In 1986, Yangshuo was still a quiet agricultural valley—far from the busy tourist center it would later become. I made this photograph from the edge of a mature rice field during harvest season, looking toward the iconic karst formations rising in soft layers behind the village farmland.

The fields were still worked entirely by hand, and the rhythm of daily life moved with the pace of farming and the river. Standing there in the late-afternoon light, I wanted to show how the geometry of the rice plants led the eye into the dramatic limestone forms beyond. The scene felt timeless: mountain, field, and human scale existing in balance.

This photograph documents a moment just before rapid development would reshape Yangshuo forever.