Al Larson Photography

On the road from Jordan Valley, OR to DeLamar, ID we pass through a short narrow canyon with rocks on either side. I shot this photo about an hour before sunset.

At the end of WWII, I found myself on duty with the USMC in Peiping, China. I soon found a Chinese friend (at left in photo) who could speak good English. He knew his way around the city and volunteered to show me the sights of Peiping. We visited the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, a Buddha temple and a Catholic church (where we sat in a balcony with the choir boys).  Our principle means of transportation was bicycle. There were also rickashaws and san lurs (three-wheeled pedal-powered rickashaw) available. Restaurants served real Chinese food to be eaten with chop-sticks. Eating soup with chop-sticks is an adventure of its own.

One evening Lu and his friend, Shorty (male) and I stopped by a photo studio for the above portrait. We donned costumes that could have been worn in ancient China. Lu posed as a General. Shorty in his dress, posed as the Emperess. I wore the attire of Emperor Liu Pei Hwang Sheang, Sung Guo Dynasty (right in the picture). As I remember, I was glad to shed the footwear. My feet were too big to comfortably fit in those shoes.