City | Landmarks

The Forbidden City in Beijing, Tiananmen Square, the West Lake in Hangzhou, the Oriental TV Tower in Shanghai, and the St. Paul's Archway in Macau ... Almost every city has such one or more typical buildings (scenic spots), which are not only the most distinctive symbols of the city, but also the concentrated expression of its history and culture.

Therefore, a picture of a city landmark that is magnificent, unique in artistic conception or wonderful in scenery is undoubtedly one of the important contents of the city's external image communication. Urban landmarks not only provide a stage for photographers to display their talents, but also provide an opportunity to constantly reflect on their photography practice and improve their self-cultivation. Shooting landmarks not only takes pictures of their exterior, but also goes deeper and explores the historical and cultural heritage of the city they represent. In this way, the photos taken will have "weight". At the same time, more topics excavated from this will also give you a deeper understanding and thinking about photography. —— This article is selected from the 11th edition of China Photographic Newspaper, No.62, 217

Xuchang

"The Gate of Xuchang" welcomes all directions

Xiaying the Gate of Xuchang Xu Dingye's photo

Xuchang City, Henan Province is located in the Central Plains. Anyone who has read The Romance of the Three Kingdoms knows that in the first year of Jian 'an (196), Cao Cao "served the heaven to make the country not a minister". According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, after the establishment of the Han Dynasty in Wei Dynasty, Cao Pi, the Emperor of Wei Wen, changed the name of Xu County to "Xuchang", which was named after this period of history. More than 18 years have passed, and there are still endless stories about the "Three Kingdoms". Nowadays, the palaces that used to be "colorful and richly decorated by Wei Qiao" (The Ode to Xuchang Palace by Wei Bian Lan of the Three Kingdoms) have long since vanished, and the landmark building standing on the land of Xuchang is the Xuchang Tourism Service Center, which is called the "Gate of Xuchang".

The Gate of Xuchang is located at the entrance of Xuchang Station of Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway. It is like a tripod, tall and majestic, with four doors and a round outside, showing a unique "ancient charm and fresh air". It uses the architectural symbols of the Han Dynasty to express the culture of the Three Kingdoms in Xuchang. The main building is 36 meters high and the doorway is 19.6 meters high, which means that Cao Cao welcomed the Han Emperor to Xuchang in 196 AD. In the diagonal direction of the main building, there are four small buildings in the shape of Han Que, with a height of 12 meters and a spacing of 12 meters, which means that there are 12 months in a year. A welcome square with a total area of 57,24 square meters surrounds the main building, and the plane is Cao Cao's "front and arrow array" graphic pattern, which embodies Xuchang's regional cultural characteristics.

A roar came that the high-speed train passing through Xuchang was slowing down and entering the station. It turned out that the gate of Xuchang was built in the middle of the high-speed railway and expressway. More than 18 years ago, Cao Cao chose Xuchang as his capital. The primary reason was that the land was fertile and the transportation was convenient, which made it easy to raise food and grass. Nowadays, transportation extending in all directions is still one of the important development advantages of this city. Xuchang is about 8 kilometers away from Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, and 5 kilometers away from Xinzheng International Airport. There are 7 expressways in the territory, and there will be 3 high-speed rail lines and 5 high-speed railway station in the future. It is one of the most convenient areas for modern logistics in central China and even the whole country.

the gate of Xuchang, known as the "city meeting room", is the first prefecture-level tourism service center in Henan province. Climbing the stairs, one ***25 steps symbolizes Xuchang's brilliant 25 years in Cao Wei period. Entering the gate of Xuchang is like entering the interior of a huge kiln. The light shines from a height, and the wall decorated with simulated Jun porcelain tiles is full of color, as if passing through a historical tunnel, from the Han Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty, to the era when the five famous porcelains "Jun, Ru, Guan, Ge and Ding" complement each other. Xuchang, a small town in Yuzhou City, fired Jun porcelain with copper as colorant, bright glaze and natural patterns.

entering the gate of Xuchang is like getting a key to the history and culture of Xuchang. There is a smart tourism platform that can "dynamically manage" Xuchang's tourism, and is responsible for tourism promotion, tourism route promotion and providing tourism information. This urban landmark building, which combines Cao Wei culture and Jun porcelain culture in design concept, has attracted many photographers. Taking a good picture of this city card has become a dream of many people.

