Dawn River/黎滩河畔
黎滩河畔 Mini Photobook Preview video | Duration: 02:53
My exploration of “hometown” began in middle school, when I wrote essays about snow and street food in Jiangxi. In high school, I filmed videos during Lunar New Year visits to my ancestral home, though I never finished editing them. Years later, I rediscovered a stack of color photographs my mother had taken there on film — images I now treasure. These personal memories, alongside inspirations like Raymond Depardon’s work on his own hometown, led me to begin photographing my hometown of Lichuan on black-and-white film. To me, childhood memories exist in black and white: fireflies my grandfather caught for me, the orange groves my grandmother took me to — all in faded tones of the past.
What She Saw ：
——Lichuan through my mother’s eyes
In college, I stumbled upon a set of old photographs my mother had taken in our hometown using a film camera. She handed them to me and said they were mine. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp their emotional weight. Now I just want to preserve them properly — and perhaps, one day, create an exhibition dedicated to her, myself, and the place we came from.
Much of the architecture, lifestyle, and even the scent of the air has changed. The river that once ran in front of our door, Dawn River, has shifted or vanished. But still, I recognize my hometown at a glance: it’s unmistakably Lichuan.
Years later, I learned what photography truly meant to her. "I loved it passionately, but had to give it up for survival," she once said. Those simple words – "for survival" – hold countless unspoken hardships.
Photographer： 篁竹街人～冯玲
Urban and Rural China
Urban and Rural China Through Photography Video | 15:50 | Original Audio: Japanese | Subtitles: Chinese
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I was born in Jiangxi Province, China, and have lived in Shanghai since I was five years old. The reason I want to present "Urban and Rural China Through Photography" is to share my own story and provide a glimpse into the current state of China, especially the condition of my hometown.
Two years ago, I developed a passion for film photography and took many photos of Shanghai and my hometown using film.
The photos I’m showing today were taken over the past two years with film. As I prefer black and white photography, most of the images are in monochrome.
When preparing today’s content, I realized that it would be more effective to convey my message through visuals rather than just talking. Therefore, I created a 15-minute video using my photographs as material. The video is narrated in Japanese with Chinese subtitles.
Please take a look.
——Peace Boat Voyage117 2024.7.18