Glass Mountain

No one will climb the Glass Mountain

It work centers on Glass Mountain (Mount Kailash), exploring the unusual weather phenomena in the Tibetan region and using these to reveal the deep connections between humanity, nature, religion, and climate.

The Earth is currently undergoing a series of abnormal weather events. As extreme climate changes continue, sudden natural shifts have brought unprecedented challenges to humanity, while also creating bizarre landscapes. In certain regions, climate anomalies may project colorful light across the sky, while other areas witness the complete reshaping of ecosystems, with glowing creatures adding beauty and mystery to the natural world. However, these phenomena are not just visual spectacles—they are warnings from nature. People become immersed in these surreal wonders, yet fail to realize they are signs of an impending survival crisis.

The prototype of Glass Mountain—Mount Kailash—is regarded in ancient Indian Vedic texts and other scriptures as the axis of the universe, the center of the world, and a ladder to heaven. While it is not the highest peak on the Tibetan Plateau, it has never been conquered. Climbing it is considered an offense to the gods, an act of disrespect. Against this cultural backdrop, I intend to use photography to tell my personal story with this sacred mountain. In my world, Glass Mountain is an unscalable sacred place. It symbolizes the supreme power of nature, while also carrying the mysterious messages brought by climate change.

I wish to capture the unusual climate changes surrounding Glass Mountain, observing how local people respond to extreme weather and their emotional connection to the land. I attempt to depict climate through religion, showing the duality between nature’s magic and fragility, while intertwining the sacredness and power of nature with human existence. As extreme weather events become more frequent globally, these phenomena can be seen as an “apocalypse”—a divine warning from nature about human behavior, a dialogue between heaven and earth, urging humanity to return to humility and harmony.

My photographic work not only records the wonders of nature but also reflects on the fusion of climate anomalies and human faith. I hope that viewers can sense the warnings embedded in the climate, while also seeing the possibility of human-nature coexistence.