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Exquisite vases on the wall parapets, aerial arches with baroque reliefs and countless statues of ancient Greek gods that adorn the courtyard territory consisting of several descending terraces became an additional decoration of the palace. The sculptures were an exact replica of the ancient sculptures of the Berlin Museum, with the only difference being that ours were gypsum, imitating marble. The park designer introduced his “zest” into the design of the territory. The trick was that the “female” figures were located from the southern part of the palace, where the bedchamber of Maria Feodorovna was located. Statues of male gods "dispersed" from the north side of the palace, respectively, from the side of the emperor's chambers.
Unfortunately, out of almost 30 figures, only six have survived to our times. Surprisingly, they are all paired: two satyrs, two chimeras and two sphinxes. The rest were irretrievably lost, dashing times of wars and revolutions did not spare them.
Вся придворцовая часть парка, занимающая около 1,5 десятин, была украшена скульптурами. Они были установлены вокруг дворца, на подпорных стенах, в нише второго этажа и на открытом в то время балконе. Всего было установлено 29 скульптур и 6 декоративных ваз. Согласно архивным документам, скульптуры изготовлялись из искусственного камня и отливались из гипса. Статуи из искусственного камня (их было 12) были выписаны через петербургскую фирму "Кос и Дюр" из Метлаха и обошлись в среднем по 250-300 рублей. Гипсовые скульптуры также были отлиты за границей и представляли собой копии статуй из Императорского Берлинского музея изящных искусств. Некоторые гипсовые скульптуры были окрашены масляными красками под цвет мрамора. Статуи изображали античных богов, философов, аллегории различных искусств и наук.
К сожалению, большая часть скульптур, украшавших дворец, не сохранилась. Некоторые из них были сделаны из недолговечного материала и уже к 1909 году были сильно повреждены, что вызвало необходимость снять их.
Некоторые из скульптур были утрачены уже в советское время.
Уцелело лишь 6 скульптур: два сатира, два дракона (иногда их называют химерами), два сфинкса. Последние, очевидно, были сделаны здесь, на месте, по моделям, привезенным из Петербурга и выполненным скульптором А.Г. Бауманом, работавшим над оформлением Массандровского дворца.
Nel momento giusto dell'anno, ci sono girasoli a perdita d'occhio che ammantano i campi vicino Bologna.
Foto di qualche tempo fa
Buona giornata
#sunflowers #girasoli #bologna #campi #fields #yellow #agriculture #view #pattern
HBM! I have taken countless photos of this bench, which is usually occupied, in Humber Bay Shores Park West. I usually show the excellent view of Toronto's skyline but seen from this angle you can see the Public Boat Launch area and a cluster of condo buildings.
Best seen large by clicking on the photo. Thanks for visiting.
I've had the pleasure of hiking the Narrows several times; I've also seen countless amazing shots of the reflected light casting its trademark warm glow on the canyon's distant walls. However, I don't recall ever seeing a scene like this one (whether live or in a photo). I was lucky enough to stumble upon this particular light show while hiking out of the Narrows during a November 2019 trip with Kevin Benedict and Sky Matthews.
While I cannot honestly say that this is the best of compositions, I can say that it is probably the best I could manage in my photogasmic panic that ensued once I stopped starring, closed my jaw and realized that I probably only had a few minutes at most to unpack my gear (which I had of course packed up thinking that I was done for the day) and set up before the lightshow disappeared for good.
All in all, I'm fairly happy that I was even able to fire off a few shots and get something in focus and usable. I cannot wait to see what surprises will be revealed the next time I have the opportunity to hike one of my all time favorite places.
I hope you enjoy the picture and as always, thanks for the time to look!
I've photographed this bridge countless times. At different times of the day, sunrise, sunset; and many different times of the year. This was one of those sunrises where the color was a nice surprise.
"Goldie, you're looking good for 80!"
🎉❤️🎈🎉❤️🎈🎉❤️🎈🎉❤️🎈🎉🎈❤️🎉❤️🎈🎉❤️🎈🎉❤️🎈🎉❤️🎈🎉🎈❤️
Silent Winter
One of the countless moments permanently impressed in my mind during my journey in the frigid Canadian lands.
One of the few places I was where the silence is truly impressive and made your thoughts more intense and vivid.
