In October of 1993, I had the opportunity to go to China with my father who had been away 42 years from the land which he was born. Returning as the overseas Chinese, this was a dream with which he had hoped to fulfill in his lifetime. The dream was to return home, see the many sites and to experience the stories which he had heard as a child growing up in a small village in Southern China. As for myself, as the American born Chinese, it was also the chance to see and experience first hand the people and culture which I was born from.

Our travels took us to both familiar and not so familiar areas of China. From well known areas of Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and Canton to lesser seen places of Huangshan, Kunming and my father's village in Toishan. Each place was filled with experiences so different from what I have come to know in my life. From majestic mountains which almost appear to touch heaven, to understanding some of the life of people we met, I sought to capture some of this unique beauty. Such a vast country with so much to see and only one lifetime to experience it.

Passage through China was also a continuation of my own personal photographic journey. It's an ongoing struggle to compose and balance what one sees. My style of composing strongly uses form and light to create the aesthetic and emotional balance of the moment. For me, the artistic fulfillment is to be able to express this beauty and passion with those who view these images. Join me in this journey by allowing me to share this with you - those who have been and those yet to travel this country.

Nancy Chee June, 1995