Patan by day and night

Singapore-based photographer Ju Shen Lee’s images capture the rapturous beauty of the Patan Durbar Square and the life around it—the intangible cultural heritage of the people who inhabit the surroundings and worship at this UNESCO World Heritage Site. All through natural light, Ju Shen works before dawn and late into the night to capture her human, animal and architectural subjects as well as the images from Ashtamatrika dance in the Patan Mulchowk. This photographer’s interest is in capturing the beating heart of the city and the palimpsest of cultural heritage that envelopes it.

For each image shown here, Ju Shen takes dozens more that she discards. She is a perfectionist with a heart the size of Kathmandu Valley. It is this combination that results in such stunning, memorable images.

Pandé is a writer, art-historian and filmmaker advising on the economic and social potential of the Cultural and Creative Industries, Education Outreach, and Sustainable, Strategic Planning. She has consulted for IFC and UNESCO.