For Processing Videos www.enricofossati.it/instruction
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In collaboration with Gitzo Leica Camera Lowepro LucrOit
Countless photos of food items from Borough Market.
This is also one of my most-appropriated images. Please ask before using it.
The Grand Canyon has been an elusive prey. I've made countless trips up there the past few years trying to get lightning on a good storm and been skunked every time. Last year I finally got a downburst right in front of me...but no bolts. A few years before I got some strikes out on the Little Colorado plateau, but nothing in the Canyon itself. Always a long trip to come home with little success.
Well that all finally ended Friday, and it was with this shot that I didn't even know I had captured until I was going through images in Lightroom. A perfect thunderstorm with a beautiful little strike hitting smack in the middle of an island plateau on the eastern side of the Canyon. I squealed a little bit when I saw this :)
The time-lapse of this storm exploding and dumping rain will be cool too, super stoked to have come away not only with some great stuff, but to have spent the entire day with my kiddos as well was well worth the time and sunburns!
About an hour northeast of Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territories are countless lakes and rivers. This is Powder Point on Prelude Lake. I talked to the people in the canoe when they landed. They came in from a place called Hidden Lake, which is "three portages away."
What a great day I had today seeing some spectacular country driving from Hay River to beyond Yellowknife to the end of the Ingraham Trail. Thanks to Stephen Fochuk for recommending the trail.
It was great meeting you, Stephen. Hopefully we'll be able to go out shooting some day!
Iceland is full of countless waterfalls, but this one is quite impressive. Háifoss, which is well named for its meaning "high waterfall", would be the second or third highest in the country. Lost in the middle of the desert and volcanic south of Iceland, it rushes 122 meters below at the bottom of a vertiginous canyon dug in the rock, in a great uproar.
L'Islande regorge de cascades innombrables, mais celle-ci est assez impressionnante. Háifoss, qui porte bien son nom signifiant "cascade haute", serait la seconde ou troisième plus haute du pays. Perdue au milieu du sud désertique et volcanique de l'Islande, elle s'élance 122 mètres plus bas au fond d'un canyon vertigineux creusé dans la roche, dans un tumulte mémorable.
I spend countless hours by the pond watching the dragonflies chase each other, most the males for territorial rights,
Males are certainly more than females, my best shots of them are taken in the afternoon,
My Waterlilies are always the same, I change one or two a year,
My favorite and great bloomer is Star of Siam,
From the same year.
www.flickr.com/photos/komotini49/19179919014/in/photolist...
The Port Maitland lighthouse, located on the mouth of the Grand River in Dunnville has stood guard for 178 years.
Saturday's storm while awesome in nature was also deadly. A storm line stretching over 1200 kilometers from the southern States left more than 50 deaths in its wake of destruction.
The north shore of Lake Erie was hammered with winds of 120 km per hour and waves of 20'. Many homes were flooded, boulders washed up on the roads, and countless fallen trees.
India, Goa, Cavelossim beach,
…after a scrumptious grilled-seafood-dinner on the beach,
a little “moon walk” on the beach, the palm leaves sway slowly in the warm sea breeze, from a distance the wind softly brings the sound of music to the beach,
…perfect to end the day at the Mobor section on the south tip of the almost 30 km long white sandy beach.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
16 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
Life has a way of pulling us in countless directions—its rhythm often loud, relentless, and overwhelming. In the middle of this chaos, quiet moments become not just desirable, but essential, grounding us when everything else feels unsteady.
Meditation and stillness offer a sanctuary—a chance to retreat into silence and reconnect with ourselves. Even just a few minutes of quiet can soothe the mind, reduce stress, and spark fresh perspective. The beauty of meditation lies not in escaping the world, but in re-entering it with calm and focus.
Whether it's a quiet corner of your home, a bench in a sunlit park, or the meditative glow of a candlelit room, having a dedicated space for restoration creates a powerful invitation to pause. It reminds us that we have permission to step away, to breathe deeply, and to simply be.
In these moments, we’re reminded that renewal doesn’t have to be grand or elaborate—it thrives in simplicity. A quiet walk, the hum of nature, or the soft cadence of a cat’s purr can replenish us in ways that go beyond words. Taking time to renew isn’t a luxury; it’s an act of care that enables us to move through life with resilience, purpose, and a sense of presence.
