Maria Rieger Photography

My last blog post:

When the city’s music changes: notes on sounds, memory and war I wish I knew that every one of them is safe. I wish there were a way for peace to return, gently and fully, like spring after a long ...

New post on substack, check it out!

https://open.substack.com/pub/mrieger/p/freezing-days-and-fragmented-memories?r=6vj1y0&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

I’ve been a bit quiet lately as I prepare a major shift in my life. More on that soon.

To start 2026, I’m sharing a small reflection on storms, presence, and friendship. 🌿

A walk, a Storm and the Choice to Stay When was the last time you made the effort to meet a friend? To ask how life is going. To listen without rushing to the next thing.

In Xi’an, the past walks alongside the present. Hanfu is more than fashion, it’s identity, memory and the revival of a tradition once silenced.

In my latest blog post, I share what it feels like to witness this return of tradition in modern Xi’an and why it matters.

Don’t just read about it, see the photos that bring it all to life. Click the link and step into the world of Hanfu.

Threads of time: The living tradition of Hanfu The first glimpse was of the long, silky skirts flowing with the movement of graceful steps. The women looked as though they had stepped ...

The Vertical Village
As our cities climb even higher, we do not lose only land but the closeness of life once lived. Towers may scrape the skies but our roots remain in the simple ground of community.

There is more to this story than fits here. Read the rest on my blog post. Link bellow.

The Vertical Village Some of these towers now hold tens of thousands of inhabitants, vertical villages rising into the sky. But I wonder, how high can we go?

Looking or seeing?

New Post!

In the footsteps of Confucius, echoes of wisdom I had longed dreamed of visiting Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius. This year when I finally crossed the threshold of the Confucius Temple, I did not expect to find such deep devotion, so many people making offerings, asking for blessings, and paying their respects.