18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Calm Circles

Destined to become one of the iconic photos from Asia, these unusual circular crab traps in the Xiapu region of China are captivating. What you don't see is that the photos of the traps are taken from a small stand set up on a hill, in and amongst a series of large semi-overgrown grave sites carved into the hillside. Access is done through the local farmer and caretaker, who was incredibly welcoming/kind and fed me more pomelo than I could eat. But, it makes for a rather unusual experience as you wait for the light to change and the tide to come in.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 12.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Xiapu, China
Camera: ILCE-7RM3
Copyright: © Alex Berger