Photographer's Note
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Qingkou Sunrise
Some 6 km South of Yuanyang town is a little tribe named Qingkou belongs to the Hani minority people where I came and waited for sunrise and this is one of the shots from this best-kept secret location.
Most travelers pass through Yunnan Province without realizing that Yuanyang exists. Yuanyang is within the Autonomous Region of Hani and Yi Tribes. No special permit is required to enter. Yunnan is called the gem of ethnic minority people. One in three of the entire Yunnan Province population is minority, and of the 56 ethnic minorities in China, 25 live in Yunnan. However, with the influx of Han Chinese, the unique culture of the tribes is being affected.
The terraced fields of the Hani ethnic group in Yuanyang County are spectacular. The fields stretch from the foot of the mountain to the summit, like thousands steps of silver stairs. The smaller plots are only several square meters in size, while the larger pieces are half a hectare. These fields total hundreds of hectares. Yuanyang terraced fields are also called mountain soul by the Hanis themselves. From November to April, fields are full of water and the yield different colors depend on the sunlight direction changing from hour to hour. From May to October, after rice has been planted, the valley turns into green and the color sinks into nearby mountains. Near Yuanyang, nice terraces extend from river’s edge at Hanipuma village up to Mali village in the mountains.
With a population of 1.3 million in this region, Hani minority is distinctive in their traditional costumes with silver accessories — their mud brick houses roofed with pine leaves look like mushrooms from a distance.
While Yuanyang has no nightlife, it has several positive aspects: almost no tourists, beautiful rice terraces stretching across steep hillsides, and daily ethnic minority markets in nearby towns. The markets are packed with minorities of Hani, Yi, Miao, and Yao tribes. Each has their individual customs and dress. The Chinese calendar, such as the day of the bird, determines market dates. The location of the market on a particular day must be ascertained from a local.
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*For additional info, please refer to the artwork of Maciej Tomczak, Yann Layma, Ben Fox and lestwe4get.
*On August 08, 2006, Lonely Planet announced the result of their June photo competition in which this humble snapshot has been chosen as one of the “winning pictures” for their book in the new series featuring “The Travel Book and The Cities Book”. Please share the joy with me. Thanks.
*About the books:
The Africa Book and The Asia Book are the new titles in Lonely Planet’s best-selling series featuring The Travel Book and The Cities Book. These large, hardback coffee-table books will delve into every country on the continent in depth with evocative and arresting images and imaginative text, and will also include thematic chapters about the continent as a whole.
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Critiques | Translate
hexagon
![Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 40 W: 5 N: 22]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-n-s.gif){kind=small}
(284) 2005-08-25 4:54
wow, the mix of the rice fields and sunset gave you some superb shapes and colours
Yamada
![Gold Star Critiquer [C: 329 W: 67 N: 253]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-n.gif){kind=small}
(2309) 2005-08-25 5:12
Amazing colors. The colors from the sun are casting a very nice glow on the paddy's. The mist gives a very nice effect to the shot as well. Great job.
banyanman
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1231 W: 108 N: 2568]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif){kind=small}
(7797) 2005-08-25 5:18
Absolutely beautiful, Thanh. I am not sure what has happened in the top right hand corner with the fogginess there, but everything else about this composition is perfect. I love it! Cheers . . . David
elihesamian
(26149) 2005-08-25 5:23
Excellent ,Thanh !
Dreamy,unbelieveable,amazing result,light and contrast and graphism,wonderful POV and I love it,strongly worked,very well captured and very nicely composed with reach a fine colors,fantastiv shot,
Glad you posted it,
Best Wishes
M
clynch77
![Silver Star Critiquer [C: 26 W: 3 N: 9]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-n-n.gif){kind=small}
(110) 2005-08-25 5:24
WOW! Fantastic shot, excellent depth to the colour, the water almost looks like lava. Love the patterns created by the fields. Even the foggines in the top corner doesn't detract for me, I had presumed it was early morning low cloud. Love it - nice note too.
Timmok
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 240 W: 14 N: 107]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif){kind=small}
(802) 2005-08-25 6:23
Hi Thanh,
Superb picture, with great golden colours and beautiful patterns. The contrast is excellent.
Thanks for sharing !
huynt
(5081) 2005-08-25 7:26
Hi Mr Thanh
Wonderful shot. You are lucky to capture this very nice image. well done. Thanks
AiresSantos
(56155) 2005-08-25 7:40
Fantastic image!
I like of the color, light and texture.
Good comments.
Aires
betogrein
(2232) 2005-08-25 7:50
Wonderful picture with amazing colours and excellent composition ..
Congratulations ...
Beto Grein
Bien
(4745) 2005-08-25 8:32
This is truly an outstanding photo Than! I very much admire the rice paddy field landscapes, I think they are great craftsmanship for starters and a fantastic mean for meditation as well. The different levels of the paddies mean to me that we should live our journey through life one step at the time. I also adore the beautiful colour you achieved here. I find this very symbolic too as the paddies look almost like precious golden pools; and that is exactly what rice is in that part of the world: gold!
Thank you for this beautiful moment.
bullabulla
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 162 W: 0 N: 101]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}
(3488) 2005-08-25 11:03
Hello Thanh!
