of the Qiantang River, starting from Meicheng in Jiande and ending at Wenyan in Xiaoshan. The river flows through Hangzhou’s jurisdiction and is mostly surrounded by mountainous areas. The artist, Huang Gongwang, who lived during the late Song and early Ming dynasties, returned to Fuchun Mountain to live with a friend at the age of seventy-nine. He spent three years creating the painting for his friend, which became his most important work in life.
The painting has passed through multiple dynasties, survived a fire, and was almost buried as a funerary object. In the end, the painting was split into two parts: The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains — The Remaining Mountain is housed in the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, and The Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains — The Useless Master Scroll is housed in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
I have driven along the banks of the Fuchun River several times, personally witnessing the changes of the seasons. In the morning, clouds and mist swirl among the mountains; at sunset, the river surface is dyed red by the setting sun. In spring, the land is lush and green; in winter, snowflakes decorate the landscape. Whether it’s the winding river or the enchanting mountains, the beauty of Fuchun River always leaves me deeply moved.
10. Gem Mountain, Hangzhou, Zhejiang — September 30, 2024
The Baochu Pagoda, standing atop Gem Mountain, is one of the landmarks of West Lake in Hangzhou. Unlike the Broken Bridge of West Lake, many who have never visited West Lake are unaware of this ancient pagoda, and even those who have been there often mispronounce its name.
Among the many famous pagodas around West Lake, the most well-known is Leifeng Pagoda. Like “the water of West Lake,” Leifeng Pagoda has become a symbol of the bitter love story associated with West Lake. However, Baochu Pagoda, which faces Leifeng Pagoda across the lake, seems more like a fragile watcher, standing resilient for over a thousand years, guarding the city.
Unlike Leifeng Pagoda, which collapsed and was rebuilt in modern times, Baochu Pagoda, despite undergoing several repairs, still stands firmly in place. From the view of Tortoise Peak, Baochu Pagoda stands out amidst the tall buildings of Hangzhou, almost like a leader of the city’s architecture, remaining full of vitality and energy after a thousand years.
11. Huangshui River, Xining, Qinghai — October 14, 2024
This spot and angle have been the focus of countless photos since I got my first device capable of taking pictures. From initially showcasing my hometown to classmates to now seeking that sense of homesickness for myself, this spot has witnessed my transition from being a local to a visitor. Every time I return home, I make sure to take a photo by the river, witnessing its changes and recording the transformations in my own life over the past 20 years.
12. Outback, New South Wales, Australia — March 29, 2024
I never imagined there could be land so barren. Even driving at 110 kilometers per hour for an entire day, the view outside the window remains a flat, desolate wasteland. It seems that the only thing changing is the position of the sun, while everything else stays the same.
The car travels along this straight, barren, monotonous inland highway, and from above, it feels like watching a time-lapse. Shadows move counterclockwise, turning from west to east, and the Southern Cross quietly appears in the night sky. The unique magic of the Australian outback evokes a sense of loneliness and insignificance, prompting primitive reflection within.
In this remote corner of nature, I can’t help but contemplate the meaning of life and the value of living. Just like every road eventually leads to an end, where is my own destination?
13. Chaohu Service Area, Hefei, Anhui — September 14, 2024
At a highway service area, I met two university students who were promoting cleaning products. Through conversation, I learned that they had been assigned to various service areas for the promotion, and once their work was done, they would be taken off the highway. Despite the challenging job market, they were still full of energy and hope for the future.
When I asked if I could take a photo of them, the young man on the left happily said to his companion, “This is our first photo together!”
14. Huangnan Prefecture, Qinghai — October 11, 2024
Qinghai Province administers 2 prefecture-level cities and 6 autonomous prefectures, and Huangnan Prefecture was the last autonomous prefecture I had yet to visit on the map. This also means I can finally say with pride that I have now visited all of Qinghai’s cities and autonomous prefectures.
Starting in 2019, I have gradually traveled through various cities and autonomous prefectures in Qinghai. Initially, I thought I could complete this goal in three years, but due to the pandemic and other reasons, it wasn’t until this year that I was able to achieve it.
15. Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia — April 25, 2024
Motels are the symbol of road trips. In the Australian outback, motels are almost the only option for accommodation. Each county and town, shaped by its own culture and history, gives its motels a unique character.
Motel stays in the inland regions always make me feel the simple trust between people: no need for ID verification, you just pick the room key from the key box, open the door, and move in. When checking out, you simply return the key to its place. This way of staying is simple, transparent, and full of trust.
16. Linqi Town, Hangzhou, Zhejiang — September 24, 2024
This is my first return to Hangzhou since leaving the city last year. The main purpose of this trip is to properly settle some of the trivial items I had hurriedly left behind, and secondly, to revisit the city I deeply love.
What I miss most about Hangzhou is undoubtedly Qiandao Lake. And on the way to Qiandao Lake, the route I love the most is the Changwen Line. The Changwen Line is a relatively quiet road that connects Changhua Town in Lin’an and Wenchang Town in Chun’an, and was widened and renovated in 2017. This Sinopec gas station is located in Linqi Town, known for its traditional Chinese medicine, and it sits at a three-way junction leading to Chun’an city and the mountainous area north of Qiandao Lake.
17. Alibaba Xixi Campus, Hangzhou, Zhejiang — September 22, 2024
After leaving my job, this is my first time returning to the Alibaba Xixi Campus. I’m grateful to my colleagues who still work at Alibaba, as they gave me the opportunity to re-enter the campus as a visitor. It’s impossible not to have feelings for a place where I worked for five years, especially since it’s so beautiful, making it hard to resist. Exploring the changes in the campus with my colleagues, even though we’ve all worked here for over five years, we still discovered many new changes.
18. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia — April 27, 2024
The skyscrapers towering by the Pacific Ocean always remind me of the dreamscapes in Inception. The difference is, in the movie, the tall buildings collapse and slide away under the force of the waves, while the Gold Coast seems to represent the moment before all of that happens. The waves constantly crash onto the shore, reaching the base of the skyscrapers, then retreat in exhaustion, without end. The tall buildings seem to mock the waves, laughing at their impotence and futility. But time, the great director, will ultimately decide success or failure, rise or fall. In the end, we are just a speck in the vast ocean, mere passersby on Earth.
19. Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia — December 28, 2024
As one of Australia’s most famous landmarks and a world-renowned driving route, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria is a must-see destination for many tourists. During the Christmas holidays of 2024, I joined the ranks of self-drive travelers and visited its most iconic spot—the Twelve Apostles. In December, Australia is in the midst of summer, but the temperature along the Great Ocean Road was under 20°C, and the strong winds from the Antarctic made it feel unusually cold. The Twelve Apostles are strikingly unique. The towering rock formations standing in the waves seem ready to topple with each crash of the ocean. Eroded by the wind and sea, the rocks undergo subtle changes every year, bearing witness to the passage of time and the relentless forces of nature.
