Terraced fields and Drum Tower Village overlooking the river, Chengyang, Guizhou Province

This photograph, made in 1987 in Drum Tower Village near Chengyang in Guizhou Province, shows the traditional wooden Dong architecture rising above the terraced fields and river below. The stepped paddies curve through the foreground, leading toward the raised cluster of homes and the hillside settlement that anchors the composition. Mist softens the distant mountains, creating the quiet, atmospheric depth typical of the region. I had traveled to this remote community to document daily life and traditional landscapes that were still largely unchanged at the time.

What drew me to this scene was the interplay of terraces, stone paths, and clustered wooden structures—elements that revealed how the landscape and village were shaped together over generations. The light was subdued and even, lending the photograph a gentle tonal range that supports both its documentary and fine-art qualities. This image forms part of my long-term work recording China’s rural environments during a time when change was just beginning to accelerate.