We want to keep the tradition alive
We want to keep the roots
But it's hard
The memories
They come to my mind from time to time
I was born on Donghai Island in Zhanjiang, Guangdong
In 2007 I came to Wuxi
I love it here
The Grand Canal runs through the city of Wuxi
The area around the ancient canal of Qingming Bridge
I believe that's the real canal town left
Now residents of the area is decreasing by day
If I don't record it
It may become a blank in the history
So I started taking pictures
For about a decade
About 100,000 photos
Residents still maintain this very quaint way of life
Wulongtan Ferry
People who choose to take a boat early in the morning
The fare is 3 or 5 jiao
In the morning, they boil water and light stoves
Fetch water from well to do the laundry
Wash clothes and hang them on bamboo pole
Those who live in the alley have lived here for decades
They know their neighbors very well
They don't close their doors
Until late at night
During summer
People have dinner in the alley
And they would share food
When it comes holidays and important events, they invite you to dinner
People live in their own apartments
But the public space in the middle is shared
People clean it and take special care of it
Husband washing his wife's hair
Gently
He pours water on her head
Bathe child
Bathe dog
An old man taking a shower here
Enjoying the coolness of water in summer
I think Jiangnan people are great
Many are from notable families
So they have an exquisite lifestyle
An old man
In his suit, wearing scarf and a top hat
Sitting by the canal
Drinking spring tea
A barber shop in Rong alley
The objects in there are very old
The barber would put a hot towel on your face
And then shave you slowly
Some dignitaries also come here for haircut
These people are still relatively kind and simple
Accept me, a foreigner
To go to their home
Photograph portraits and still life indoors
Cao Tingsheng's family lived near the head of the Qingming Bridge
The house was over 100 years old
Later they were relocated
Sewing machine
Bed, chair
After the relocation
Including some wardrobes were moved away
Many items seem useless to us
But for them, every item reminds them of the past
The so-called Jiangnan canal town, architecture is only part of it
People and life is more important
But they have been rapidly commercialized in recent years
Demolished
In 2013, I quit my job
Because my hometown was undergoing drastic changes
I was eager to record it
Most people of the Donghai Island are fishermen and farmers
We swim in the sea
Collect wild fruits in the mountains
My childhood memories begin with the fair
Old friends and schoolmates
Even old neighbors
I feel safe and reassured when I see them
Factories brought huge changes to the place
My little sister got married in 2014
They stood in the abandoned village to greet the guests
People who had made money left the island
I would go to my great uncle's house
The table was still there, the wardrobe too
The pictures were still on the wall
They didn't take anything
My father
Who was a captain at the time
I wore my father's clothes
Carrying a suitcase
As a father, a symbol of father
Bid farewell to my hometown
When I came back in 2013, I wanted to live in the village
My family was against that idea
Because I didn't have a job
Living there made them look bad
But I was very happy 100 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:45,519 I must create even if I have no many
Why "Tui Geng Tang"
It's easier for people
To go forward or upward
But Going backward is particularly difficult
I must return to the beginning spot
That's where my heart can rest