Great shot the colors are increadible!
and excellent composition
hope you are well!
Thanks
Laetitia
kinginexile
(2598) 2005-08-25 14:02
Great landscape, what a golden light, to think that all this will be changed to different colors in a moment. I hope you shot different gradations as the sun arose. Very spectacular, the haze is heavy, but that's what it was, that's what you shoot! Bravo and thanks, Thanh.
fireflyz
(2097) 2005-08-25 15:29
Such an impressive sight to look at. Just lovely!!! I never saw golen yellow rice traces like this before. The exposure is perfect. Thank you for sharing Thanh! I'll add it to my favorites..
Best Regards,
Skye
Ina
(2687) 2005-08-25 16:28
Lovely golden glow and a fantastic composition... I love it... TFS...Ina...
flydragon
(0) 2005-08-25 18:27
hello Thanh
this is just beautifull
a golden pics and fice star
very well seen
regards
••simon••
PSYOPS
(0) 2005-08-25 19:59
My main interest is social topic.
But you got me with this one, Thanh.
My ability to comment is poor, and all best words have been said.
So I just seal myself off in silence and appreciate the landscape.
Thanks.
GJ
strangiato
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 225 W: 48 N: 1]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-n.gif){kind=small}
(10) 2005-08-29 4:42
Fantastic. It looks like a photographer's paradise. For sure I will put this area high on my agenda. Regarding your plans of revisiting the place, I am highly interested. Is that the best time of the year to go there?
faubry
(35447) 2005-08-29 15:13
ouah!!! quel effet, je me demandais ce que cela reprιsentait avant de lire la note, belle image, et superbes couleurs
bravo
francine
TRASH
(0) 2005-09-15 17:16
I don't like to travel much, due to the bad experience I had in the past. But this kind of picture is convincing me that I have chose the losen path by staying home.
Maybe I should think over again. Thanks for this ideal posting.
MQ
maevakilla
(1504) 2005-10-02 15:31
wonderful! i love that picture! it's so graphic! thanks for sharing.
tranlinh
(108) 2005-12-04 21:16
Wonderful shot!
The colors from the sun are casting a very nice, i like it so muchs
thanks for sharing
regards tran.
taivo
(1843) 2005-12-07 4:35
Wow, golden rice fields. Great light and nicely exposed. The sun light is just magical at that moment.
take (39) 2006-01-14 12:57
It is really beautiful. And beautiful orange. I want to meet with such a scene some day.
yusff23
(470) 2006-05-27 0:34
Hello thanh.I came from your comment to my picture and I viewed all the pictures of yours .
I love your picture especially the picture with light .This picture is also the one with light.Very solful and vivid.There are many pictures of rice terrace ,but I this is my favorite one.Thanks !! Yusuke.
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 154 W: 9 N: 14]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-s.gif){kind=small}
toddadams
(575) 2006-08-27 20:35
I've been a huge fan of your work since I first discovered it. Photos like this exemplify why. Millions of people have no doubt seen this scene, but never have I seen a photo of it that looks quite so impressive. Your exposure captures the radiant light as well as the dark black shadows of the terraces that carve a web through the fields. Excellent composition and what an eye. Great work!!
![Silver Note Writer [C: 1 W: 0 N: 11]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/n-n-s.gif){kind=small}
SebastianSeng
![Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 19 W: 0 N: 63]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/s-n-g.gif){kind=small}
(354) 2007-01-17 20:49
Hi Thanh,
this is a beautiful piece from you..
Such goldness !!! Such beauty !!!
Thanks for all the advices given on YY.
Looking forward to more masterpieces from you.
Regards,
Sebastian
nopoint
(878) 2008-06-04 7:40
Hi Anh Thanh, this is an increadible picture. Thank you for sharing...Kiet
cielo (61) 2009-07-28 1:55
Hi Thanh,
Fantastic view, colors. It's look like unreal- well done!!
Regards,
Katia
schumanng
(0) 2011-12-13 9:09
Hi Ngy,
this golden panorama is fantastic, incredible!A rare shot.
Bye,
Giorgio
Photo Information
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Copyright: Ngy Thanh (ngythanh)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 471 W: 125 N: 2332]](//i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(8458) - Genre: Τοποθεσίες
- Medium: Έγχρωμο
- Date Taken: 2005-02-21
- Categories: Φύση
- Camera: Canon EOS 10D, Canon 75-300mm F\4-5.6 IS USM, SanDisk Ultra II 2Gg
- Έκθεση: f/22, 1/125 δευτερόλεπτα
- Details: Tripod: Yes
- Έκδοση φωτογραφίας: Πρωτότυπη έκδοση
- Θέμα(τα): Yuanyang — a best-kept secret /1/, Rice Fields "III", Rice is Life /2/, Yuanyang for UNESCO World Heritage /1/ [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2005-08-25 4:52
- Αγαπημένα: 8 [view]
Discussions
- To fiedziu: Thanks (1)
by ngythanh, last updated 2006-08-21 09:57 - To toddadams: In fact... (2)
by ngythanh, last updated 2006-09-01 10:34 - To maggie1318: Thank you, Chris. (1)
by ngythanh, last updated 2006-11-07 09:37
