Shigu is a village about an hours drive from Lijiang. It stands near a great bend of the Yangtze River. It was here that Mao's Communist army crossed the Yangtze as it veered north on its famous "Long March" in October 1934. Mao avoided defeat in the Chinese Civil War, and saved his army. There is a monument to the event on a cliff at Shigu. Not far away, this threesome shares some rice and tea. I composed this image as a geometric echo – the three men, all wearing dark clothing, are as balanced in their placement as the table, stools and restaurant sign are behind them. I usually stay away from centered compositions. I find them formal and often static. But in this case it works because of the way the balanced furniture and restaurant façade complement each other.