《Tangshan》 began with Wei Jinchun’s first visit to the city while studying in Tianjin. The landscape of Nanhu Park, together with accounts of the mining districts and the city’s earthquake history, changed how he perceived the scene before him. Over approximately a year of repeated visits and photography, his attention gradually expanded from sites of historical commemoration to the city’s people, industry, and life in its surrounding counties. The photobook brings together his initial response to the city’s history and the understanding developed through sustained observation, placing Tangshan’s public narratives alongside its contemporary everyday life.
Photobook Structure
The book is divided into four parts, containing 9, 21, 34, and 45 photographs respectively. Part I begins with the “National Civilized City” sculpture and views of Nanhu Park. Part II moves into earthquake memorial sites and contemporary lives. Part III extends to urban development, spaces of consumption, youth communities, and working life. Part IV further encompasses mining, industry, life in the surrounding counties, and the everyday circumstances of people and animals.
The four parts progressively increase in length, with overlapping subject matter rather than a chronological or geographical arrangement. The photographic sequence is followed by two critical essays by Liu Gaofeng and Xiao Chen.