The Garden's crossroads

Lu Daosen died.

He is 26 years old, and is an internet celebrity freelance photographer. I am also a photographer, but I am still alive and walking on the road.

Why did Lu Dawson died? Before his death, he published his will online, which stated that he was a left-behind child in the rural areas. He was bullied as a student and became a dream chaser living alone in the city when he grew up. And he has no love or money in the big city, his dreams are squeezed out by reality, and there is no future.

His story is not an individual case.

With the rapid population growth and rapid economic development in the past 40 years, resources have become relatively concentrated, classes have gradually solidified, and wealth has become a measure of success. Social changes have made interpersonal relationships intricate, and trust has gradually diminished. Competition has been with us since we were born, and the belief in excellence is rooted in everyone's heart. We have been in anxiety for a long time, worrying about being eliminated by the era of rapid development. The security system of average wealth has now disappeared. It is full of challenges for ordinary people to change their living standards. Coupled with a series of pressures such as emotional loneliness and traditional concepts, it makes it difficult for us to make choices at the crossroads of life.

Eventually Lu Daosen stopped at the crossroads.

In the city of stars, there is no light to light it up. Those dreams that have been poured day and night have become endless dust, no one will remember. It is a pity that you died and the news made me know you in this way. But why am I not someone like you? Every day I walk at the crossroads of the garden and see the endless stream of people. There are too many people and every face is blurred, the tired faces that I don't want to see. Some people are still there at the Garden crossroads, but more people have disappeared from the big city like animals. Where did they go? Are they okay?

© Pang Hai - 1.Round Pier at the Crossroads: Is the world a ball? Elastic? Is the world a stone? A cold?
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1.Round Pier at the Crossroads: Is the world a ball? Elastic? Is the world a stone? A cold?

© Pang Hai - Little Red Flower: We are all flowers, flowers reflect on each of us, standing out is the goal of our generation.
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Little Red Flower: We are all flowers, flowers reflect on each of us, standing out is the goal of our generation.

© Pang Hai - The box is home: Me in the box? This is my space. It's small, but it's quiet. It can also take me anywhere.
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The box is home: Me in the box? This is my space. It's small, but it's quiet. It can also take me anywhere.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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Mother: Jing is a single mother, raising children is a responsibility, taking care of the elderly is filial piety, working day and night to support the family, she has to become a strong woman.

© Pang Hai - Intersection : Greedy butterflies gather together.
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Intersection : Greedy butterflies gather together.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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Big Red Flower: In the year of equal wealth distribution, people were proud of their honor by wore red flowers. Today, wealth has gradually become the only criterion of success, and money is more important than honor.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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Climbing trees: The branches are getting thinner and thinner, even if they fall, they will not hesitate. The child still has to climb up, the further the climb, the wider the road.

© Pang Hai - Junction : The dog is lifted up by the electronic pillar, and it must hug the pillar.
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Junction : The dog is lifted up by the electronic pillar, and it must hug the pillar.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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Retired: Guan Dong retired from the army. He escaped modern life for 2 years, and now he's back where he started. He said he was a little sorry not to stay in the army, now he will be strict with himself, and work hard to make money.

© Pang Hai - Grid life: We all live in the grid.
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Grid life: We all live in the grid.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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Xun,a 29 years old Malaysian has left Beijing of the expired visa, although he loves Beijing, a place where has opportunities and enthusiastic young people just like him. As for the people who has led a wandering life ,it’s quite difficult to maintain the status quo without stable job and Legal identity.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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Take a break, no: Your phone rings, you're on line 24 hours a day to work, and you need to keep your good face on at all times. Wen Hao spends every day like this.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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I found a cheap messaging in my friend’s house.The long-sitting work makes our whiplash suffered irreparable harm.We always used the damage of our body to exchange material life.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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ShuSheng from Chongqing, 23 years old, has been living in Beijing for 3 years and has found a love. His boyfriend, DaBai , who is very possessive. In a relationship, one person always stay strong in dominant position over another.. Just like things have Yin and Yang.

© Pang Hai - Junction : Tie it,don’t let the bird fly away.
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Junction : Tie it,don’t let the bird fly away.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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Ruxia sisters, 26, from Inner Mongolia, worked and lived in Beijing ,where they can earn a little more money and get more opportunities than their hometown ,after graduation .However, with the increase of house prices, the cost of maintaining ordinary life is times more compare to Inner Mongolia. Even more, hunting for a spouse also be tough issue they have to faced with. There is a faith deep inside their mind, as long as they’re accompanying with each other, those difficulties can be overcame eventually.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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It has been 7 years since Xiaoyan Lin decided to leave his hometown Fujian and came to Beijing. He is a dancer, a director, a planner, a totally freelancer. He couldn’t tell how many times he moved house, but there seems no place could let him be settled down And for saving money and time, finally he moved to a house with only 10 square meters in the alley.Nowadays, multiple careers and frequent mobility are the current situation of young people.

© Pang Hai - Image from the The Garden's crossroads photography project
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Fishing: Shaojiang came to Beijing for 6 years. He said that there are many opportunities and he can make more money than his hometown. Unfortunately, there is no salary increase in 6 years, and there is no good opportunity for him. Even if he works for a lifetime, he can’t afford a house. He may be leaving soon if he can't get a “big fish” in the city.

© Pang Hai - There are no animals in the world
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There are no animals in the world

© Pang Hai - Junction : My world? Me in the world?
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Junction : My world? Me in the world?

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