Beijing is a city bridging the ancient and the modern. From Buddhist temples to museums, narrow hutong ____1____ royal palaces, it is home to more than 3,000 years of glorious history even down to its layout, with the city keeping its carefully ____2____ (build) system of ring roads.

But for all its ancient buildings, Beijing is also a place ____3____ welcomes the fast-paced development of modern life, with 21st-century architectural ____4____ (wonder) standing side by side with historical buildings of the past.

It is a distinct visual contrast (反差) that shouldn’t work, ____5____ somehow these two very different worlds make a good combination. ____6____ (visit) several times over the last 10 years, I ____7____ (amaze) by the co-existence of old and new, and how a city was able to keep such a rich heritage (遗产) while constantly growing. As a photographer, I have spent the last two years ___8___ (record) everything I discovered.

The ____9____ (remark) development of this city, which is consciously designed to protect the past while stepping into the modern world, _____10_____ (mean) there is always something new to discover here, and I could be photographing Beijing for the next 50 years.