13th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Great Wall

The presence of the wall blew my mind. Meandering for over 5,000 miles, my two biggest challenges were finding the right location and the right light. Without knowing any Chinese, I tried my best to communicate with the locals and investigate the best places to shoot the wall. I received many different answers that led to many different places. I had no idea what the light would do, or where I would shoot. As I approached the wall, a whole new world opened up. I was amazed to see such a miraculous man-made landscape unfold in front of my eyes. I wanted to be in 10 places at once! At the last hour of the day, I had to make a choice – hike the wall east or west. I chose west and it paid off. Gorgeous clouds gathered on the horizon as God’s rays back-lit the mountains. It felt like I was in heaven. I shot like a madman till total darkness. The feeling was incredible – I hope you can share it with me, when looking at this image.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 02.2015
Date Uploaded: 12.2015
Photo Location: China
Copyright: © Peter Lik