Yuwang Palace (Huguang Guild Hall nowadays) 

In the 1990s, booming Chaotianmen Clothing Wholesale Market (file photo)

Chongqing Port Passenger Hall built in 1958, a landmark at that time (file photo)

First trolleybus in Chongqing in the new China, departing from Chaotianmen (file photo)

Unique fish-tail boats on Chuanjiang River (by Gan Bo)

Renqing Gate of Fotuguan (Photographed by Gan Bo)

Bangbang at Chaotianmen Wharf (Picture provided by the interviewee)

A memorial gate of Fotuguan (Photographed by Tao Weixin)

Xiaoshizi during the Anti-Japanese War (file photo)

An old man observing the changes of Chaotianmen 

Bangbang Li Wenyin in Chaotianmen (Photographed by a French photographer)

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- When it comes to Chaotianmen, Chongqing people always have many topics to talk about.

Chaotianmen is the origin of Chongqing’s politics, economy, culture and transportation. Dai Ling, the curator, said that Chaotianmen is the spiritual landmark and the cultural symbol of Chongqing. There are more people who participate in the development of Chongqing letting there are more things left in history. More people coming to the exhibition, making it more influential.

In the reporter’s view, “Forever Chaotianmen” is a historical scroll painting with Chaotianmen as the representative, showing the historical image of Chongqing’s urban culture, port culture and shipping culture.

A photography and video exhibition with many historical cultural treasures

In 2016, “Hello Hualongqiao” Photography and Video Exhibition was held at Chongqing Art Museum, attracting many attentions and praises. After the exhibition, Dai Ling targeted Chaotianmen.

“From See You Next Time: Shibati to Hello Hualongqiao, I think using images to retain the memory of Chongqing is the right way, because it is very systematic.” Dai Ling said that the reason why choosing Chaotianmen is that it is undoubtedly a Chongqing landmark and Chaotianmen area was undergoing a huge transformation at that time.

The meaning of Chaotianmen to Chongqing and Chongqing people is self-evident. Dai thought that this exhibition could be held successfully under the efforts made by many people.

Dai clearly remembered that after the exhibition of Hello Hualongqiao, she held a seminar on Chaotianmen exhibition in Yuzhong District. Many experts had been invited.

In the seminar, experts put forward many suggestions. Dai said that Zhou Yong, the President of Chongqing Local History Association, came up with the whole concept and layout of the exhibition.

Nearly 90% of the images in the exhibition were taken by foreigners

Zhou Yong said that this exhibition records the family trees of Chongqing people, combs the root of Chongqing and contains the future trend of Chongqing.

These family trees and roots are composed of precious old photos. Many old photos in “Forever Chaotianmen” were taken by foreigners, and the first set can be traced back to images of Three Gorges and Wushan in 1872, including Fengxiang Gorge, Qingtan, families near the riverbank.

This set of photos is excerpted from the fourth volume of China and Chinese Images by the Scottish photographer John Thomson, which is the earliest image of Chongqing today. John Thomson is also one of the first foreign photographers confirmable to have entered the interior of southwest China.

In addition to Three Gorges, it also shows Huguang Guild Hall a hundred years ago, the memorial gate of Fotuguan and Renqing gate, the workers carrying water outside Taiping Gate and the unique fish-tail boats on the Chuanjiang River. The streets and alleys of Chongqing during the Anti-Japanese War, the bustling wharf, the restaurants and small pots on the street, and the city after the great bombing are from the perspective of foreigners. 

Dai said that over 100 years ago, there was no cameras in China, let alone photographers. In order to trace the history of Chongqing as early as possible, the curatorial team tried every means to collect these precious photos from the Musée Nicéphore Nièpce in France, the Swiss Foundation for Photography, the research center of Chinese Historical Images at the University of Bristol in the UK, Magnum Photos and so on.

Like an entrepreneur who buys artifacts from abroad, Dai hoped to bring back early images that have been scattered around the world. Dai said that nearly 90 percent of the images in the exhibition were taken by foreigners.

In order to highlight the scene of Chaotianmen and Chongqing under the lens of foreigners, the executive curator Wang Yuanling’s team also invited foreign photographers to participate in the shooting. For example, Julien Hazemann, a photographer from France, took a series of documentary photos called “Running Bangbang” to follow Li Wenyin, who has been working as bangbang in Chaotianmen for 20 years. Li Wenyin bought a house near Chaotianmen through his own efforts and becomes a real city person.

Zhou Yong said that “Forever Chaotianmen”, base on Chaotianmen, explores the historical documents of Chongqing from the perspectives of history and imaging. In particular, most of the images of Chaotianmen in modern times are from the western world. This is the first concentrated exhibition to China and the world since Chongqing opened its port in the late 19th century. (Translated by Mao Qiao, Fathom Language Limited)