monochrome

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National Grand Theatre of China, Beijing

I'm back from Russia, Mongolia, and China. Each country was distinct from the other; each capital a marked change. I thought that by travelling overland, I would see gradual changes from one country to the next, but each time I fell asleep at the border and woke in a new country, I was surprised the drastic changes.

I've posted two sets of photographs in order to make the series more manageable. Irkutsk marks the end of one and the beginning of the other, set as it is at the confluence of the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian train lines. It's not the terminal point of the Trans-Siberian (that would be Vladivostok), but it marks the beginning of the Trans-Mongolian and it is there that I made my transfer:

Part one: The Trans-Siberian: Beautiful Monotony
Part two: The Trans-Mongolian: Contrasts

I'll be posting out-takes from the two series over the next few weeks as I catch up on other things. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the Shanghai photos that didn't fit into the structure of the aforementioned series. I might post another mini-series of those photos. We shall see.

This photo is of the new National Grand Theater of Beijing, or the Egg. It occupies an area that was once filled with hutongs. When I was in Beijing six years ago, they were in the midst of demolishing the homes. From atop Jingshan, overlooking the Forbidden City, the theater looks like an alien ship that has alighted amidst ancient surroundings, providing a glimpse towards a gleaming future.