The Gate of Xuchang is very suitable for shooting at dusk. After the sun went down, the afterglow diffused. After a long exposure, the sky showed a deep color like sapphire blue, and the gate of Xuchang stood in the dark, which was a picture with a deep sense of time and space. It is also suitable for aerial photography, especially the night scene after lighting, which not only retains the solemnity and grandeur seen in the daytime, but also adds a fashionable and simple modern style. It is suitable for shooting on snowy days, when the snow falls slowly and the ground turns white. The high-speed train whizzed past the gate of Xuchang, and the early morning sunshine sprinkled on the two characters of "Xuchang", shining with faint golden light, and the picture was very beautiful. On the ground in the center of the square facing the gate, there is a seal in Yangwen, with four big characters "Xu Jun Yi Chang" engraved with seal script. ? Wen Guo

Zhengzhou

Beautiful Central Plains in Zhengdong New District

Night view of Zhengdong New District Li Qian Photo

Zhengdong New District is a new urban district under planning and construction in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, and its modern architectural features and landscape design make it a beautiful new business card and landmark in Zhengzhou. There are many representative landscapes that can be photographed in Zhengdong New District, including Qianxi Square, Ruyi Lake, Henan Art Center and Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center.

Among them, Thousand Seals Square is the most prominent place, and it is also easy to produce excellent works. Qianxi Square is located in the CBD Central Park of Zhengdong New District, adjacent to the exhibition center and art center, and is a landmark building of the CBD in the new district. Qianxi Square, as the tallest building in the Central Plains, covers an area of nearly 3, square meters, with a total construction area of 25, square meters. The main tower has 4 floors underground and 61 floors above ground (including sightseeing floors), with a height of about 28 meters. Standing at the top of the high-rise building at the intersection of Jinshui Road and Tongtai Road, Qianxi Square stands like a huge golden corn cob in the center of the CBD of the new district and becomes a beautiful scenery, so it is also affectionately called "big corn" by Zhengzhou people.

during the day, the scenery here is pleasant, and when night falls, the inner ring of the CBD in Zhengdong New District flashes with neon lights, and the picturesque night view of the city is even more intoxicating. Shooting the night scene of the city mainly shows the atmosphere at night, all kinds of flashing neon lights, neatly arranged street lights, road lights, and window lights from room windows, which are colorful and intertwined into a world of light. Under the action of light, everything becomes so beautiful, therefore, shooting the night view of the city will bring us more fun. However, it is not easy to take a good night view. Because the night view belongs to a low light source scene, if you want to take a long exposure shot, you must first prepare a stable tripod, otherwise it is easy to take a blurred image. cable release is also an indispensable auxiliary equipment. As for the lens, wide angle is the best.

sometimes there is foggy weather in Zhengzhou. When the air humidity is high or dirty, the water vapor and floating dust in the atmosphere will diffuse under the illumination of light. At this time, the night sky photographed will be filled with something similar to noise, and the situation appearing in the photos is even more serious than what we see with the naked eye. Therefore, it is best to choose a night with clear weather, low humidity and fresh air to shoot night scenes. Evening (half an hour before and after sunset) is the best time to shoot night scenes, and the color temperature is the most beautiful when there is still a glimmer of light on the horizon. Generally speaking, as long as the visibility of the sky is not too bad, high-quality images can be taken in theory.

because the core area of CBD in the new area is the circular urban architectural planning, and "Big Corn" is basically located in the central area, you can basically achieve the ideal effect as long as you look for a building in the inner ring and shoot it from top to bottom.

