Xian Zai

This young boy will grow up not remembering the place where he was born, an old neighborhood full of culture and character. Instead he will grow up with thoughts to the wonders of the modern age where bright lights and machines make life easier and be filed away in an apartment building like a book in a library. Maybe he will prefer it that way. It’s not uncommon to hear a young Chinese person speak about where they grew up and how worn down and old it felt and how things are so much more modern in the new neighborhoods. I wonder if he will think of the old neighborhoods as an uncomfortable reminder of the way things used to be or link it to how he has got to where he is in 20 years.


Canon AE1, Canon 50mm f/1.8 FD Lens, Ilford HP5 400