This journal brings together Lingzi Kong‘s text-led photography content, including guides, curated collections, and visual travel notes.
Explore the latest posts below, or visit the Gallery and Yearly Albums to browse photos directly.
Editor’s Picks
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A Year-End Temple Morning in Hangzhou: A Quiet Winter Route from Faxi to Lingyin (Without Missing the Highlights)
Read more: A Year-End Temple Morning in Hangzhou: A Quiet Winter Route from Faxi to Lingyin (Without Missing the Highlights) -
Tower Photography Tips: 4 Ways to Capture City Landmarks Better
Read more: Tower Photography Tips: 4 Ways to Capture City Landmarks Better -
Views Over Planes: Aerial Photos from Airplane Windows
Read more: Views Over Planes: Aerial Photos from Airplane Windows -
3 Things That Improve Your Travel Photography Experience (Without Ruining the Trip)
Read more: 3 Things That Improve Your Travel Photography Experience (Without Ruining the Trip) -
Washington, DC Cherry Blossoms: A Tidal Basin Photo Collection
Read more: Washington, DC Cherry Blossoms: A Tidal Basin Photo Collection -
Beijing Traditions Photo Guide: 6 Photography Locations
Read more: Beijing Traditions Photo Guide: 6 Photography Locations
Browse by Category
Photo
Colletctions
Curated photo series from cities, landscapes, and everyday life—image-led, with light context and mood.
Photo
Guides
Practical photography notes on locations, light, and composition—made for travelers who love to shoot.
Travel
Journal
Personal travel stories with small observations and takeaways—written to remember moments and share meaning.
All Journal Posts
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What You’ll Find in Beijing Hutongs (and How to Photograph It)
Beijing hutongs are the city’s historic alleyways—narrow lanes that weave through old neighborhoods and connect traditional courtyard homes (siheyuan). Walking them feels like stepping into everyday Beijing: quiet corners, small surprises, and details that reveal how people actually live. In this post, I’m sharing four things you’re likely to encounter…
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Tower Photography Tips: 4 Ways to Capture City Landmarks Better
Towers are some of the most recognizable landmarks in travel photography—and that’s exactly why they’re tricky: everyone shoots them, but not every photo feels memorable. In my experience, the best tower photos are rarely about the tower alone. They’re about light, atmosphere, context, and composition—the small decisions that turn a…
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Best of 2025: Travel Photography Highlights Across China
Looking back, 2025 was a very special year for me—my first gap year, which gave me the time and space to slow down, travel, and photograph more intentionally. This “Best of 2025” collection highlights my favorite moments from trips across China, from city skylines and street scenes to quiet landscapes…
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A Small-Town Christmas in Snohomish, Washington: Santa’s Arrival & Tree Lighting
In the winter of 2024, I spent an unforgettable evening in Snohomish, Washington during the Christmas season—my first time experiencing a holiday tradition in small-town America instead of a big city. Even now, the cozy lights, the community energy, and that quiet drive through open fields at dusk still feel…
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Views Over Planes: Aerial Photos from Airplane Windows
We don’t have wings, but airplanes gift us a perspective we rarely see on the ground—mountain ranges, winding rivers, volcano-like silhouettes, endless clouds, and calm, pastel skies. This photo collection gathers my favorite airplane window views, a small reminder that travel can begin long before landing. There’s something quietly magical…
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Spring Blossoms Over the Years: A Flower Photo Collection
Spring flowers are one of those subjects I never get tired of photographing. This collection brings together blossom photos I’ve taken since 2017 across three countries—China, the United States, and Japan—capturing the small, vivid moments that make spring feel fresh and full of hope. If you’re specifically looking for cherry…
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3 Things That Improve Your Travel Photography Experience (Without Ruining the Trip)
As someone who often brings a camera on the road, I’ve learned that better travel photos don’t come from working harder—they come from making smarter choices that protect both your travel experience and your shooting results. Great travel photography is usually a mix of light, aesthetics, and human moments, and…
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Hangzhou Photography Guide: 4 Photo Ideas You Shouldn’t Miss (Beyond West Lake)
Over the past five years, I’ve visited Hangzhou at least once a year for work or travel, and it has become one of my favorite cities in China. Hangzhou is often known internationally for West Lake, but what makes it especially rewarding for photography is its wider visual range: Jiangnan-style…
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China Skyline Photography Guide: 6 Best Skylines to Shoot
City skylines are one of the most rewarding subjects in urban photography, capturing not just architecture but the mood and identity of a place. With the right weather, light, and viewpoint, the same skyline can feel completely different from day to day. In this China skyline photography guide, I share…