A Nanjing Local's Nanjing: National Geographic Classic Image Exhibition at Jinchuang Book City

Date of visit: October 2022

Venue: 4th floor, Jinchuang Book City

Exhibition period: July 22, 2022 – February 5, 2023

Jinchuang Book City is a popular bookstore in Nanjing. I first visited this beautiful and multi-functional bookstore in May. The bookstore offers a rich variety of content, greatly satisfying both our visual and sensory experiences. I haven't had a chance to write about that visit yet. Recently, a colleague gave me two exhibition tickets, and I saw it was for the National Geographic Classic Image Exhibition on the fourth floor of Jinchuang Book City. That was great—off I went on the weekend.

Outside the bookstore, there was a promotional display cabinet for this exhibition.

Upon entering the bookstore hall, clear signage led me to the escalator.

Straight up to the fourth floor, the corridor was already lined with various photos.

The signs were prominent, so I followed them.

From the fourth floor, I looked down at the bookstore's striking spiral staircase in red and yellow.

On the fourth floor, there's a music training center and a coffee shop.

And a cultural and creative shop related to the exhibition.

Immediately, I was immersed in a visual feast: pristine red walls with classic photos hanging one after another, each accompanied by an informative caption.

The first section is 'Exploration & Discovery'. Since its founding, National Geographic has never ceased its thirst for exploration. Following these precious images, we can feel their passion and longing for the land.

The exhibition hall is not one large open space, but a winding corridor, symbolizing the meandering path of history. At a corner, a large photo shows the prehistoric Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain.

Walking from photo to photo, it felt like fulfilling a dream of 'traveling around the world'. Each image was a feast for the eyes. Before me was the majestic castle of Leptis Magna, a well-preserved ancient Roman city.

The Egyptian pyramids are all too familiar.

Here, two photos of different sizes depict the 100-meter-tall redwoods of California, USA.

Every photo tells a story, especially the ones featuring people. Some capture the most glorious moments of life, while others narrate an entire lifetime. The first photo on the left is of a 12-year-old Afghan girl; the second shows her at 38, a mother of three. Time passes, but her gaze remains unchanged. The third is of Walt Disney flipping through a National Geographic magazine.

Transitioning from deep red to pure yellow, the second section portrays our living planet—'The Beauty of the Earth'.

This mysterious pink-purple lake is Lake Hillier on the west coast of Australia.

A blue sky, a barren ridge, and two Afghan women in blue burqas.

The world's largest cave, Hang Son Doong in Vietnam. Seeing this photo reminded me of the film 'Thirteen Lives' I watched not long ago, which tells the true story of a Thai cave rescue. The caves in Southeast Asia are truly complex and fascinating.

The aurora over Snæfellsjökull volcano and waterfall—the aurora and glacier reflect each other, blooming into brilliant sky flowers.

Redwoods in Yosemite National Park, a spectacular sight captured through a fisheye lens.

I really love the photo on the left, 'Steam Train Engineer in Front of the Taj Mahal, India'. The contrast between the static, ancient Taj Mahal and the slowly approaching steam locomotive—a symbol of power—along with the engineer's calm, focused gaze, all conveyed a mysterious sense of strength.

Such a magical sight; without reading the caption, I would never have guessed it was the world's tallest desert dune.

On the left, a view of New York's Central Park.

The winding corridor leads us on.

Amazing natural landscapes.

The wondrous beauty of the earth offered me a visual feast.

The yellow section transitions to pink. What theme could pink represent? It's 'The Mysteries of Life'.

On the right, a mother and baby red-eyed tree frog; on the left, a giraffe and a scientist, as if the giraffe is whispering to the scientist.

'A Mysterious World in a Single Drop of Seawater'—even a drop of seawater is full of life stories.

A male lion striding through a sandstorm—magnificent, beautiful, free, and powerful. And on the right, 'A Dying Moose and a Raven Watching Over It'. These two images with different symbolic meanings displayed side by side inspire deeper reflection.

A beluga blowing smoke rings and a leaping red fox in the snow—both so cute and playful.

This was my first time seeing a sea slug. So beautiful! It seems the world has some fixed ideas: for example, beauty sometimes equals danger, even evil. This colorful sea slug hides dangerous toxins beneath its dazzling colors.

'The Beautiful Temptation of the Pitcher Plant'. I first learned about pitcher plants when reading 'The Mole's Story' with my child during parent-child reading. Who knew such a beautiful yet somewhat sinister plant existed?

From the photos in the pink corridor, we sense National Geographic's reverence for all life on Earth—whether tiny insects or massive mammals. They pay respect to all living beings and make unremitting efforts to protect them.

Deep blue represents the unknown, and a blue background showcases National Geographic's 'Into the Unknown' section.

Blue symbolizes the vast universe, the starry sky, the celestial realm. The first photo on the left is of the Carina Nebula, the middle one is a satellite image of Earth, and the far right shows the world's first female astronaut.

