I saw the city as a blend of Buddhist serenity and modern prosperity. As I walked on weathered tiles, I heard the bustling sounds of tourists and resonating chants from ancient temples. I wandered through run-down gardens whose dilapidated appearances betrayed their immense cultural significance. Standing atop Cixi Temple, I overlooked West Lake and the complex web of Hangzhou’s intersecting streets. I watched as a line of doves glided over the gilded spires of the city’s famous pagodas, overshadowed by statues of the smiling Buddha.
While somewhat paradoxical for such a metropolis, my photographic portrayal of Hangzhou focuses on nature devoid of the markings of civilization. I believe these scenes best showcase the lessons of ancient Hangzhou.
When humans turn to deities for their wishes and desires, they seek control over the hardships they cannot overcome and the time they cannot cross. When humans wish for eternal happiness, they are limited by the unreachability of eternity. Meanwhile, nature exists with a silent timelessness. In my photos, it envelops humans and overshadows even their most ancient works. Nature has the very power that humans are searching for with their deities and have never realized: eternity. It is always growing, evolving, and renewing, exhibiting a grand cyclicality that dwarves humans even in the middle of their largest cities.
