ZHANG, Xiao - Coastline. The complete works

Background information, content

"China has long coastline which from the mouth of Yalu river in Liaoning province in the northern to the mouth of Beilun river in Guangxi province in the southern. Totally, it is continuous eighteen thousands kilometers. There are great changes every day in China since it began opening up 30 years ago. The cities are like big construction sites speeding their construction pace to catch up with the rest of the world. All of this appears particularly outstanding in China's coastal areas. A multitude of countrymen leave their native place to go there. Urbanization drive continually accelerate growth while people’s spiritual life stay. In China, every year hundreds of millions of people find work in other places. During the Spring Festival, hundreds of millions of people return home during a very short time, so the whole family can be reunited. They come from everywhere, North to South, East to West. People often lose their way during this process, losing the feeling of a real home. Lacking a sense of belonging, perhaps this is a symptom of being Chinese during this time. From 2009 until 2013 Xiao ZHANG documented the coastline of China on his journey.

About the Chinese photographer, Xiao ZHANG (b. 1981, in Yantai, Shandong province)

Photo books by and with contribution by Xiao ZHANG

Chinese description

张晓从2009年-2013年间沿着中国的海岸线走了一遍。中国拥有漫长的海岸线，北起辽宁的鸭绿江口，南到广西的北仑河口，绵延一万八千多公里。改革开放三十多年来，中国每天都在发生着巨大的变化，中国的每一座城市都像是一个永不完工的大工地。中国也正在加快步伐紧跟全球化的大潮流。这一切在中国的沿海地区显得尤为突出。大批的国人背井离乡潮水般的不断涌来。城市化进程持续高速，人们的精神生活却缓慢停滞。
在中国，每年有几亿人在沿海地区打工，每年春节有几亿人口在很短的时间内为了全家团圆大规模集体迁徙，由南到北，自东至西。我们时常会在这样的过程中迷失，哪里才是我的故乡。在中国面貌发生翻天覆地变化的同时，许多传统观念和生活习惯也被颠覆。中国人传统的生活习性受到了强烈的冲击。缺乏归属感，或许是我们当代中国人内心里的集体困扰。

张晓，1981年出生于山东烟台，现生活工作于成都。他曾获得2009年第二届侯登科纪实摄影奖，2010年第二届叁影堂摄影奖大奖，2010年法国才华摄影基金中国区冠军，2011年日本MIO摄影奖，2011年法国匯豐银行摄影奖。