Having photographed Mono Lake countless times, I headed there with the F4 crew in January to see if I could find a new way of photographing the spectacular tufa mounds.
While Nick, Adam and Thomas were busy working the beach with wide angle lenses, I opted for a different approach.
I felt that our landscape photography courses needed some diversity in the type of images we created so I decided to walk away from my subject.
After a short but steep hike in the fresh snow, I finally found the perfect viewpoint to survey those glorious sculptures as the morning light set them aglow.
Using a 100-400mm lens I had just enough reach to frame up this composition.
I had to use a ten-stop neutral density filter to force a long exposure of thirty seconds. This made the surface of the water smoother and less detailed which simplifies the composition and paints the scene with a relaxing mood.
As the sun rose over the horizon, the coyotes began their dawn chorus to usher in the new day and I breathed a very contented sigh.
Watch detailed videos showing exactly how I shot and processed this image by downloading the F4 ROAD TRIP over at f4roadtrip.com
Thanks for looking
Gavin Hardcastle
If there is one piece of clothing which countless people around the world are wearing in public in this health crisis, it is face mask.
Here, four washable and reusable clothe face masks are being dried in the sun.
Some big clothing manufacturers and a number of small tailoring shops in the Philippines have started making lots of protective face coverings not very long after many super markets had run out of face masks to sell during the early days of the implementation of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, which started last March 17. This is even though the wearing of face masks in public was not yet made compulsory by the national government.
Now, it is common to see people have them on, particularly those who go outside their homes to do some work or make trips to buy essential items.
Luzon is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. The Zambales province is located at the western part of Central Luzon, which is one of three regions (out of the total six) which remains under complete lockdown until May 15.
Viele, viele, viele ... auf höherem Terrain 😛
Hieracium sabaudum
European hawkweed
Savoyer Habichtskraut
(DSC9673)
We, and countless thousands of Calgarians, headed to the mountains for the first day of our long weekend, our Victoria Day Weekend. The parking areas at trailheads were overrun, and so many just parked on the roadside. There were more people on our route than usual, but it was challenging enough that it didn't attract throngs. We thought there would be snow about, and luckily the snow at the top was strong and stable.
After a lot of creative exploration (and countless hours on Pinterest), I’ve decided to return to the Lookbook-style for my blog. As a true Libra, I love experimenting with aesthetics, and this time, I’m embracing a fresh take on fashion storytelling. Stay tuned for stylish snapshots, curated looks, and a renewed vision!
I.
DURA-B130
[TNK] RENCHII GOGGLES - DARKSIDE #18 RARE
[DELTA] ARMED SWEATER NEW! @ALPHA
[Traume] Cargo Shorts 02
Diaboli Design - Icestar
[KROVA] BAT-2
II.
DURA-U127
[Val'More] - OversizedBigBomber
CHAOS. dpmn baby tee
CHAOS. dpmn loose cargos
Semller - Triceratop High Boots Black
It only took hundreds of attempts, countless raspberries, several light adjustments and some shutter speed tweaks to get this berry shot.
Five little berries, to be precise, for today's Macro Monday "Five" theme.
Mexican Raspberries. Fast movers in the water, messier and bouncier than strawberries or bigger fruits.
They're also the sweetest raspberries I've ever tasted.
Happy Macro Monday!
(Note- heavily cropped to 3-inch rule. Click to see the uncropped version here:
www.flickr.com/photos/jarrard/51729349598/in/photostream/).
#MacroMondays #Five
I have seen a lot of waterfalls but this national park is something special...
Because of the spongy ground, the water can relatively quickly modify the stones and create new paths. So if you visit this place one year later, some new waterfalls will be there and some old ones won't carry water anymore.
There are countless hikes around Aro-Ha, and this is one of the easier ones, so I am sure the group that we bring there soon will be doing it. You can see the whole Aro-Ha retreat there on the left and the massiveness of Lake Wakatipu on the right. One of the best things about getting up here is not just the scenery, but it’s knowing you don’t have to go up any more!
- Trey Ratcliff
Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Like countless times before this past year, LBU51 has ye olde 1158 leading. It's just beginning its journey to Ives Quarry on the Kenosha Sub as it crosses Potter Road; still guarded by Griswold/Safetran Pedestal "EM" gated; a trademark of the C&NW.
