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Beijing Hutong Summer: From Fayuan Temple to the Drum Tower
I have always felt that summer is not the easiest season to travel in Beijing, as I wrote in Best Time to Visit Beijing: An Honest Seasonal Guide From a Beijing Native. The heat can…
Editor’s Picks
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One Day in Macau: Old Streets, Casino Lights & Taipa Luxury
Read more: One Day in Macau: Old Streets, Casino Lights & Taipa Luxury -
Guangzhou Citywalk Routes: 4 Walking Themes + One-Day Itinerary
Read more: Guangzhou Citywalk Routes: 4 Walking Themes + One-Day Itinerary -
Chaoshan Moments: A Teochew Culture Photo Collection
Read more: Chaoshan Moments: A Teochew Culture Photo Collection -
Hangzhou Photography Guide: 4 Photo Ideas You Shouldn’t Miss (Beyond West Lake)
Read more: Hangzhou Photography Guide: 4 Photo Ideas You Shouldn’t Miss (Beyond West Lake) -
Best Skylines in China: 6 City Views Worth Seeing and Photographing
Read more: Best Skylines in China: 6 City Views Worth Seeing and Photographing -
Beijing Traditions Photo Guide: 6 Photography Locations
Read more: Beijing Traditions Photo Guide: 6 Photography Locations
Browse by Category
Photo Collections
Image-led photo stories with light context, visual notes, and simple shooting tips.
Travel Journal
Itineraries, route ideas, and personal travel stories from cities I’ve explored.
Photo Guides
Practical photography guides with deeper tips on locations, light, composition, and editing.
Personal Essays
Personal essays on travel, creativity, self-growth, emotions, and the way I see the world.
All Journal Posts
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Chinese Lanterns in Beijing: Where to See and Photograph Them
Chinese lanterns are one of the most recognizable visual symbols of traditional China, especially for international travelers visiting during Chinese New Year. But lanterns are not only the classic red round shapes we often imagine. They can also appear as long palace-style lanterns, colorful fish lanterns, zodiac-themed installations, poetic light…
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Before Sunrise in Lijiang: The Milky Way, Meteors & a Golden Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
I had wanted to see the Milky Way with my own eyes for years. In Lijiang, that finally happened — and inside the same three-hour window I also caught meteors, watched Jade Dragon Snow Mountain glow silver under a setting moon, and then watched its peaks turn gold at sunrise.…
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Unexpected Encounters: Animal Photography While Traveling
Animals are rarely something I deliberately set out to photograph. Their movements are unpredictable, meaningful moments often last only a second, and while traveling, I usually cannot spend hours waiting in one place or carry a heavy telephoto lens everywhere I go. Still, I have been lucky enough to meet…
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Your China Travel Photography Starter Pack: 3 Cities to Begin With
A couple of months ago, I saw someone on X asking where a first-time visitor should go in China. I casually replied with a few cities, and the post unexpectedly received more than a thousand views and over a hundred engagements. I had assumed that such a basic question already…
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Where the Mountains Turn Gold: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Photography
Earlier this year, I traveled to Lijiang, Yunnan, for the first time, and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山) was one place I knew I could not miss. We were lucky enough to watch its peaks turn gold at sunrise, then spent the day exploring the turquoise water of Blue Moon…
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AI Editing in Photography: Where I Draw the Line
AI editing has made it easier than ever to turn an imperfect photograph into a beautiful one—but also harder to decide what that photograph is actually worth. While selecting images for my yearly albums, I hesitated over a Summer Palace photo that Lightroom’s AI tools had transformed from a crowded…
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Xishuangbanna 3-Day Itinerary: Tropical Gardens, Dai Villages and Honest Travel Notes
Choosing Xishuangbanna was completely unplanned. I had been searching for my next travel destination, but nothing I found made me genuinely excited—until I casually came across a few short videos of Xishuangbanna on social media and decided almost immediately to go. In this Xishuangbanna 3-day itinerary, I share how I…
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3 Composition Techniques That Cover 80% of Travel Photography Scenes
Travel photography can feel overwhelming because every scene changes fast: the light, the background, the crowd, the subject, and even your own position. Over time, I realized that I often return to a few simple composition techniques whenever I need to make a photo feel cleaner, stronger, or more intentional.…
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Composition Through My Lens: Using Lines to Create Structure and Mood
Roads, bridges, rivers, trees, shadows, and horizons can quietly organize a travel photo before the viewer even notices them. Lines give a scene direction, structure, rhythm, and sometimes a stronger sense of space. In this collection, I want to share how I use lines in travel photography to create mood…
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