BaiLiZhou

BaiLiZhou, an island located in the center of the Yangtze River, is a rural town with a population of more than 100,000. There is only a river away from the city, but people can only travel by ferry. In the process of modernization, Bailizhou island still maintains its rural appearance, but it also subtly subverts life here. From wireless Internet, electronic products, celebrity products, to western culture, they have gradually appeared as a rural area that seems “isolated”. According to a local legend,“The island is shaped like a bowl in the river. The dam was built at the beginning of the period to prevent accidental destruction of the Three Gorges Dam—blowing up the dam and flooding the river to protect the downstream.” Whether the legend is true or not, in my long-term shooting, it has also secretly connected with the hidden tragedy caused by the various contradictions on this island. It seems to be a magical countryside where advanced material pursuits and backward reality are intertwined.