Hidden in the Hills – Shaanxi, China

Title of the Artwork: Hidden in the Hills – Shaanxi, China

Year of Photography: 2006

Printing Process: ILFORD MULTIGRADE IV RC photo paper, hand-printed using silver halide process

Artwork Dimensions: Height 12 in, Width 9.5 in (the artwork is in perfect condition)

Artist’s Reflection

This black-and-white photograph, taken in 2006, documents the original landscape of Lijiashan—an ancient cave-dwelling village nestled deep within the loess hills of Shaanxi. Dug into the mountain layer by layer, the cave homes follow the natural contours of the terrain, their lines stretching organically like a silent ink painting unfolding across the land. I chose film to emphasize the weight of history and the textures carved by time.

From a bird’s-eye view, narrow paths wind through the village’s layered fabric. Every stone step and arched doorway speaks of a world long separated from modern time. I deliberately preserved the heaviness of shadow to allow Lijiashan’s stillness, simplicity, and quiet mystery to flow naturally through the frame.

Background Story

Lijiashan is hidden within the folds of the Yellow Earth Plateau. The village resembles an inverted fortress, its caves rising in tiers and dug straight into the loess cliffs—tight-knit, secluded, and enigmatic. The area shown in this photograph is the village’s most iconic feature: a suspended cluster of cave homes known as the “skyward caves.” Stone steps meander upward, and doorways link cave to cave in what feels like an ancient maze carved by hand and history.

Legend has it that in the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, the Li clan first settled here. For centuries, generations have lived in the caves, sheltered by the hills, removed from the outside world. When the artist Wu Guanzhong first visited Lijiashan in 1989, he reportedly exclaimed that it resembled a Han tomb—desolate on the outside, yet serene and refined within, like stumbling upon a forgotten utopia.

Today, this “mountain fortress” is a sacred site for artists and photographers alike, and a silent witness to the hidden lineage of a family living in harmony with the land.