Sichuan Old Towns I, China - Ya'an Shangli, Liujiang

The history of Sichuan old towns in China can be dated back to almost 3,000 years ago. The Ya'an old town of Shangli (雅安上里古镇), 136 km from Chengdu, thrived during the Qin dynasty (316 B.C.), however, already established by the locals in 816 B.C., was once an important prosperous town along the Silk Road. Also called the town of rain, it is always covered with overcast clouds under intermittent rain. The descendents from the era of the Three Kingdoms (Shu-Dynasty) are still living in the town today.

Some people do ask me similar questions, "why are my pictures from the Sichuan towns are mostly cloudy and rainy?". I believe it is the most truthful and artistic way to represent the damp atmosphere of the local lives in such a weather with more than 200 days of rain a year. The best moments for sensational pictures are the split seconds when the sun shines through the rainy clouds.

Places: Ya'an old town of Shangli (雅安上里古镇), Liujiang old town (柳江古镇)

All pictures captured on the Hasselblad 500C/M camera, Carl Zeiss Planar and Distagon lenses, Kodak Ektar 100 and Ektachrome E100VS films. Colour Profile: ProPhoto RGB