Across China: A Visual Passage Through Culture and Self

Across China is a long-form photographic project documenting an 8,000-kilometre journey from the lush landscapes of Yunnan to the deserts of Urumqi, spanning from the western border city of Kashi to the towering skyline of Shanghai. This work is more than a geographic exploration; it is an intimate investigation of a culture and identity in profound transition.

Over several months, I travelled through diverse environments — bustling urban centres, remote desert towns, ancient monasteries, and vibrant marketplaces — capturing moments where tradition and modernity converge and reshape each other. From young monks absorbed in their smartphones beneath centuries-old murals to vendors livestreaming from Silk Road bazaars, these images reveal a society continuously negotiating its place between past and present.

The project is as much about the internal journey as the external. Each photograph carries the emotional resonance of experience — curiosity, displacement, reflection, and transformation. The act of witnessing became a dialogue between me and the evolving social fabric around me. This work reflects a personal response to the shifting landscapes of culture and self.

This series offers more than documentation; it is a meditation on change, memory, and belonging. It presents a layered portrait of China today and an honest reflection on the transformative power of travel and observation.