Inuit Blanket Toss Ceremony in Xian Temple Courtyard

Molten side light floods a stone temple courtyard in Xian, illuminating late spring greenery against ancient grey walls. A group of people in traditional Inuit parkas stands on a heavy woven blanket stretched taut across the flagstones. Three figures grip the corners, bodies tensed as they launch a fourth person into the copper-toned sky. Dramatic, dark clouds gather overhead, against the warm glow of the setting sun that casts long, sharp shadows across the textured pavement. The jumper hangs suspended mid-air, limbs extended, silhouetted against the breaking clouds. Below, the woven edges of the blanket ripple under the strain, resting on the cold stone floor near a carved wooden pillar.