Moon shot wins prize

Dong went on to win the championships at several major photography competitions, including the 2021 photography contest by the Beijing Planetarium and the Chinese undergraduate astronomical photography contest this year held by the Fudan Astronomy Society.

He has also worked for professional photography organizations, including 8KRAW and CSVA.

Dong says more than three years of chasing the stars has brought excitement and accomplishment in his life, although the process was often mixed with sweat and tears.

Sichuan province, and Tibet, Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions are ideal for star observation.

"They have less pollution and moisture, and more clear skies, which don't interfere with the clarity of the atmosphere," Dong says.

He also prefers taking pictures in deserts, where the wind is usually slow and sand dunes are easier to climb for better sky views.

Dong graduated from college in July and got a job dealing with promoting cameras in Shanghai. The job allows him to keep abreast of advanced camera techniques and get in touch with photography experts.

In late September, Dong went on a photography trip, sponsored by the Chinese National Geography magazine, to Qomolangma, also known in the West as Mount Everest.

"The idea was to record grand nature, especially in places off the beaten tracks, and find differences in the region over the past 100 years," Dong says.

The adventure led him to learn to hike in the wilderness and study formations of glacier and climate in mountainous areas.

His breath was taken away by the biodiversity, including forest trees, tropical and meadow plants, snowy peaks, glaciers and moraine lakes in a valley 4,000 meters above sea level.

The stunning views of the giant mountain peaks turned pink by the sunrise made Dong forget his altitude sickness. "I will surely go back again."

Speaking about his future plan, Dong says he will explore new photography fields and better ways to integrate science and art.