Pele Leung Photography

Footsteps and Frames – A Travel Diary of China

Pele travelled across 24 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China, venturing into mountains and seas, exploring hidden gems, passing through cities and towns, and tracing history over six years. Now, the most classic and remarkable 20 journeys have been compiled into this book, guiding readers through time and space to share in the small anecdotes and breathtaking scenery of these travels. With 472 pages and numerous photographs, this book is the perfect gift for friends who love travel and photography.

Purchase A$9.90

Book Reviews

From Brian R

I expected the images to be excellent as I’ve been familiar with Leung’s work for many years. I was not disappointed. The huge number of diverse images are great. The writing complements the imagery very well…

Having travelled to China 20+ times since 2009, this photo artist has seen far more of that diverse country than most of us and, I suspect, more than a majority of permanent Chinese residents. Whilst I saw a tiny number of the places/events covered in this book during my one short visit to China, my collection of China images is miniscule in comparison. And the book is not just a collection of photos. It is much more. The accompanying words tell a substantial story about… Full review here.

From Sally H

I have just finished reading your book. It is truly amazing. The photography is spectacular but that is no surprise from you. I liked the mix of tour guide, history and your actual feelings. They meld together to produce a superb book! Your personal observations would be essential for others following in your footsteps. I have never visited China but after reading your book I will now add it to my wishlist…  You have shown me what a stunningly beautiful country it is especially getting out of the cities. As an older person many of the hikes you did would be out of my capability range but the beauty you captured sure made up for that!

From Jill M

Every country is different every country is interpreted differently by everyone. Pele has given me a picture of China where there wasn’t one before. Pele’ s words and images successfully gave me a picture of the country. I never had any inkling of what the country was like. He opened up new thoughts on China. Thank you Pele for opening my eyes to something different.

From Anna F

As I read Pele’s book, the words that overwhelmingly came to mind were the sheer magnitude and scale of China and of this project. Pele powerfully captures the ancient history of China, its rich and diverse cultures, and its incredible and disparate geography. His photographs wonderfully depict China’s remote and grandiose features—its waterways frozen, flowing and cascading over rocks, sustaining ancient gardens, gouging their ways through stunning gorges, through fields, and through ancient towns to form boundaries for human activity. Through Pele’s eyes China’s breathtaking mountains rise above mists or remain shrouded in fog. The architecture of the terraced fields in Yuanyang, and the rapeseed flower fields are skilfully framed and preserved in time.

A skilled landscape photographer also provides a record of human activity through daily life and celebrations, and there is no shortage of such portrayals in Pele’s book. The reader bears witness to humans leaving their mark on the landscape as they work with the challenges of nature and the environment to create both perfect harmony and dissonance in controlling the landscape but also to create extraordinary human structures that have withstood the test of time: dynasties and religion that have led to the creation of temples, pagodas and grottoes, forbidden cities and terracotta armies; engineering feats that have created cable cars, dams, the Hakka Talou earthen buildings, bridges, walls, roads and planked timber walkways in seemingly impossible places.

Pele’s reflections in his journalling have captured some of the universal experiences of the traveller and the photographer but also his love and reverence for China. His anecdotes and observations bring attention to history, the kindness of strangers, the anxieties and doubts, the disappointments, the sometimes difficult, long, and dramatic journeys that do not always bear fruit, and the expressed gratitude to the countless locals who make travel possible. Throughout is a unifying thread of the need for equal doses of luck, patience and skill in capturing the perfect shot and of the spirit of adventure.

The overwhelming effect of this incredible collection on the reader is one of exhilaration and a whetting of the appetite for more…it creates an insatiable desire to visit every corner of this extraordinary country.