manual mode is recommended when shooting. The light ratio of buildings and the sky at night is complex, so if the aperture is taken first, the camera may not be able to correctly judge the shutter value. Moreover, in the face of uneven lighting and strong contrast at night, the camera's automatic metering is easy to make mistakes. It is suggested to shoot when the sky is just dark and the city lights begin to appear; The ISO sensitivity value can be simply set as the lowest value of the camera's native sensitivity. Because the scene is far away from the camera, even if the maximum aperture is used, it will not be blurred. If you use a tripod, you don't have to worry about the slow shutter speed, and the aperture can be reduced a little to get higher definition. When shooting, we should first consider the brightness of the scene environment and the lighting of the building. ? Li Qian

Shaxian County

Cultural Heritage Snack Town

Snack Town Thousand People Banquet Lu Fuchun Photo

American writer Dick da Molly said: "All cities are crazy, but they are gorgeous crazy. All cities are beautiful, but they are cold and beautiful. " However, there is such a place, a corner of Shaxian County, Fujian Province, which is gorgeous but not crazy, beautiful but not cold, like an elegant and graceful southern woman, and full of fireworks. It is Shaxian Snack Culture City.

Shaxian Snack Culture City is a national 4A-level tourist attraction integrating eating, living, traveling, shopping and entertainment. The garden-like architectural style of Huizhou School, with a layout of one field (a central square), four areas (food area, leisure and entertainment, tourism and shopping, star-rated hotels) and five axes (five passages crossing each other), skillfully combines the functionality and appreciation of Snack Culture City. If you want to have a panoramic view of the snack culture city, the "City Star" building, which is less than 1 meters, is an excellent viewing point. The building full of modern flavor echoes the quaint town from a distance. When you walk into the building and go straight to the 19th floor, the dripping feeling of "a dangerous building is 1 feet high and you can pick stars with your hands" arises spontaneously.

behind the snack city, the towering Taojin Mountain rises and falls continuously, just like a giant reclining Buddha carved by a fairy, which reflects each other with the reclining Buddha stone carving on the top of the mountain. The magnificent stupa stands at the top of Taojin Mountain, overlooking all sentient beings and protecting the people. As the sun sets, the snack culture city, Taojinshan Mountain and stupa are covered with the sunset glow, which is dazzling and seamless. As night falls, the stars are shining, the stupa is glittering, the snack city is brightly lit, and the fire tree is silver.

instead of wandering outside the city, it is better to go into the city to find out. There are three gates in the snack culture city, all of which are made of exquisite marble. Each gate has two bronzing characters of "Shacun", which is vigorous in brushwork.

facing south is the main entrance, in front of which are a pair of mighty stone lions, with a pair of couplets hanging on both sides and lifelike stone carvings above, depicting the social life of Shaxian County 16 years ago. Sha village is both a city in the city and a village in the city, and food is its exclusive symbol. There are modern leisure places here, and there is also a fireworks atmosphere in the countryside. There are two rows of restaurants on the left and right of the main entrance. When you walk into the gatehouse, you will find the Grand View Garden of Snack Culture City. There are many signboards on both sides, which bring together Shaxian classic snacks.

The east gate of Snack Culture City faces the county town. Five stone pillars are engraved with the ancient Shaxian snack making map, and a giant stone mill symbolizes the exquisite craftsmanship of Shaxian snacks. Enter the ancient street from the east gate, and cross the street from east to west, where local specialty firms such as mushroom, dried bamboo shoots, honey and earth eggs gather. In addition, there are characteristic craft shops such as jade, porcelain painting, wood carving and root carving, which add a trace of cultural connotation to the street. Walking out of the side street from the west gate, star-rated hotels and characteristic inns gather, with different styles and the same comfort.

today, the bustling snack culture city has ushered in a brand-new third phase of construction. The electric mall attracts countless young people who are interested in starting a business and build their own entrepreneurial dreams. The newly-built snack making experience center is clean and bright, where visitors can experience the snack making process and make you addicted to being a chef. ? Lu Fuchun

Zhuji

Xishi Theatre attracts the tide

Xishi Grand Theatre Cheng Wujun photo

Xishi Grand Theatre is located in the east central area of Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, and is named because it is located in the ancient capital of Yue and the hometown of Xishi.