This photograph shows a small herd of gemsbok running on one of the countless red sand dunes in western Namibia. I took the shot from a small microlight airplane on our annual Namibia Untamed photo tour.
Gemsbok are the largest species in the Oryx genus. They stand about 1.2 m (3.9 ft) at the shoulder. The body length can vary from 190 to 240 cm (75 to 94 in). Male gemsbok can weigh between 220 and 300 kg (490 and 660 lb).
Gemsbok live in herds of about 10–40 animals, which consist of a dominant male, a few nondominant males, and females. They are mainly desert-dwelling and do not depend on drinking water to supply their physiological needs - perfect for the desert. They can reach running speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph).
Female gemsbok use their horns to defend themselves and their offspring from predators, while males primarily use their horns to defend their territories from other males. Unfortunately, gemsbok are widely hunted for their spectacular horns that average 85 cm (33 in) in length.
If you would like to join me in a few weeks on this year's Namibia Untamed tour and learn more about landscape and night photography, then you're in luck: due to a cancellation we have one opening again, and we offer a 500 Euro Last Minute discount as an extra incentive!
If you're interested, and of course you are, please check out our website for more information:
Squiver Photo Tours & Workshops
We were the first company to offer specialized photography tours to Namibia, and we are still the only one that offers microlight flights over the famous Namibian sand dunes. There is no better organized Namibia tour out there.
Hope to see you there!
Marsel
©2014 Marsel van Oosten, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
Hengfeng Rd. Overpass
Every day, countless potable water deliverers carry ten or so barrels of potable water (18.9 gallons per barrel) on scooters through the city. I've photographed many of these scenes before (flic.kr/p/2oSR7KR, flic.kr/p/2piawZU, flic.kr/p/2p3gmqv, flic.kr/p/2nSqU42), and this is the first time I found this kind of potable water transit depot.
The depot is located in an unguarded space under an overpass that spans the railways on the west of Shanghai Railway Station. The delivery men have the keys to the depots from the company they work for, so that they open the doors themselves. I witnessed this delivery man opened the depot door, turned on the lights, drove his scooter into the depot, took totally 16 barrels of water in several batches and loaded all of them onto his slim scooter, drove slowly out of the depot door, stepped out of the vehicle, went back to the depot, turned off the lights, closed and locked the door, and then drove off as fast as he could and disappeared into the night, all in 8 minutes.
China, Harbin, Tiger Research Centre,
... who says the tigers do not love to cuddle?
In the 1980s, the "King of the Forest" was listed as one of the first-class national protected animals of China, to preserve this valuable species, the Siberian.
The Park is occupying an area of 1,440 million square meters, providing a gigantic space full natural environment in different areas in the park, approximately 20 minutes by car northeast out of the city at the Song Bei District. The main purpose of the tiger park is significant research with positive results to avoid the extinction of this majestic species.
The world's largest breeding centre for Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, in Northeast China is in the process of releasing captive-bred big cats into the wild to restore the population of one of the world's most endangered species. Less than 500 Siberian tigers are supposed to live in the wild, mainly in East Russia, Northeast China & northern parts of Korean.
In 1986, China began a captive breeding program, at that time, the Hengdaohezi feline breeding centre in the suburbs of Harbin, had only eight tigers, but today it is home to more than 1,000.
After 32 years, there is a fourth generation of captive-bred tigers & the centre has strict measures to prevent inbreeding, the databases include family trees for each tiger.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
15 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
After countless days and hours spent on the popular ice berg beach near Jökulsárlón I have lots of images to go through aswell as wet boots and gear to dry. The best thing about this place is it ever changing nature. During these days the weather was rainy, cloudy, cold and clear. The number of icebergs was a few small ones to millions of large icebergs. Endless possibilities.
BA turns 10 this year!
What started as a creative side project, has turned into the best job I've ever had - and I've had quite a few!
So far:
• 40 Production Molds
• Over 360 Prototype Molds
• Over 275 Unique Weapons & Accessories (not counting the colors)
• Countless Custom-Printed Minifigs & Weapons Packs
..and I'm not done yet! I'm obsessed with that little minifig, and he/she always needs MORE STUFF! You can look forward to even more from BrickArms in 2016 and beyond.
