Jingliao Community Photo Exhibition in Tainan, China Documents the Light and Shadow of Rural Life

Jingliao was once the most prosperous settlement in Tainan County, and many old buildings and traditional crafts are still preserved there today. The documentary "No Rice to Eat" (Wumile), made ten years ago, turned Jingliao into a popular tourist attraction. Three years ago, Tounanfeng Studio was commissioned by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Tainan City Government to carry out the "Cultural Heritage Regional Environment Integration Project" of the Cultural Heritage Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, promoting cultural preservation work in the Jingliao area.

Liao Yuwei, a member of Tounanfeng Studio, said that most tourists' impressions of Jingliao stop at the "No Rice to Eat" documentary and a few better-known old shops, but the Jingliao settlement is actually very large, not just the old street area, and they hope the photography exhibition will present the light and shadow of rural life in Jingliao so that people can get to know Jingliao better.

Of the fifty photographs in this exhibition, forty were taken by Tounanfeng members. Liao Yuwei said that over the past three years they have often interacted with Jingliao residents, and in the process got into the habit of taking photos as a record. For example, when visiting the carpenter Grandpa Sweet Potato, they saw that he was sun-drying preserved mustard greens and snapped a few photos right then, or when passing a rice paddy and hearing firecrackers, they saw an elderly woman setting off skyrockets to drive away birds while the rice was heading, and they chatted while taking pictures. "We don't have to look for it deliberately; after staying long enough, you capture everyday scenes."

Besides the works by Tounanfeng team members, this photography exhibition also includes photographs taken by local residents; earlier, after residents took a photography course offered by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, they used cameras to record their own lives. In addition, the installation of this exhibition on the outdoor plaza of "Jiancheng Furniture Store" was also handled by local residents. During the installation, many community residents passing by wandered over to take a look, and as soon as they saw themselves in a photo, they excitedly dragged friends over to see it, or when they saw a friend appear in another photo, they immediately went to tell that person to come and look.

Liao Yuwei said that in the past, reports or photographs about Jingliao all focused on just a few residents, whereas this photography exhibition places more emphasis on the details of rural life. "Playing the piano, setting off skyrockets, sun-drying preserved mustard greens can all be the subject of a photo. These grandpas and grandmas see themselves in the pictures and feel quite a sense of achievement."

"Village Portraits - Jingliao Life Record Exhibition" is on display from now until March 15. Tounanfeng Studio said it hopes that through the photography exhibition visitors can discover the rich textures of Jingliao, and that Jingliao children who have moved away to work can also have the chance to come home to see the exhibition and see a different side of their hometown.

(Exhibition dates: March 5-15, 2015. Location: Jingliao Community, Houbi, Tainan. Jiancheng Furniture Store, outdoor area)