Looking up to the sky, people can witness the growth of Shanghai from the ground. But Wei Gensheng, a local tower crane operator, has been using his lens to record the fast-paced development of this city from a bird’s-eye view. He stands on Shanghai's tallest buildings to shoot the city's skyline. /Photo by Wei Gensheng

From the 278-meter high K11 building to China’s tallest building, the Shanghai Tower, Wei helped the skyscrapers spring up one by one while working as a tower crane operator for some 40 years. During his time, his camera was by his side to capture unique shots from above the clouds. /Photo by Wei Gensheng

To break up the monotony of his 12-hour shifts, Wei would leave the operation room in his spare time to capture shots of the Pudong New Area, Shanghai's commercial zone. /Photo by Wei Gensheng 

This shot won Wei a silver medal at the Shanghai Biennale in 2013. /Photo by Wei Gensheng

While standing above the city, Wei said he is far from the ground but far closer to the universe. Over the past four decades, Wei used his joysticks to cultivate Shanghai's steel and concrete, and used his camera lens to cherish every minute of it. /Photo by Wei Gensheng