Thanks for supporting BrickArms all of these years, and we're looking forward to another decade of innovation!
Dream Big, and Play Well
---Will & Jenn
Took this second shot in Brooklyn, NY near Pier 2. I have seen this pic countless times but wanted to try it myself. 2 minute exposure at little past the blue hour. Used Lightroom to added a cooler tone and clarity to the image.
countless.
times.
mindlessly.
seriously, look at it here. please. please. please?
all stock is my own
1:30am on a clear moonless night. A small lake in central Virginia reflects the countless stars in this dream-like nightscape.
There are countless mosques that dot the Istanbul skyline with their beautiful domes and minarets. And although I thought there were others that were at least as stunning, these two are tourist favorites…. in the foreground is the Blue Mosque, and to the right is the Sophia Hagia Mosque.
Without a drone, which are heavily restricted in Istanbul, this was the best vantage point I could get to get both mosques together.
The last humongous sandwiches were sliced on December 31st 2016 after 79 years in business at the Carnegie Deli at 854 7th Avenue, a few blocks south of Carnegie Hall as another New York Institution shutters after serving loyal patrons that included the likes of countless celebrities, Broadway and Hollywood stars alike for almost four decades. That’s the bad news, the good news is that Carnegie Deli will continue to serve its signature sandwiches and pastries at its ‘satellite’ locations at Madison Square Garden here in New York City, Bethlehem Pennsylvania and Las Vegas Nevada with much more limited menus that are much easier to manage than the very comprehensive menus that this location and Carnegie Deli’s mail order business will also continue to operate. There was a last ditch effort by upper eastside restaurateur Sammy Musovic who offered Marian Harper-Levine the owner who inherited it from her father $10,000,000 at the eleventh hour to keep the doors open which Marian turned down. The walls of the establishment were adorned with autographed photographs of the many celebrities that were patrons at this eatery, many Broadway actors that are long gone and sadly forgotten except on these walls. The outcry was melancholy, filled with sadness of yet another piece of New York City’s rich history is gone, the end of yet one more New York institution a Jewish Deli known for its oversized portions and over-the-top attitude, an essential New York experience gone.
Dickinson College history professor and author of the Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli Ted Merwin said “The Carnegie is really the New York Jewish deli,” and “It's a symbol for what I call the ethos of excess.”. Merwin explains the importance role of the integration of the Jews into American culture here in the city was being able to eat in delis in around the theater district allowing them to join and participate in the celebrity culture that emerged in the area. The Woody Allen movie Broadway Danny Rose brought this establishment much notoriety as well and I remember from my last time there that the menu had a sandwich named the Woody Allen.
I wanted to get over there for one last huge sandwich (you always took home a doggy bag if you went alone) but unfortunately a bad ankle sprain over the 2016-2017 holidays kept me off my feet and unable to get over there before the end of the year.
Taken on Olympus TG-850 processed in Photomatix Pro and cleaned up in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
A riot of colours, countless baskets of flowers:
A riot of colours, countless baskets of flowers, haggling customers, and a chaotic madness which is surprisingly enjoyable, is what you will find at Bangalore’s KR Flower Market. It is believed to be Asia’s biggest flower market. When you reach here, while you will be transfixed by numerous vendors lined up for business right next to the flyover and Dargah.
one can find everything here: from Roses, Marigolds, Jasmines to Lilies, Orchids and Carnations. The different hues of pinks and reds, the occasional yellows and whites balancing out the brighter colours is completely an encounter you have to experience.
#sonyalphagallery #krmarker #krflowermarket #flowers #flowermarket #Bangaloru #streetphotography #sonyalpha #sonya9 #sonyalphaofficial #yourshotphotography #yourshotphotographer #natgeoyourshot Bangalore, India
#roses #marigold #jasmineflower #orchids #carnationsflowers #lilies
Like countless others I made the journey out to the WNY&P Railroad to see the big Alcos/MLWs operate in what is likely their final summer on this railroad. A trio of the big M636s have 22 loads of stone northbound along Sinnemahoning Creek at North Driftwood. Shots like this one and many others would not have been possible without huge amounts of help from others. I can't thank them enough for all of the insight into this operation as well as photo locations and who knows what else. Our trip was a great success because of them.