The distant cosmos and the fathomless ocean depths are all realms for explorers. In their eyes, the unknown is the most wonderful place in the world. We follow each photo to understand the world.

A beautiful ring nebula.

Waves painted in blue pigment and a giant vortex like a red eye—like an abstract oil painting—are actually a beautiful photo of Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

A mysterious underwater cave photographed by divers. I marvel at how these explorers, through their work, lead us to appreciate the wonders of the world from different angles.

The divers in the cave once again reminded me of the world-class cave rescue experts in 'Thirteen Lives'—their bravery, professionalism, and great love.

Clearly the luxury liner Titanic, a ship we've become familiar with through the movie.

Divers are exploring a Bronze Age shipwreck; underwater, they discovered 'Bronze Age Cypriot Jars'. On the right is 'An Underwater Actor Applying Lipstick'.

Explorers, in their quest to understand the world, observe, research, and unravel mysteries by every means possible.

Transitioning from the blue space to a new one.

Dark green represents a 'New Perspective'.

National Geographic makes the familiar look unfamiliar. Familiar places have a familiar feel, while unfamiliar places are seen from unfamiliar angles.

Here, panoramic images with broad perspectives unfold one by one.

A panorama of Strasbourg, France.

On the left, a winter sunrise panorama of the Chugach Mountains in Alaska; on the right, a panoramic view of Venus's landscape.

Panoramas of the Hani Rice Terraces in Honghe and the Háifoss waterfall and canyon on Iceland's highlands.

On the left, a panoramic view of Sun City, Arizona, created from photos of 13 people.

There's a small video screening room looping the short film 'Toward the Distance'.

The film introduces the 130-year journey of National Geographic magazine—its beginnings, development, and future.

Panoramic photos showcase the autumn beauty of south-central Alaska, USA.

A microscopic panorama of a cross-section of frog skin.

A panorama of a mysterious Icelandic lagoon.

A panorama of the Aletsch Glacier.

A twilight panorama of Chile.

Zooming in, these 360-degree full-scene photos create an 'immersive' exhibition atmosphere, delivering a stunning visual experience. The all-encompassing viewing method gives us a broader and more comprehensive perspective. Each image allows us to enjoy a powerful visual impact.

The sixth section—'Voice of the Environment'.

Using green, symbolizing environmental protection, the exhibition features photos about Earth's environmental changes, alerting people to treat our planet and our home kindly.

On the left, a killed gorilla in Virunga National Park. On the right, a tree in the desert.

Childhood along the Volga River.

Submerged rice paddies.

Searching for potable water.

Most visitors are young people.

This barge is planted full of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, strawberries, and more. Even the smallest space is filled with green.

Melting glaciers, global warming.

The pygmy people of Congo with their reverence for the forest.

This section covers various topics such as the environment, deforestation, chemical pollution, global warming, and endangered species. The photos deeply convey National Geographic's continuous efforts to protect the Earth's environment.

The seventh section—'National Geographic's Photojournalists'. It showcases the people and stories behind these photos: the journalists, photographers, explorers...

Through representative portraits, it introduces the photographers and their iconic works.

Animal photos by 'the greatest nature photographer of our time, Frans Lanting'.

A loving mother-and-child image.

Camels searching for grassland at dusk in the Rub' al Khali desert.

The Mbuti people, proud of their flower decorations.

A frozen-over pond in frosty Minnesota.

Disappearing pastures and cows.

The journey of an explorer couple; the photo shows dense clouds with a stunningly beautiful rainbow in the sky.

A curious polar bear captured while peeking into the photojournalist's cabin.

A man in front of a hedge maze—this image has a cinematic, storytelling quality.

A mother and child playing—a heartwarming family scene.

Inca-era terraced salt pans.

Exploration team members at the lava lake of Mount Nyiragongo.

We are fortunate to see here the profiles and works of these world-renowned photographers. The photographers on display have all won prestigious international photography awards. A dialogue spanning 130 years of time and space, leading us to discover the fascinating stories and touching moments behind the lens.

These images open our minds and broaden our horizons, helping us to rediscover the world we live in.

Standing before these images, we feel the profound thoughts and beliefs behind them.

The eighth section—'Majestic China'.

Each photo here witnesses the brilliant civilization of China.

Many of the scenes are familiar sights, like the Danxia landforms of China. This image reminded me of the spectacular Danxia landscape I saw in Zhangye.

Through eight sections represented by eight pure colors, we viewed 172 masterpieces accumulated over 134 years, from 1888 to 2022. National Geographic explores the unknown from different angles, recording every beautiful moment and leading us to explore hidden places, nature, culture, technology...

Happily concluding a feast for both the eyes and the soul. But these vivid, interesting images will stay in my memory, worth savoring again and again.

Descending via Jinchuang Book City's popular spiral staircase,

a space on the third floor is being set up; soon, there may be another exhibition for everyone.

At Jinchuang Book City, you'll deeply experience it as 'a paradise of books, a home for the spirit'.