Yanqing, through the Veil by Tianjiao Wang is a series of photographs made in 2021 that reflects the status behind the rapid development of the rural areas in China. With the loosening of the household registration system starting in 2010, the younger generations choose to go to schools and work in more resourceful cities where there are more resources.
Wang’s observations included the age gap in the rural population. These visual articulations convey a strong sense of emptiness that was apparent in each visit. Today’s Chinese villages still retain respect and dependence on the soil as well as a sense of collectiveness. All changes are relevant to them, but their lives are still embroiled in trivial matters. The empty, aging, abandoned, and uncertain rural status quo is the inevitable result of the rapid development of human civilization; however, no matter how much progress has taken place, the original form of the community remains unchanged. People eat together, work together, and enjoy entertainment together. They still function within the context of the collective.
The work is composed with portraits of the villagers and the environment in which they live. Over the past year, seasons have cycled, modern construction has been carried out, all the while the villagers are disappearing. Wang witnessed that society is progressing and people in rural areas have a better life. But as we blindly moved forward quickly, ignoring that the land was our original root, where is the future of these villages? This question has echoed in Wang's mind. As an outsider of the village, Wang realized that she cannot tell stories on behalf of the people there. All she could do is to form a narrative of the experience through photographs within the past visits. She is willing to keep making observations and exploring these villages. It is certain that she felt disappointed about things that disappeared. People’s gratitude for their current lives and their migration toward more resourceful places changed the essence of their lives. While feeling disappointed, seeing people have a persistent yearning toward life is inspiring her.
