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About KHORA

A path taken on foot, with respect for the land and its people.

Founder & Director

Julie Rose Vilvandre

French native, based in ShanghaiDegree in Chinese Language, Literature & CultureBilingual interpreter

Self-employed in China as a bilingual interpreter and cultural project lead, I bring expertise in cross-cultural communication, field logistics and heritage tourism.

Driven by a passion for distant lands and forgotten traditions, I travel into the most remote regions of China in search of unique stories: winding mountain paths, isolated villages and nights shared with local families. Along the way I meet local artisans, the guardians of ancestral craftsmanship. Far off the beaten path, this is the China I choose to share: raw, authentic and deeply alive.

Work with meSee the portfolio
Field record

Four years on the ground

Every service I offer rests on time spent in the field, with the communities I will introduce you to.

See the photo series
  1. With the Mosuo

    A volunteer placement at the Mosuo Museum and research on a matriarchal society. I have returned every year since, and spent a week alongside a Dongba shaman.

  2. Tibetan communities

    Losar, the Tibetan New Year, in February, then research with a Tibetan family in August: pastry-making, riding and horse racing.

  3. Spring Festival rituals

    Documenting traditional villages during the festival: the Torch Festival, the Yingge dance and the March of the Gods.

  4. Kazakh, Tajik and Uyghur encounters

    A homestay with Kazakh nomads on the Sino-Kazakh border, then the Pamir road with a Tajik family, a traditional wedding and a Buzkashi match, and location scouting among Uyghur communities.

  5. A month in a Zen monastery

    An immersive field study for my bachelor's thesis, written in Chinese, on monastic discipline and spiritual cultivation.

  6. My first guided tour

    Guide and interpreter for a private group of four international travellers in a Tibetan region.

  7. A documentary for Shanghai's Aid-Xinjiang Program

    Film and photography promoting Uyghur culture and the local economy, with an exhibition in Shanghai and Kashgar.

The name

Why “khora”?

KHORA (kora): a Tibetan word meaning pilgrimage. It is the circuit walked around a sacred place. A path taken on foot, with respect for the land and its people.

It is slow, attentive and done on foot. That is the spirit I bring to every project. I take the time to understand a place and move through it with care for the people who live there.

My engagements

Respect, rigor and ease, on every project.
1

On their terms

Time with artisans and communities, at their pace.

2

Consent first

Above all, consent from the people you photograph.

3

Licensed partners

Transport, accommodation and permits through licensed local partners.

4

Respect for the land

A path taken on foot, with respect for the land and its people.

Consent, in practice

Before any photo or interview, I introduce us and explain the project in Chinese, or through a trusted local interpreter where another language is spoken, and we only go ahead with the person's agreement. A refusal is always respected, sacred places and rituals are photographed only where it is allowed, and whenever possible I share the images with the families who welcomed us.

Let's plan your project.

If the way I work speaks to you, let's talk about where you want to go.

Get in touch
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