Stonemason Chiseling Gargoyle on Cathedral Scaffold

First light strikes the green mesh of a steel scaffold rising beneath a massive tower crane in an open construction yard in Shaanxi. A stonemason in worn work clothes leans forward, chisel raised against a rough-hewn gargoyle figure resting on wooden formwork. Late spring clouds hang low and gray, diffusing the morning sun into a soft, even glow across the gray concrete ground. Dust particles float in the narrow beams of light hitting the metal framework. The mason's shadow stretches long across the scaffolding poles, ending at a pile of cut stone fragments near the base. The texture of the unfinished stone contrasts sharply with the smooth, painted steel of the crane leg towering above.