A photo from Liu Jiangling's Wind & River.

Photographer Liu Jiangling always remembered what his father said: China is so big, yet only people from the north and the Central Plains have a standard Chinese appearance.

For the past several years, Liu has traveled through the north, attempting to find the origins of Chinese culture. The mountains and rivers in North China, together with unwanted historical monuments scattered in the wildness, have enlightened the photographer. One December day, standing on the freezing cold Yellow River and seeing feathery snowflakes, Liu was touched by an inexplicable sensation flowing from the bottom of his heart.