[Commentary] On September 25, the 20th Pingyao International Photography Exhibition ended.
In the ancient city of Pingyao, "post-90s" Li Rui is sorting out clothes in his Hanfu store.
More than 20 years ago, Li Rui's father opened a daily necessities store in the ancient city.
A few years later, in 2001, the first Pingyao International Photography Exhibition opened. This daily necessities store was patronized by many photographers at home and abroad.
At that time, for 8-year-old Li Rui, the photography exhibition allowed him to open the door to the world in this ancient Chinese county.
[Concurrent] Li Rui, a resident of Pingyao
We might have said that when we were very young, we thought that it was what the customer was carrying. We didn’t understand what the camera was at first, and then slowly the photographer taught us something or communicated with us. We are actually inside. I also learn a lot of things. I really feel that photography still has a great influence on our emotions.
[Explanation] Five years ago, Li Rui changed his father's daily necessities store into a Hanfu store.
Li Rui believes that the photography exhibition not only brings income to the people of Pingyao, but also shortens the distance between Pingyao and the world.
[Concurrent] Li Rui, a resident of Pingyao
In the past, my father's generation always opened some (shops) such as daily necessities and lifestyle.
Then slowly, like many guests came to this place, the photography exhibition brought a lot of (people), and they would come here to take pictures, and slowly there would be a lot of new forces. Young people came here with dreams. Entrepreneurship brings some new elements to people all over the country.
[Explanation] In the past 20 years, the photography exhibition has not only attracted young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses, but also became the only international photography exhibition held in a world cultural heritage city at home and abroad.
At this year's exhibition, the "Image Recollection" academic exhibition reviewed the 20-year history of the Pingyao International Photography Exhibition.
Cui Bo, the curator of this academic exhibition, will exhibit historical materials, photos, some videos and important works from 2001 to 2020 in the form of chronicles.
[Concurrent] Curator Cui Bo
In fact, when we came to Pingyao before, we still saw some very dilapidated houses and some abandoned factories, such as cotton weaving factories, including diesel engine factories, but such places are indeed suitable for this kind of imaging. A space for communication and video exhibition.
In fact, every year has inheritance. We use this inheritance power to combine the power of the entire Pingyao imagery with the power of Chinese photography. Only in this way can we combine the 20 This kind of literature and academic sorted out.
[Explanation] In the past 20 years, the photography exhibition held in the ancient city of Pingyao has been paying attention to the pulse of the times.
[Concurrent] Curator Cui Bo
What impressed me most was the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 2005. We made a Pingyao Declaration.
We have made more than 20,000 images of the 60th anniversary of the victory of anti-fascism in the world and in the country, highlighting this node of the 60th anniversary of the victory of Pingyao's anti-fascism.
In the tribute exhibition I did in 2018, I selected the works of An Ge, an old reporter from the Guangdong Branch of China News Service, because his images have been witnessing some important changes in China's 40 years of reform and opening up.
This picture is actually in the early stage of reform and opening up. Some cadres from the mainland went to the streets of Guangdong to feel their openness.
[Explanation] Cui Bo discovered in combing that in the past 20 years, the Pingyao International Photography Exhibition has become more in line with international standards.
Photographers and photography agencies have come to the exhibition from nearly 50 countries and regions, covering Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, North America, etc.
The photography exhibition has gradually moved from image display to industrial development.
[Concurrent] Curator Cui Bo
We really watched the changes in the entire city of Pingyao, the transformation of the entire city, some of the benefits that the photography festival brought to Pingyao.
It is the lubricant or catalyst that becomes a city.
With such a thing, we can learn from each other, improve each other, and then tolerate each other, and then the city will be better in its future scale or the influence of Pingyao City.
Reporter Qu Lixia reports from Shanxi Jinzhong
Editor in charge: [Song Fangcan]