Before We Explain the World

Photography by Lu Heng

1Leaving the Known

Rivers Unfold

Story 5 of 51 · 8 photographs

At first a river is a branching line across the ground. Look closer and cities, lakes and valleys appear beside it. Follow the water for a while, then notice what has gathered along its edges.

  1. Blue channels divide and rejoin across a brown plain towards the horizon.
    23

    A river branching out

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  1. An aerial view of branching river channels crossing open land, with cloud shadows and snow-covered mountains beyond.
    24

    A river below the mountains

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  2. An aerial view shows a broad river bending past a city and dropping over a wide waterfall.
    25

    The river bends

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  1. A winding stretch of water passes between green hills beneath low clouds.
    26

    Water between the hills

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  2. A narrow lake bends between steep wooded mountains that fade into the distance.
    27

    A lake between the mountains

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  3. Sunlight glints across a broad bay with wooded islands, shoreline buildings and boats.
    28

    Islands and sunlight on the water

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  1. Bright light breaks through clouds above a hazy patchwork of hills and buildings.
    29

    Light over the land

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  2. Wooded headlands and a narrow settled shoreline curve around a broad expanse of pale blue water.
    30

    Hills across the water

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