Lost in Chongqing
35 images Created 23 Oct 2013
My reason to visit Chongqing was simple; I just needed to get lost. For many months, most of my time and efforts were focused on completing my personal long-term project documenting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Papua, Indonesia. I spent most of my time stagnant, sitting in front of my laptop instead of taking photographs. And when I ended up taking pictures, they were mainly for assignments staying within a set parameter placed by my client. This had taken a toll mentally and physically. My legs felt numb after a short time of sitting down and my fingers and wrists ached at times due to long hours of editing and typing. I felt drained creatively and I needed to get away and escape somewhere from this damaging normalcy. I was invited to exhibit my work at the Guizhou International photo festival and I took the opportunity to spend extra two weeks in Chongqing. The vastness and uniqueness of this thriving city was the perfect place to get lost and rediscover my love to travel and explore uncharted places.
Unlike my routine of doing extensive research before shooting, I went in there with very little agenda. Armed with my iPhone loaded with Google Translate and Google Map, I explored Chongqing using public transportation. Surprisingly, navigating through the city using the public buses, LRT, and the subway was simple and quite cheap. I often took random buses and got off at places I found interesting. At one time, I spotted a family wearing bathing suits and carrying floaters getting on the bus. I decided to follow them curious to find out where they were heading. The family ended up at a Caribbean themed Water Park along with a huge crowd of people cooling off on a hot day.
The city was pulsating, colorful, and hot. Certain parts of Chongqing were quite dense. When I visited a local market all my senses were quickly overwhelmed with the vibrant sights of colorful storefront, the lively sounds of negotiation between shoppers and vendors, and the alluring smell of delicious food and snacks being sold on the street. I also walked for hours and my favorite path to explore is along the Jialing and Yangtze River. The pace along these rivers is much slower. I saw fishermen sat along the edge for hours waiting for their lines to catch, parents brought their kids for a picnic and a quick dip, and children flew their kites close to the sun. But as the fireball set and the night settled, Chongqing would light up like a million candles. In the square, a traditional Chinese song is played on loud speakers providing a rhythmic familiar melody for the crowd to sway.
Unlike my routine of doing extensive research before shooting, I went in there with very little agenda. Armed with my iPhone loaded with Google Translate and Google Map, I explored Chongqing using public transportation. Surprisingly, navigating through the city using the public buses, LRT, and the subway was simple and quite cheap. I often took random buses and got off at places I found interesting. At one time, I spotted a family wearing bathing suits and carrying floaters getting on the bus. I decided to follow them curious to find out where they were heading. The family ended up at a Caribbean themed Water Park along with a huge crowd of people cooling off on a hot day.
The city was pulsating, colorful, and hot. Certain parts of Chongqing were quite dense. When I visited a local market all my senses were quickly overwhelmed with the vibrant sights of colorful storefront, the lively sounds of negotiation between shoppers and vendors, and the alluring smell of delicious food and snacks being sold on the street. I also walked for hours and my favorite path to explore is along the Jialing and Yangtze River. The pace along these rivers is much slower. I saw fishermen sat along the edge for hours waiting for their lines to catch, parents brought their kids for a picnic and a quick dip, and children flew their kites close to the sun. But as the fireball set and the night settled, Chongqing would light up like a million candles. In the square, a traditional Chinese song is played on loud speakers providing a rhythmic familiar melody for the crowd to sway.
