The peak of imagination

"Hongren found his own ink language and expression in nature. He had to put all his heart and soul into this topic and keep exploring it so that he could achieve such things," Wang says.

He was constantly inspired by his predecessors over the previous four decades, from their solid painting methods to their general attitude toward art and life. He centers on portraying the ancient villages around Huangshan and frequently sketches on site to observe life there, endeavoring to convey the ideal, idyllic homeland in his mind.

Huangshan's kaleidoscope also provides infinite materials for the camera. It mobilizes photographers to get up early and stay up late, equipment slung over their shoulders, climbing, racing against time, or waiting, simply to catch a decisive moment.

Local photographer Shi Yalei, 31, tackles Huangshan Mountain some 20 times a year. Nowadays, livestreaming programs enable people to follow the conditions at the top instantaneously, so if something attracts him, he sets out immediately.

His father, also a shutterbug, led him on this pilgrimage over a decade ago and influenced his initial framing of the stones and clouds.

Shi says, his father focused on presenting an impressionistic picture of the peaks and pine forests to show the mountain's grand momentum — like a Chinese landscape painting — while he, himself, prefers to capture the light and shade of smaller views.