Kea ( nestor notabilis )
Unashamedly my favourite bird..
Ive spent countless hours entertained by them in, fact was almost killed by one many years ago as a young fella while looking for Kakapo with Don Merton in the head of the Donne valley near Milford sound.
Several birds where perched atop of a large "Goolee" massive rock that had come down from the glaciated valley walls. I clambered up with my trusty Kodac insta-matic camera and was gazing through the view finder when one bird rushed at me to bite. Leaping back I fell off the boulder nearly 20 feet and was lucky I fell among crown fern.
The only casualty was my pride, but I learned something...
They would fly in during the worst of storms to slide down our tent roof during the night while the weather raged around us in our tiny nucleus of comfort....engaging birds that capture ones heart...
Its a shame our Govt and other authorised bodies have almost driven them to extinction with 1080 poison applications over 50 years of mindless use......
They keep telling people how effective it is but the number of possums etc has increased over and over....
Also many people do not realise that after a poison drop (1080 ) and possum number reduced the berry drop is correspondingly heavy with a massive increase in rodents so the birds get a double whammy....
Hongqiao Railway Station, Shanghai
The modern Chinese term "Chunyun" refers to the spectacle of countless Chinese people travelling within the country during the Chinese New Year (also known as “Chunjie”, the Spring Festival), which has been described as the largest human migration. During this period, train tickets are hard to come by, motorways are clogged up and, especially in the event of bad weather, there would be huge disasters.
The root cause of this strange phenomenon is the "hukou" system that has been in place in China since the CCP came to power, a system similar to South Africa's former apartheid system that classified people into categories according to whether they were from urban or rural areas, and if they were from urban area, in which province. People in different hukou categories are treated differently. Initially, this system was designed to limit rural-urban migration, which would ensure the number of state serfs and thus the privilege of the cities to exploit the rural areas, and was aimed at Communist-led industrialisation. The initial classification of the hukou is hereditary, meaning that the children and grandchildren of a person classified as a peasant usually remain peasants unless the State orders a change in classification.
With the failure of Maoist modernisation and industrialisation (1949-1978), the peasants of the Deng era were allowed to work in the cities, but at the same time they were not allowed to obtain an urban hukou easily, and to this day they do not have all the rights to live in the cities - for example, they are not allowed to bring their parents to live in the city where they work, their children are not allowed to attend school in the city where they work, they do not have health insurance in the city where they work, and when they get old and cannot work anymore, they have to go back to their hometown. They are called "peasant workers", and their status may not be as good as that of third world immigrants who make a living in developed countries. In addition, while one with an urban hukou from other provinces can certainly go to Beijing or Shanghai to work, it may be more difficult for them to obtain a hukou of Beijing or Shanghai than it is for them to obtain the status of an immigrant in the U.S. Thus, they are in a similar position to "peasant workers", who are not allowed to have a real home with their family in the city where they work.
Chinese New Year is the longest and most important legal holiday of the year for most Chinese, and due to cultural traditions, the right to rest on this holiday is not arbitrarily taken away by employers like other legal paid holidays. So most people migrating for work have basically no other choice but to go home to their families during Chinese New Year. Combined with tourists who have no other time of the year to travel other than this time of year, the annual Chinese New Year creates the largest human migration.
A giant slogan across the hall reads:
Firm in faith, striving to ascend, share the same destiny, and head for the common future.
It's a huge irony for all the people who are born with different destinies under the slogan banner. The good news is that hardly anyone will give it a second glance.
However, there is one thing that is common to all people's treatment: to travel by train, one must endure the various formalities imposed by China's railway passenger transport.
China's railway stations, unlike most of the world's railway stations, have waiting areas that are segregated from the platforms, just like in airports. Train station staff only open the appropriate gate 15-20 minutes before a train departs to let passengers for that train onto the platform - naturally, passengers who are not for that train are still not allowed to go there. This in itself is already a hassle. In recent years, in order to strengthen social control, China's railway passenger transport has again implemented the real-name system, whereby everyone who wants to take a train must go through two ID verification gates, the first one when entering a station and before the security check, and the second one when entering a platform. It is therefore impossible to travel on China's trains without an ID, a smartphone tied to an ID or a passport (for foreigners).