China Daily's latest photo album highlights the creativity of photographers from both sides of the Straits as they capture the intrinsic beauty of the 'Treasure Island'.
One Hundred Photographers' Lenses on Taiwan, China Daily's latest addition to its Focus series, marks a subtle departure from its traditional strength of news photography, "but not by much," says Wang Wenlan, assistant editor-in-chief of China Daily and a renowned photographer in his own right.
"Unlike most pictorial albums that serve a tourist clientele, we do not just include postcard-like pictures of scenery. You had to have people in them to be eligible for consideration," said Wang, who orchestrated the project and selected about 200 photos out of 10,000 considered.
Wang and his team scouted the Internet for candidates, especially those of historical value. Fortunately, his reputation in the field means that he could essentially call up any photographer and ask permission to use their work. "We have also made an effort to represent the best from Taiwan," he noted.
Previous entries in the Focus series were from either major breaking news events, landmark celebrations of sportsmanship or ones that marked major anniversaries.
Some events spring immediately to mind. Hundreds of photojournalists rushed to the scenes of the SARS epidemic in 2003, and the ice storm and earthquake in 2008.
The Beijing Olympics, the Asian Games in Guangzhou and the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China acted like magnets for the best photojournalists.
The shift to Taiwan is not news-driven, but reflects a growing trend of contact between the mainland and the island across the Taiwan Straits where people can now visit each other without any inconvenience－this after decades of political standoff.
As the bond is renewed, people are rediscovering each other. The images in this tome are a testament to the unique combination of familiarity and freshness.
"I have been to Taiwan twice, and many of my photographer friends have also visited," Wang said. "We took many pictures."
These are supplemented in the collection by additions from local photographers who captured dramatic moments, such as the rescue of a person outside a high-rise window and relief supplies being driven through a flooded street.
The best images, Wang believes, are those that depict daily life in Taiwan.
The hustle and bustle of Taipei, the rustic beauty of rural Taiwan where many customs have been preserved, the pursuits of the young, and the lifestyles of ordinary people are all vividly conjured up in these pages.
They may not represent Taiwan in its entirety, but they certainly unveil many enthralling facets of life on what we love to call the "Treasure Island" of Taiwan.
Images that capture the imagination
A mesmerizing image adorns the cover of One Hundred Photographers' Lenses on Taiwan.
It features students, or rather their shadows projected onto the background. One, on the right, has a backpack and the last has a ponytail. One person－or possibly two－in the center is brilliantly captured mid-stride. (A fuller version of the image appears inside.)
As Wang Wenlan explains, this photo was taken by Jiang Jian at the entrance to the Taipei Fine Arts Museum where visitors' shadows are projected onto a giant screen. That day, instead of simply entering, a group of students became creative. They posed in various stages of evolution, from ape to man.
"The poses were deliberate, but the photographer was lucky and snapped the image in a moment of pure spontaneity," said Wang, who compiled the collection.
The book offers a kaleidoscope of fascinating glimpses into the fabric of Taiwan society, some ever-changing, some static, and others, like this one, featuring a stillness that was frozen in time by an alert photographer.
Part One of the collection is devoted to holiday celebrations and religious rituals taking place in front of iconic backdrops. Some of the customs, such as putting eggs on rails, will amaze and educate the viewer.
Part Two highlights people in Taiwan at work. The images evoke a bygone era: the maintenance of steam engines in 1959 and rural women picking tea leaves in the morning mist.
Other images portray the unalloyed celebrations following a catch of giant lobsters, and the peddling of areca nuts by sellers in revealing miniskirts. The black-and-white photos enlighten in that they provide a counterpoint to the progress chronicled in the brightly colored images of more recent times.
Part Three celebrates leisure activities, ethnic minorities and dramatic moments in a busy but ostensibly ordinary activity.
Especially riveting is the torrent of humanity on scooters during rush hour, a reminder of the now extinct equivalent scene of a bicycle surge on the Chinese mainland.
Terracotta figures on a subway wall provide a stark contrast to a foreground of blurry passengers, a calculated study of past and present.
Part Four is mostly about culture and education, with remnants of the past strategically hinted at in images of Jinmen Island, a place closer to Xiamen on the mainland than Taiwan and once a hotspot in an era of tension. A tank is half buried in the sand, and a tourist jumps off it as if fleeing the past of tension and violence. The beach has been reclaimed as a place for relaxation and frolicking.
The album closes with the Lantern Festival when a flotilla of paper lanterns are released into the sky, signaling prayers for peace and more good times ahead.
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