23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Riding Across the Morning Pasture

A Kazakh herder rides through the early light on the northern slopes of the Tianshan, guiding his horses while cattle graze quietly behind him. Morning work begins as the steppe slowly wakes.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Zhaosu County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China
Camera: ILCE-7M4
Copyright: © Bingjing Zhou