Capture memories

-Capturing Memories- Walking the Tea Horse Road, the Cloud Road The mountains of Yunnan Province towered like a mighty wall. The road slowly cut into the wall, and I stood as a tiny dot on it. Below the valley, the raging river shook the mountains, creating white foam. Above, wind-driven clouds roared, crossing the ridges. Before this immense chorus of mountains, clouds, and water, human footsteps were as small as echoes. Yet, within that smallness lay the power to connect the path. As the waterfall cascaded down the cliff, I felt the weight of time in the water. The sweat shed by countless merchants and horses seemed to mix with the water, still wetting this valley. The water droplets crashing against the rocks sparkled like starlight, their gleam like a light illuminating the soul of the Tea Horse Road. The road was obscured by clouds, then opened again. Step by step, I lifted the endless curtain. I stepped onto the path as if ascending. And finally, the scenery I encountered: Layers of green ridges stretched between the sheer cliffs, and light streamed over them as if the sky had opened. In that moment, I knew: The Ancient Tea Horse Road was not simply a trade route of the past, but an epic poem written by humans and nature. I became a line from that epic, recorded in the wind and clouds. ☆Photos: The Ancient Tea Horse Road, Yunnan Province, China (July 2023)