Home is where the smoke rises

This series was photographed in Guye, on the outskirts of Tangshan, during the New Year season. Once bustling with the tradition of ‘gan daji’ (market gathering), the area now reflects both the shrinking of local markets and the expansion of the city.

This series was photographed in Guye, on the outskirts of Tangshan, during the New Year market. In my childhood, the market was the most lively scene of the festival—it was not only a sign of the approaching New Year, but also an essential part of daily life. Many years later, when I returned home, I found the market shrinking and the city expanding, with these changes directly reflected in space and in people’s lives.

Tangshan is where I was born and grew up. It endured the devastating earthquake, and it is also where China’s first standard-gauge railway bridge and the first steam locomotive were built.

In my images there are street scenes full of noise, vendors at work, the colors of produce, and the atmosphere of the festival. For some, the market remains an important part of life. My grandmother, for example, still considers it essential—she spends two hours traveling just to visit it. These photographs document the lives of Tangshan’s elderly today, and the ways of shopping that connect the city and the countryside.