The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons Nestled between Jilin Province and the North Korean border, the Changbai Shan mountain range is home to China’s largest nature reserve. At the heart of its 2,000 km² of forests, waterfalls and volcanic peaks, Tianchi Lake — or Heavenly Lake — lies within the crater of the Changbaishan Tianchi volcano, a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve. Changbai Shan is a spectacular hiking destination; I followed the red maples and yellow pines that blanketed the mountains and plains, capturing these shimmering landscapes through my lens. In spring, I waited for the moment when the ice would break on the streams. In summer, I ventured deep into the dense forest, where the vegetation undulated endlessly, and where stags and does, birds, lynx and Siberian tigers share the silence of the woods. In autumn, I followed the red maples and yellow pines that blanketed the mountains and plains, capturing these shimmering landscapes through my lens. In winter, wrapped up in a thick cotton coat, I braved the wind and snow on the shores of Heavenly Lake, waiting for the snowstorm to envelop the peaks in a breathtaking spectacle. After experiencing several cycles of spring, summer, autumn and winter, I braved the wind, rain and snow to finally capture the four seasons of Changbai Shan in this short film.