Upwards

Posted Jul 17, 2011, 2:40:58 PM UTC

Long ago, in the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty, there was a poet named Qu Yuan. He was a descendant of the Chu royal house. When the king of Chu decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu Yuan opposed, and was banished on the account of treason. During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great many poems. Twenty-eight years later, when Qin conquered the capital of Chu, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunear month. (Wikipedia).

Ever since, the people have commemorated this great poet by throwing rice dumplings into rivers on the day of Qu Yuan's death, in the hope that the fishes will spare his body.

Visiting neighboring villages on long "dragon boats" became another tradition of the festival (Duan Wu Festival). In Malaysia, a multi-cultural nation comprising of Malays, Chinese, Indians and aboriginals, Duan Wu Festival is also celebrated. In a stretch of imagination, I visualize an astral scene where all ethnics of Malaysia, along with foreign visitors, can ride together on the long dragon boat and soar alongside swiftlets across clouds above rural village huts made of thin corrugated metal panels.

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Comments

  • Jul 21, 2011, 3:00:27 PM UTC
    Oh it's cool! o.o
    I really like the composition how you emphasize the boat's direction with the clouds and the swallows too..
    and the clouds are really nice, I really like the light you put on them..
    Hmm..i'd LOVE to be in such a boat too... *u*
    • Jul 22, 2011, 3:27:22 PM UTC
      Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

      I find that lights and dynamic objects/particles in the air (e.g. dusts, flying debris, birds, stars etc) can easily be used to enhance the mood of a picture.
      • Jul 22, 2011, 9:04:05 PM UTC
        Yes that is true I guess..but still it requires SKILLS to apply them well... XP