Thanks for this Neil. After nine months so far living in China I completely agree that it seems almost being understanding for so many reasons.
Yet the other thing that has struck me is that the people I see every day are just like the people back home in the UK - and I suppose the rest of the world.
Chinese people want economics security, a decent job, somewhere nice to live, good schools for their kids, time to spend with friends and family etc. etc. - just like the rest of us.
Today was the big dragon boat competition in Guangzhou. I joined a team of expats this year and took part in the races. The Chinese competitors and the spectators were overwhelmingly positive and supportive. It was great.
The great tragedy is how we as people who can be friends across all kinds of language and other barriers can so easily become hostile and aggressive towards others for no rational reasons.
I see the photographs I take here as my very small attempt to show China and Chinese people beyond the often abstract, often hostile and often cynical rhetoric from politicians and 'experts' in both China and the West.
Thank you for sharing, Olli. I definitely agree that your photos of the Chinese never look alien. Glad to hear you’re getting on well there, I am very curious as to what drew you there in the first place.
Hi Neil. I just realised I never replied to you. What drew me here was work, but it was also our choice to come here. We had previously lived in SE Asia, in Manila and in Taipei, and the opportunity to get back to the region and to spend a few years in China was too good to pass up, particularly since we are in China's best (in the opinion of many people) big city.
Very intriguing. I am more fascinated by the Chinese and Japanese civilisations every year. I think they are not alien so much as uncanny; as part of our Eurasian family, there is much to recognise – great cities, great dynasties, great works of literature and art, now modern industry and high technology – but they are very distinctive at the same time. This was certainly how I felt when I spent some time in China a few years ago.
Beautiful work. Do you know Nadav Kander's series on the Yangtze River? Made me think of some of his photos from that series, though Kander was approaching the subject as a visitor.
Thanks for this Neil. After nine months so far living in China I completely agree that it seems almost being understanding for so many reasons.
Yet the other thing that has struck me is that the people I see every day are just like the people back home in the UK - and I suppose the rest of the world.
Chinese people want economics security, a decent job, somewhere nice to live, good schools for their kids, time to spend with friends and family etc. etc. - just like the rest of us.
Today was the big dragon boat competition in Guangzhou. I joined a team of expats this year and took part in the races. The Chinese competitors and the spectators were overwhelmingly positive and supportive. It was great.
The great tragedy is how we as people who can be friends across all kinds of language and other barriers can so easily become hostile and aggressive towards others for no rational reasons.
I see the photographs I take here as my very small attempt to show China and Chinese people beyond the often abstract, often hostile and often cynical rhetoric from politicians and 'experts' in both China and the West.
Thank you for sharing, Olli. I definitely agree that your photos of the Chinese never look alien. Glad to hear you’re getting on well there, I am very curious as to what drew you there in the first place.
Hi Neil. I just realised I never replied to you. What drew me here was work, but it was also our choice to come here. We had previously lived in SE Asia, in Manila and in Taipei, and the opportunity to get back to the region and to spend a few years in China was too good to pass up, particularly since we are in China's best (in the opinion of many people) big city.
Ah, nice. I thought when you didn’t you might be an international spy.
Nothing that exciting unfortunately - just doing some analysis and reporting of the dismal science.
wonderful work
Very intriguing. I am more fascinated by the Chinese and Japanese civilisations every year. I think they are not alien so much as uncanny; as part of our Eurasian family, there is much to recognise – great cities, great dynasties, great works of literature and art, now modern industry and high technology – but they are very distinctive at the same time. This was certainly how I felt when I spent some time in China a few years ago.
I only realised this week where the name of your substack originated. Will be doing a Japan post this week!
Very interesting post, and the selected photos are as well.
Thank you, the whole collection are worth checking out https://zhangxiaoart.com/works/2005-2013/coastline/
Thank you for the link, I will def check it out!
Beautiful work. Do you know Nadav Kander's series on the Yangtze River? Made me think of some of his photos from that series, though Kander was approaching the subject as a visitor.
I didn’t know that work but can see what you’re saying. It’s so different to his usual portraits. Very beautiful, thank you.
Wow, these photographs are stunning. I've lived in China for three years and these show the country in a way that I've never witnessed. Beautiful.
Thank you, Michelle! Glad you saw them. Let me know if you found any other good photographers in China