In May 2016, when Yang Dong was photographing at Jinshanling, he noticed the pattern of the moving clouds resembled smoke, as if from a beacon fire during some long-forgotten war.

"The scene transported me to an ancient battlefield, and I immediately started running to find the best angle of the clouds and the beacon tower to capture that moment," he recalls.

However, the excitement of winning prizes has gradually waned, but Yang Dong has found a new, more lasting motivation－to present the beauty of the Great Wall to the world.

It dawned on him while reading a comment from a follower that says: "I admire a young guy named Yang Dong. No matter how his photos look, his diligent effort to record one of the greatest manmade structures on Earth enables some people to rediscover the Great Wall and draw their attention to the need for its protection."

"The Great Wall is about the nature, as well as the architecture. There is a spirit of the Great Wall and my love for that is presented in my photos," Yang Dong says. After learning more about the Great Wall and communicating with specialists who devoted themselves to studying and protecting the ancient edifice, he says he now has a better understanding of it. "The Great Wall has given me spiritual sustenance, knowledge and willpower."