Ramshackle Review

Outside the Temple of Heaven

by Peter Tieryas Liu and Angela Xu

Outside the Temple of Heaven                                                                                                                               photograph

Peter Tieryas Liu on Outside the Temple of Heaven: 

"This  photo  is a collaboration between Angela Xu and myself.  For us, part of the magic of wandering Beijing is one second, you're traversing past enormous skyscrapers and a futuristic city on over drive. The next, you're in a labyrinthine network of shops selling you virility herbs, Great Wall toys, and things you can't even imagine (or pronounce). The Temple of Heaven was one of the most beautiful places we visited, but right outside the wall, there was a poor area where we saw herds of ducks wandering through the trash, dilapidated buildings with silent inhabitants, and abandoned wagons/carts. Though most of these will probably be gone by the next time we visit, the contrast was a vivid reminder (that also made us marvel) of how much Beijing has modernized itself in a short period of time."

Peter Tieryas Liu is a visual effects artist for Sony Pictures. He's worked on on movies including Alice in Wonderland and I Am Legend. His stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Camera Obscura, Gargoyle, Pear Noir!, Quiddity International Literary Journal, and ZYZZYVA.

Angela Xu is an international photographer who enjoys taking photos of the obscure.