[Reimu Hakurei Cosplay] A Maiden's Blessing by Dali Erhai Lake

This set of photos was shot in mid-January by Dali Erhai Lake, capturing this image of hands clasped in prayer. The climate there at the time was incredibly clear and translucent, with the harsh plateau light casting extremely vivid colors and sharp shadows.

This time I cosplayed Reimu Hakurei, a classic character from Touhou Project. Her iconic red-and-white outfit is her signature, especially the giant red bow on her head. To best recreate Reimu's simple and slightly casual temperament, I carefully adjusted the styling. The crop top paired with layered white ruffles highlights her character traits while adapting to the vast natural landscape of Erhai, avoiding an overly bulky look.

Rather than a studio shoot, the natural scenery of Dali Erhai Lake served as an excellent backdrop. Although it was sunny, the wind was quite strong. The bare branches of the withered trees and the dark trunks formed a wonderful foreground frame, giving the image a realistic and desolate side, while my red-and-white color palette achieved extremely high saturation against the azure sky and deep blue water. The challenge during the shoot was controlling the skirt hem and the white outer throw—capturing the perfect moment of the skirt fluttering in the heavy wind without letting it look too messy.

In terms of posing, I chose this look of hands clasped together, head slightly bowed, and eyes closed. This is completely different from the combat stances I usually show for Reimu Hakurei, as I hoped to present the quietness and piety she holds toward nature that might otherwise be overlooked. The side-profile angle neatly outlines the body's curves while ensuring the character is not awkwardly squeezed near the frame edges. To capture this satisfying frame, we repeatedly adjusted my facial direction and the position of my clasped hands to create an internal sense of breathing with the withered trees and the water surface behind.

When doing outdoor cosplay photography on a plateau, the light is often quite harsh, which is both a challenge and a unique feature. An experienced photographer can utilize this hard light to bring out remarkable three-dimensional depth, but conversely, it can easily look stiff if the movements do not align with it. Today's light and shadow conditions were exceptionally suited for wearing this red and white outfit, giving the white ruffles a beautiful texture under the sun.

While Reimu Hakurei's setting is often associated with battle, I hope that through this trip to Erhai, everyone can see a different side of this Touhou Project character. For me, blending my passion with beautiful natural scenery is both a joyful and professional endeavor, giving me a deeper understanding of cosplay. I hope sharing this set of photos full of breathing room can convey a quiet sense of healing.