The Grand Theatre was built in 216, which is an important cultural facility that Zhuji Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government implemented the development strategy of strengthening the city with culture and invested heavily in construction. The total investment of the whole theater project is 39 million yuan, covering an area of 32, square meters, with a total construction area of about 37, square meters, which is divided into 4 floors above ground and 1 floor underground. Xishi Grand Theatre ranks among the modern advanced theaters in China with its unique architectural modeling, advanced stage technology and perfect performance functions.

the architectural theme of Xi Shi Grand Theatre is "the light ring of the city", which is divided into two areas, A and B. An overhead glass corridor with a length of about 5 meters is separated from the main theater, which transforms the landmark grand theater from the traditional centralized volume mode to a free and open mode, strengthens the theme of "urban halo" and organically combines the grand theater with the surrounding parks, streets and squares. The design of the theater is integrated with typical urban elements to become a "cultural park". When the lights are on at night, the main building is like beauty Xi Shi, and the glass corridor is like a golden ribbon, showing the beauty of Xi Shi's sinking fish.

Xishi Grand Theatre is adjacent to Science and Technology Museum in the south, Citizen Wetland Park in the north and Hongcheng Fortune Center in the east, just like a pearl embedded in a high-end business district. No matter from which angle it is shot, it shows its beauty. Beautiful during the day and charming at night.

Up to now, Xishi Grand Theatre has undertaken dozens of elegant artistic performances, such as Shanghai National Orchestra Concert, large-scale dance drama Guanyin, classic ballet Swan Lake and Beijing Symphony Orchestra Concert. This exquisite cultural landmark building will lead the cultural trend of Zhuji's elegant art and become a hall for ordinary people to understand and experience elegant art. ? Zhang Xujia

Suzhou

"Dapeng Wings" wants to take off

Dapeng Wings Sculpture Photographed by Zhao Yong

It is undeniable that landmark buildings can not only increase the visibility of a city, but also make it more vivid and vivid. The "Dapeng Wings" sculpture fully reflects the style and development of a modern new city in Suzhou, Anhui.

the construction of the sculpture "Dapeng spread its wings" began in November 1998 and was completed in March 1999, which lasted more than four months. In the process of its birth, it experienced an important event in the history of Suzhou-on December 6, 1998, the State Council approved the cancellation of the establishment of prefecture-level Suzhou city in Suxian area. The sculpture "Dapeng spreads its wings" is called "the work of building a city". As a result, Suzhou has begun earth-shaking changes and entered a new era of development.

The sculpture base is designed with stainless steel natural and smooth arc pneumatic streamline, which adds dynamic beauty to the flapping Dapeng, creates an infinite visual imagination, and contains the good will of the newly-built prefecture-level Suzhou to spread its wings and take off. From the front, the graceful Dapeng is spreading its wings and flying; Looking up close, Dapeng birds soar in the sky; A bird's eye view of Dapeng is about to stay in the beautiful land of Suzhou.

"Dapeng spread its wings" is heroic and heroic, guarding the north gate of Sucheng. To the east, beijing-shanghai railway and the high-speed rail go by like lightning, connecting the east, west, north and south of the motherland; To the south, the transformed old city of Suzhou is thriving and prosperous; To the west, there are many businessmen in the new government town, and the Hefei-Xuzhou Expressway passes by the city. The supporting facilities such as schools and hospitals are gradually improved and the development speed is changing with each passing day. To the north, Sixu Expressway and the reconstructed National Highway 26 crisscross and pass through the city, bringing new opportunities for Suzhou's development. Before Dapeng spread its wings, it was a riverside park built along the Tuohe River. The park is full of flowers and trees, making it a good place for Suzhou people to relax, entertain and exercise.

The appearance of "Dapeng Spreading its Wings" has enhanced the city image of Suzhou, symbolizing the Pengcheng Wan Li in Suzhou, and containing the earnest desire of Suzhou people to look forward to the rise of their hometown. Today's Suzhou, the urban and rural construction is advancing by leaps and bounds, and the appearance of the city is brand-new. A new Suzhou, which is livable and suitable for business, appears in the land of northern Anhui, and so on.