The Night in Ulaanbaatar

Lu Chen crosses thousands of miles to the Mongolian Plateau, settling in Ulaanbaatar, at 47°55′ north latitude and 106°55′ east longitude. Nestled at the foot of Bogd Khan Mountain, with the Tuul River flowing slowly through it, this solitary city has four sharply distinct seasons. The brief spring breeze carries fine sand, the grasslands turn deep green in high summer, the hills are suddenly dyed gold in autumn, and the long winter freezes the snowy plains for thousands of miles.

Half city life, half boundless wilderness. He steps into this land and meets the herders who have lived here for generations. He watches Mongolian horses wander across grassy slopes, sees dusk spread over the rolling grasslands, and waits for the stars to fill the silent night. In the songs of the wind sweeping across the wilderness, amid the warm fragrance of milk tea and cow dung, he slowly comes to understand the solitude and tenderness of this plateau. The grasslands’ dawns and dusks, the turning seasons, and the restrained, enduring feelings between people are all hidden in Ulaanbaatar’s quiet nights.

Theme: Seek the faraway place in your heart, make peace with yourself amid the vast wilderness, and feel the tenderness and boundlessness of the grasslands.