PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Lau has braved a few journeys in his day, travelling deep into remote parts of China to capture the colours and images he believes are disappearing fast in the whirlpool of modernisation.
But never has the 32-year-old been so close to death as when he, together with other passengers on a bus, narrowly escaped plunging into a mountain valley in Guangxi.
''It started with a very loud bang and was followed by strong vibrations of the bus. There were noises of a collision and glass shooting in all directions,'' said Lau.
''The bus was forced to turn off the slippery road, it was raining and we were in the mountainous area of Guangxi. Unlike the Hollywood movies, there was no panic, no one cried, complete silence.
''Luckily, as it was heading down the cliff, the bus made a turn and was back on the road again and saved some 40 lives. Ours was the third accident on the same day.'' Despite the danger, Lau is keen to capture the images of China's vast landscape, its ethnic minorities and their cultures and traditions that he fears will soon disappear. A major exhibition of his work opens in Hongkong next Thursday.
Lau sees his Hongkong background as a drawback when it comes to appreciating the culture of the mother country. But since he made a journey to Tibet in 1983, for which he left his job in estate management, he has become a travelling photographer.