Dream core

For Liu, photographing buildings is a way of "finding means to look back on my childhood". What draws him is a sense of "outdated futurism" that newer architecture lacks.

"It may be outdated, but it is definite," he says. That era was full of optimism, when people believed in progress and embraced innovation. "It is nostalgia for the past, but also anticipation for the future."

One follower commented below his photos: "Thank you for bringing me back to the time I most want to return to. For a moment, I can see my carefree childhood and feel a world where romance meets reality."

Liu believes nostalgia is shared widely among those born after 2000.

Du Chenyu, 23, a fan, says the millenniumera buildings — now often regarded as landmarks — stand out in cities where recent construction feels standardized and commercialized. "That's why I love them," he says.

His hometown, Langzhong in Sichuan province, is full of such architecture. One of Liu's photos reminded him of a bus station from his childhood that has since been demolished.