My final photo blog from China

February 19, 2013

Nicole McKeever, Irish Dance Troupe, China Tour

As this tour approaches the end, my sightseeing days increasingly fill with awe-inspiring moments. For my final blog there is one common theme, grand and impressive scale.

During our time in Wuxi many of us took a trip out to see the Lingshan Buddha.

A peaceful walk in the company of friends and under the shadow of an immense Buddha inspired many photos. However, I’ve chosen just one to share with you. Looking up at this eighty-eight meter colossus I crooked my neck at a severe angle and stared up at two friends peering down at me. Lauren and Ben peek out from the foot of the Buddha and express the human to statue ratio.

In Changzhou, on a walk to find food, we noticed a multi-storied pagoda emerging from a hazy sky.  Curiosity led us into ornately decorated temple grounds and in front of a very impressive structure.  In this image a pillar carved with dragons and sea creatures is in focus as the pagoda rises behind it into the white sky.  I have visited a few temples on this tour but this one really impressed me with its ornamentation.

Next we move on the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Equally as stunning, this main structure and the many buildings surrounding it possess a regal quality. I’ve included two images of The Temple of Heaven. In the closer image you get an idea of the decorative exterior, while in the second there is more of a sense of the imperial and ceremonial space.

Moving onto one of the most memorable moments on tour, a visit to the Great Wall of China in Mutianyu. We were extremely lucky to visit the day after Chinese New Year celebrations since we experienced an un-crowded and sunny trip to this magnificent “Wonder of the World”.

In my first photo Maggie Darlington and Jason O’Neill climb up a sea of steps as the wall and its snow covered surroundings bend and twist behind them. In my second image, a man stands on the wall’s undulating surface with his back facing the viewer. What attracted me to this image was the way the wall and the mountains mimic each other ‘s shapes as they layer upon each other into the background.

In order to “go out with a bang” my last image is of some the brightly colored fireworks outside our hotel in Beijing on Chinese New Year.  In this image smoke and color fill the night sky as shadowy figures look up at the dazzling display.  What can never truly be expressed in this image is exhilarating sensory experience of being so close to so many fireworks exploding all at once.

This has been a wonderful tour of China and I hope you have enjoyed my visual documentation of this colorful, diverse and welcoming country.