Artist Statement

China Dream is an ongoing series of photographs in which I explore the complex emotions I hold for my hometown, Zhaoqing, a small city in Southern China. I have been away for nearly 14 years, almost two decades. My return in 2024 inspired me to document its oldest neighborhoods. Through these images, I navigate a spectrum of feelings—expressing regret for aspects of life that remain unchanged and admiration for the remarkable resilience exhibited by the community. President Xi Jinping’s slogan of the “China Dream,” aimed at enhancing China’s international influence, prompts me to reflect on whether people’s lives have genuinely improved.