"The Longjiang Bridge is a steel-truss bridge spanning the beautiful Longjiang River," says Beijing-based train photographer Wang Wei. "Here you can see obvious karst topography. To take this photo, I climbed on a hillside with many plants with thorns and fell into a two-meter-deep hole. I was OK, just scared afterward -- what if it was a much deeper hole?"
Longjiang River Bridge, Liuzhou Guangxi —
"The Longjiang Bridge is a steel-truss bridge spanning the beautiful Longjiang River," says Beijing-based train photographer Wang Wei. "Here you can see obvious karst topography. To take this photo, I climbed on a hillside with many plants with thorns and fell into a two-meter-deep hole. I was OK, just scared afterward -- what if it was a much deeper hole?"
courtesy Wang Wei
"In July, Inner Mongolia's Aer Mountain has canola flower blossoms," says Wang. "I got up at 4 a.m. and the place was in thick mist. It's not easy to catch a train photo in the mist, but it looked just like a wonderland. Fortunately, the train was moving real slow so I had plenty of time to catch a good moment."
Aer Mountain, Inner-Mongolia —
"In July, Inner Mongolia's Aer Mountain has canola flower blossoms," says Wang. "I got up at 4 a.m. and the place was in thick mist. It's not easy to catch a train photo in the mist, but it looked just like a wonderland. Fortunately, the train was moving real slow so I had plenty of time to catch a good moment."
courtesy Wang Wei
Steam locomotives have been being phased out in China since the 1970s. The last one in service was the Qianjin train (pictured on the Jitong Railway, Inner-Mongolia in 2005). Today, a special Qianjin train runs during the annual Jitong Locomotive Train Photography Festival (usually held in December), which lures thousands of steam locomotive fans each year.
Jingpeng-Reshui Section, Jitong Railway, Inner-Mongolia —
Steam locomotives have been being phased out in China since the 1970s. The last one in service was the Qianjin train (pictured on the Jitong Railway, Inner-Mongolia in 2005). Today, a special Qianjin train runs during the annual Jitong Locomotive Train Photography Festival (usually held in December), which lures thousands of steam locomotive fans each year.
courtesy Wang Wei
"This locomotive belongs to the Jitong Railway Company," says Wang. "The company bought more than 120 locomotives from all over China in the 1990s to haul freight. This made it one of the last railways in the world to operate steam locomotives."
Jitong Locomotive Train Photography Festival —
"This locomotive belongs to the Jitong Railway Company," says Wang. "The company bought more than 120 locomotives from all over China in the 1990s to haul freight. This made it one of the last railways in the world to operate steam locomotives."
courtesy Wang Wei
"It's great to get the extension, galaxy and train all in one photo," says the photographer. "Usually when you want to shoot the galaxy, there should be no moon or the light will outshine the stars. I checked the lunar calendar and determined the best time to reach this place would be 5 a.m. on December 10."
Tuowengai Bridge, South Xinjiang —
"It's great to get the extension, galaxy and train all in one photo," says the photographer. "Usually when you want to shoot the galaxy, there should be no moon or the light will outshine the stars. I checked the lunar calendar and determined the best time to reach this place would be 5 a.m. on December 10."
courtesy Wang Wei
Wang captured the Tianshan Mountain Section of the South Xinjiang Railway before it was shut down in early 2015. "The charm of this railway lies in a number of different landscapes including desert, oases, valleys and snow mountains," he says.<br />
Tianshan Mountain, South Xinjiang —
Wang captured the Tianshan Mountain Section of the South Xinjiang Railway before it was shut down in early 2015. "The charm of this railway lies in a number of different landscapes including desert, oases, valleys and snow mountains," he says.
courtesy Wang Wei
"The Qinglongqiao Railway Station, part of China's first Jingzhang (Beijing-Zhagjiakou) Railway, was built in 1908," says Wang. "I have deep feelings for the place -- I grew up near the railway and started shooting my first photos here. I think this long-exposure photo records the beauty of the century-old railway in the most satisfying way."
Badaling, The Great Wall, Beijing —
"The Qinglongqiao Railway Station, part of China's first Jingzhang (Beijing-Zhagjiakou) Railway, was built in 1908," says Wang. "I have deep feelings for the place -- I grew up near the railway and started shooting my first photos here. I think this long-exposure photo records the beauty of the century-old railway in the most satisfying way."
courtesy Wang Wei
"When this train is traveling through the Gobi Desert, the scenes become boring. But the Danxia landforms ignited my passion for beauty," says Wang. "The naturally eroded mountains have mixed colors of red, yellow, gray and white. This photo was taken when my dad and I drove after the trains from Akzo to Kashi."
Danxia Landform, Gobi Desert, South Xinjiang —
"When this train is traveling through the Gobi Desert, the scenes become boring. But the Danxia landforms ignited my passion for beauty," says Wang. "The naturally eroded mountains have mixed colors of red, yellow, gray and white. This photo was taken when my dad and I drove after the trains from Akzo to Kashi."
courtesy Wang Wei
"Heilongjiang Province is the coldest place in China. It was minus 42.5C when I shot this picture. My nostrils were blocked by ice due to waiting (for a train) for too long. I didn't even realize my nose had turned purple. However, looking at the CRH38B cold-proof high-speed train flying down the railway inspired me to keep moving on just like it."
