Travel Notes

Here are some things I saw and moments I came across during my travels.

My wife and I visited Longxing Temple in Zhengding on a weekend.

Inside the temple’s Dabeige Pavilion is the Reverse-Seated Guanyin, which unusually faces the rear entrance of the hall, with its back to the central Buddha. This rare and intentional orientation expresses the bodhisattva’s resolve to turn toward the world and respond to suffering. With its calm demeanor and intricate details, it is a distinguished example of Song Dynasty Buddhist art.

The Reverse-Seated Guanyin at Longxing Temple, Zhengding
2025-04-19

The night before heading home from our trip to Huangshan, my wife and I stayed at a guesthouse in Xixinan Village, near the high-speed rail station.

While taking an evening walk through the village, we stumbled upon a local fish lantern night parade. It was a pleasant surprise—what began as a quiet, aimless stroll in the dark gradually turned magical as we saw people carrying glowing fish lanterns and paper lights floating on the river. We later learned that we had arrived just in time for the event, and visitors could buy handmade fish lanterns to take part. The atmosphere was festive, and everyone seemed happy and relaxed.

Fish Lantern Night Parade in Xixinan Village
2025-04-05

In the last days of 2024, my wife and I were staying near the Amazon Spheres in Seattle. I’d heard that Amazon gives out free bananas there every morning, so we went to check it out. While we were there, I saw a kid who was running around excitedly with his bananas. I captured this joyful moment in this photo.

Happy Kid with Free Bananas, Seattle
2024-12-31

On our last night in New York, my wife and I went up the Empire State Building to take in the magnificent night view of the city. To be honest, the only downside of the observation deck is that you can’t see the building itself…

View from the Top of the Empire State Building
2024-12-29

During Halloween, Universal Studios Beijing hosts special events. My wife and I got free tickets, so we came to check it out. There were many acrobats performing on-site. This photo was taken casually, but I spent a lot of effort in post-processing to enhance the lighting and atmosphere.

An Acrobat Performing at the Halloween Event in USB
2024-10-27

When my wife and I visited Fushimi Inari Taisha, we came across a whole mountain—Mount Inari—behind the shrine. Every trail on the mountain is lined with countless torii gates. This photo was taken during our hike up. I really like it, even though I can’t technically explain why. It gives me a strong sense of a “moment.”

Visitors at Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto
2024-10-02

On the afternoon of the second day after arriving in Osaka, my wife and I walked through Osaka Castle Park. While resting on the north side and deciding where to eat, we suddenly realized the castle tower might be illuminated at night. So we waited a little longer, and sure enough, it lit up. That’s when I took this photo.

The Tenshu of Osaka Castle at Night
2024-09-28

It was my first time seeing advection fog—and learning what it was.

Back then, my girlfriend and I weren’t married. We were hiking a small hill at Shilaoren Sightseeing Garden, Qingdao. As we climbed, the fog gradually rose and drifted around us. By the time we reached the top and looked out, the lower parts of the city were already hidden in fog, with only the taller buildings breaking through. So I took this photo.

Advection Fog Scenery, Qingdao
2024-04-28

In the winter of 2023-2024, Haotian rented a red Tesla, so he drove us to Qinhuangdao for a trip. This photo was taken when we stopped and got out to rest after taking a wrong turn. The two cups of Mixue lemonade in the car were bought in Tangshan.

On the Way to Qinhuangdao with Haotian
2023-12-27

This was near the end of the October trip Haotian and I took to Inner Mongolia. In the early hours that day, we left the car every now and then to take pictures in the freezing wind, then rushed back in to warm up. I loved how the yellow light inside felt so human against the vast stillness outside.

Shot with Haotian’s lens and Chaoxi’s camera (he didn’t join the trip).

A Night Out Stargazing in Ulan Butong
2023-10-27

One evening during our Inner Mongolia trip, Haotian and I stood on Dahong Mountain in Ulanqab and watched the sky glow with a beautiful sunset in the distance. Come to think of it, every photographer must have, at some point, taken a photo of another photographer taking a photo…

Haotian Photographing the Sunset in Ulanqab
2023-10-22

This photo was taken on the second night of our Inner Mongolia trip. We had bought some food beforehand and driven up to Volcano No. 6 in Wulanhada to shoot the starry sky with long exposures. I didn’t bring a tripod that night—just used a few rocks to steady the camera.

The image is a stack of 30 shots, with a total exposure time of around 17 minutes.

Star Trails on a Volcano in Wulanhada
2023-10-21

Near the main entrance of the Dujiangyan Scenic Area stands Nanqiao, a covered bridge. My girlfriend and I walked through it in a light rain. Just after we came out on the north side, I got the idea to capture the feeling of being in the crowd—so I turned around and took this shot with an ultra-wide-angle lens.

North Side of Nanqiao
2023-09-20

During our trip through western Sichuan, my girlfriend and I spent quite some time at the Yala Snow Mountain viewpoint. The area is small and doesn’t bring you as close to the peaks as places like the Siguniang Scenic Area—but the view was still among the most breathtaking I’ve ever seen.

View from the Yala Snow Mountain Viewpoint
2023-09-18

I took a trip to Shanghai in late summer 2023. It left me with a vivid impression of the city as modern and full of vibrant colors. Although I took many photos I liked, I’ve decided to just share one of the most colorful.

A Colorful Shot, Shanghai
2023-08-27

Daming Temple in Yangzhou was where Master Jianzhen lived and taught before his journey to Japan. After he arrived, the Japanese emperor had Tōshōdai-ji built in Nara, modeled after Daming Temple, to honor him. Over the centuries, Daming Temple was repeatedly damaged and rebuilt, while Tōshōdai-ji has remained largely intact. As a result, many of the Tang-style structures seen at Daming Temple today are actually later reconstructions inspired by Tōshōdai-ji.

It began to drizzle around noon on the day my girlfriend and I visited the temple. This photo was taken after the rain had stopped, while we were still resting beneath the Qiling Pagoda. Coincidentally, it drizzled again when we visited Tōshōdai-ji two and a half years later.

After the Rain, Daming Temple
2023-04-06

At the beginning of 2023, my girlfriend and I took a trip to Sanya and spent a night on Xidao Island. That evening, there were people selling fireworks on the beach, others setting them off, and still others simply enjoying themselves. We bought some fountains and lit them ourselves, taking a few photos. Though the pictures didn’t look impressive then, they have become precious memories now.

A Night on Xidao Island
2023-01-17

This photo was taken at Genghis Khan Square in Hulunbuir.

During those days, my girlfriend and I wandered the streets and alleys of Hailar District, pretending to live there. We strolled slowly along the riverbank, bought cheap fruit from roadside stalls, and had dinner at small, humble eateries… Maybe, in our fast-paced world, part of what travel means is just giving ourselves a chance to slow down.

My Girlfriend Dancing at Genghis Khan Square in Hulunbuir
2022-08-01

This post ends here. Thanks for making it this far—your reward: a Back to Top button 😉