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Astonishing mid-winter sky and rooftops in a shanty town in Shenyang, NE China, 1999
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Astonishing mid-winter sky and rooftops in a shanty town in Shenyang, NE China, 1999
Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China - 12 December 1999; no people in view; Shenyang is not the sort of place in China that tourists would knowingly want to - or get to - visit. In 1989, when I spent a year there as EU Director of a joint Europe/China environmental project in air pollution, it was a grim, industrial city. Moreover, one of its abiding delights is its extreme climate, with astonishingly cold winters, direct from Siberia. I shot this in a mid-winter walk in -20C. The weird sky owes much to the extreme cold, with the sun struggling through layers of stratospheric ice. And the cluttered skyline is down to the universal use of coal for heating throughout the fierce winter. The result of all this, strangely, is this visual beauty we see here
Universal Images Group (UIG) manages distribution for many leading specialist agencies worldwide
Media ID 25525947
© Jon Bower, Apexphotos
Abstract Aerial Blue Bright Colour Chaos Chimney City City Life Cloudscape Confusion Crowded Domestic Life Dramatic Sky Frost Glowing Heating House Leaning Liaoning Looking Up Luminescent Multi Coloured Orange Pole Roof Telegraph Tilt Urban Wind Winter Wire China East Asia Gloomy Sky Gold Coloured In Silhouette Jumbled Residential Building Shanty Town Shenyang
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This print captures the astonishing mid-winter sky and rooftops of a shanty town in Shenyang, NE China. Taken on 12 December 1999, the image showcases a scene devoid of people but filled with an ethereal beauty that is both unexpected and mesmerizing. Shenyang, located in Liaoning Province, was not a popular tourist destination at the time. In fact, it was known as a grim industrial city with extreme weather conditions. The photographer himself had spent a year there in 1989 as part of an environmental project combating air pollution. The photograph reveals the impact of Shenyang's harsh climate on its skyline. The extreme cold from Siberia creates frost-covered roofs and chimneys while layers of stratospheric ice give rise to a peculiarly strange sky. The vibrant colors - gold, orange, blue - juxtaposed against gloomy clouds create an otherworldly atmosphere. The cluttered skyline is attributed to the widespread use of coal for heating during winter months. Despite this chaos and confusion, there is undeniable visual beauty emanating from this urban landscape. In silhouette against the luminescent sky are telegraph poles and wires adding to the abstract nature of the composition. This aerial perspective highlights both crowded residential buildings and makeshift homes within this shanty town. Jon Bower's photograph reminds us that even amidst challenging circumstances, moments of unexpected beauty can emerge – transforming our perception of places we may never have considered exploring before.
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