Harbin-Daqing High Speed Railway, Heilongjiang —
"Heilongjiang Province is the coldest place in China. It was minus 42.5C when I shot this picture. My nostrils were blocked by ice due to waiting (for a train) for too long. I didn't even realize my nose had turned purple. However, looking at the CRH38B cold-proof high-speed train flying down the railway inspired me to keep moving on just like it."
courtesy Wang Wei
"I started chasing steam locomotives in 2006. These are 1960s CQJC steam locomotives in use in a 1902 coal mine. This photo was taken in January 2009. Today, these locomotives are retired, but the mine still stores around 30 of them."
Jalanur Coal Mine, Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia —
"I started chasing steam locomotives in 2006. These are 1960s CQJC steam locomotives in use in a 1902 coal mine. This photo was taken in January 2009. Today, these locomotives are retired, but the mine still stores around 30 of them."
courtesy Wang Wei
"The Kunming-Hekou Railway is part of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, which was built by France from 1904-1910. It's the only narrow-gauge railway in China to use 1,000-millimeter gauge. I was amazed when I arrived. The Ren Zi Bridge has more than 100 years of history, and is an icon of the railway. It's said construction workers would hang on ropes from the mountaintop to build the railway. With low technology and such harsh terrain, many fell and lost their lives."
Ren Zi Bridge, Kunming--Hekou Railway —
"The Kunming-Hekou Railway is part of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, which was built by France from 1904-1910. It's the only narrow-gauge railway in China to use 1,000-millimeter gauge. I was amazed when I arrived. The Ren Zi Bridge has more than 100 years of history, and is an icon of the railway. It's said construction workers would hang on ropes from the mountaintop to build the railway. With low technology and such harsh terrain, many fell and lost their lives."
courtesy Wang Wei
"During the 2010 October National Holiday a friend and I took a five-hour train ride from Harbin to Nancha, a small city near the forests of the Lesser Khingan Mountains. Trains before and after holidays are super crowded, so we stood all the way. We arrived at 4 a.m. and climbed a 200-meter-high hill with a flashlight. We saw this HXN5 diesel locomotive 30 minutes later and got the photo."
Nancha, Lesser Khingan Mountains —
"During the 2010 October National Holiday a friend and I took a five-hour train ride from Harbin to Nancha, a small city near the forests of the Lesser Khingan Mountains. Trains before and after holidays are super crowded, so we stood all the way. We arrived at 4 a.m. and climbed a 200-meter-high hill with a flashlight. We saw this HXN5 diesel locomotive 30 minutes later and got the photo."
courtesy Wang Wei
"The Khingan Mountains are among the coldest in China. The average temperature is around -28 C in winter. The snow was as deep as my thigh, which made it really hard to walk. While taking photos in the Khingan Mountains, my feet, nose and ears all suffered from frostbite. However, the snow-covered forests are so fantastic and surreal. This is a photo of K1301 train with the snowy forest as background."
Greater Khingan Mountains —
"The Khingan Mountains are among the coldest in China. The average temperature is around -28 C in winter. The snow was as deep as my thigh, which made it really hard to walk. While taking photos in the Khingan Mountains, my feet, nose and ears all suffered from frostbite. However, the snow-covered forests are so fantastic and surreal. This is a photo of K1301 train with the snowy forest as background."
courtesy Wang Wei
"Hunbai Railway is a 217-kilometer-long track across the mountains and lakes of northeast China -- Changbai Mountain and Songhua Lake. The railway goes through tunnels in the mountain and crosses a bridge when it meets the river. This made me think it might make for an interesting composition. According to the train schedule, three trains pass by in daylight every day. I spent more than an hour climbing a hill to take this photo. The train is K7398, a passenger train from Baihe to Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning Province."
Changbai Mountain, Songhua Lake —
"Hunbai Railway is a 217-kilometer-long track across the mountains and lakes of northeast China -- Changbai Mountain and Songhua Lake. The railway goes through tunnels in the mountain and crosses a bridge when it meets the river. This made me think it might make for an interesting composition. According to the train schedule, three trains pass by in daylight every day. I spent more than an hour climbing a hill to take this photo. The train is K7398, a passenger train from Baihe to Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning Province."
courtesy Wang Wei
"The railway connecting Hainan Island and the mainland was built in 2004. Now the railway from Sanya, a city in China's southeast, reaches major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The weather was extremely terrible when I arrived in Sanya, so the scheduled trains were all delayed 10 to 12 hours. I took this photo on the fifth day, when the weather turned better and the train came on time."
Sanya, Hainan Western Ring Railway —
"The railway connecting Hainan Island and the mainland was built in 2004. Now the railway from Sanya, a city in China's southeast, reaches major cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The weather was extremely terrible when I arrived in Sanya, so the scheduled trains were all delayed 10 to 12 hours. I took this photo on the fifth day, when the weather turned better and the train came on time."
courtesy Wang Wei