In photographer Zhang Xiao's images of the Shehuo festival, an ancient celebration still observed in parts of northern China during the Lunar New Year, rural life comes alive with something altogether more fantastical. Villagers dressed as cranes, roosters and mythical lions pose for portraits standing amid crops or in fallow farmland. Costumed performers parade past brick houses against hazy backdrops, the eyes of their masks seemingly lost in thought. In a harvested wheat field, a group of almost a dozen men line up to hold aloft a colorful dragon puppet. In his new book "Community Fire," Zhang said he wanted to capture the surreal "disconnect" between people's everyday lives and the mythical personas they assumed. "Their characters seemed to come from the sky itself, and … formed a huge theatrical stage that transcended the confines of reality, transporting a collective of sleepwalkers to a dreamworld," he wrote. "I wandered among them and photographed them quietly, because I did not want to wake them up." Rooted in millennia-old agricultural practices of worshipping fire and the land, the folk rituals of Shehuo (often translated as "earth and fire") traditionally entailed praying for good fortune and bounteous harvests, or to drive away demons. Festivities vary between regions but now typically see various performers, from stilt walkers to opera singers, parading through the streets or staging shows. Today, celebrations coincide with the Lunar New Year, which started on Saturday. As such, they have come to encompass many of the traditions — such as temple fairs and lion dances — practiced around China during this period. Lunar New Year celebrations usually last more than two weeks, with Shehuo festival taking place on the season's 15th and final day. |
Shehuo celebrations have been recognized by the Chinese government in its UNESCO-style list of "intangible cultural heritage." But the festival's place in a rapidly urbanizing country remains under threat, said Zhang, adding that most of the performers he encountered had migrated to cities and only returned to their villages for the holiday. "The significance of traditional customs can no longer meet the needs of modern lives," the photographer told CNN via email. "Today's young people are more concerned about the internet and games. They are not even willing to try and understand traditional cultures. I think that's sad." Hoping to document the festival's disappearing traditions — and the costumes and props associated with them — Zhang spent over a decade photographing Shehuo events at villages in Shaanxi and Henan provinces, shooting the images between 2007 and 2019. As well as capturing rites, rituals and folklore, the photos speak to the proliferation of mass-produced paraphernalia that has transformed the festival since the turn of the 21st century. |
Several pages of Zhang's book are dedicated to screengrabs of Alibaba-owned shopping platform, Taobao, where Shehuo items can be purchased at bargain prices. They range from an elaborate two-person lion dance costume, offered for just 360 yuan ($50), to a selection of headdresses priced under 17 yuan ($2.40). The rise of cheap goods and e-commerce has been a mixed blessing for these villages. Some of them — including Huozhuang, in Henan province, which features heavily in Zhang's project — have taken advantage of the opportunity. The photographer visited and documented several small family workshops that buy semi-complete products in large quantities online before hand-finishing them and selling them on platforms like Taobao for profit. "In some villages, virtually the entire population has been mobilized to produce and sell Shehuo props," he writes. But with economic opportunity comes a loss of traditional skills and customs. Materials like paper and bamboo have been replaced by cheap wire frames, plastic and synthetic fabrics, said Zhang, who grew up in a rural area of Shandong province but is now based in the southwestern metropolis Chengdu. A third-generation prop maker told Zhang, in the photographer's words, that he "lamented the gradual disappearance of traditional crafts." But most of the villagers the photographer encountered were indifferent to the loss of cultural heritage, he claimed. "People are not focused on how to improve product quality and craftsmanship," he said. See the full story on Zhang's work here. More on arts and culture around the Lunar New Year: |
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This Chinese athlete has swum the fastest 100 meters in history. Nineteen-year-old phenomenon Pan Zhanle smashed the men's freestyle record at the World Championships in Doha over the weekend, establishing himself as the pacesetter ahead of the forthcoming Paris Olympics. "Breaking the world record just came naturally. Now my goal is to swim even faster," the Zhejiang native told reporters afterwards. Read more here. |
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Beijing 'closely watching' Israel's planned incursion in Rafah |
Beijing called for Israel to stop its military operations and avoid civilian casualties in Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Tuesday as international concern mounts over a looming Israeli offensive there. "China is closely watching the developments in Rafah. We oppose and condemn acts against civilians and international law," a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry website said. "We call on Israel to stop military operations as soon as possible, do everything possible to avoid casualties among innocent civilians and prevent a more devastating humanitarian disaster in Rafah," it said. The statement comes as a growing number of countries and international bodies have called on Israel to abort a planned incursion into the Palestinian city or expressed concern over its potential impact on civilians. United Nations chief António Guterres warned an assault would have "devastating consequences." More than half of Gaza's population – some 1.3 million people – is believed to be in Rafah, with the majority of people displaced from other parts of the besieged enclave crammed into a makeshift tent city. Israel has been bombarding Rafah with airstrikes for weeks and says it is committed to a ground offensive in the city as it seeks to destroy what it sees as Hamas' last stronghold and locate more than 100 hostages held by the militant group since their October 7 terror attack on Israel. Israel declared war on the group and launched its offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza after that attack. China, which did not explicitly condemn Hamas for the attack, was early to criticize Israel's response. It has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, urging the Israeli government to stop what it has called "collective punishment" on the people of Gaza. Beijing has also tried to position itself as a key voice pushing for peace in the Middle East, though it's unclear the extent of its influence there. While China has ramped up economic and strategic ties with Arab partners in recent years, it is still widely viewed as a newcomer in the region's political dealings. During a foreign tour last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued a joint statement with the Arab League urging an "immediate and comprehensive ceasefire" in Gaza. Wang also said China called for convening a "larger-scale, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference," and a specific timetable for implementing a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. — From CNN's Simone McCarthy |
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- Indonesia headed to the polls on Wednesday with more than 200 million voters casting their ballots to elect a new president, in what is billed as the world's biggest single-day election.
- Intelligence officials in Washington are increasingly concerned about the growing ties between North Korea and Russia, and the long-term implications of what appears to be a new level of strategic partnership between the two nations.
- Two of Pakistan's major political parties – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People's Party – say they will form a coalition government after last week's inconclusive elections.
Thailand's jailed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will walk free from detention after his parole was approved, according to Thailand's justice minister, just six months after his dramatic return to the kingdom. - A popular nude beach in Australia faces possible closure – and some naturists are not pleased.
- Meanwhile in Hong Kong, abandoned villages have been reclaimed by nature.
- And in Japan, the country's oldest bakery has teamed up with an electronics company to produce "AI Romance Bread," which it says captures the essence of the feelings many of us associate with love.
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