The River.
The Yangtze runs through Chongqing and its bank is about 20 minutes walk from our studio, via the power station. As we get closer to the river, the journey becomes more difficult. The pavement narrows, as the number of lorries passing us increases, carrying their load to and from the power station. The ground is thick with grey sludge and everything surrounding us: trees, houses, cars – is coated in dust. The air is heavy and oppressive. Everything has been leached of colour, contrasting greatly from street markets and painted buildings in the area of Chongqing around our studio.
Families live all along the banks of the Yangtze, fish in the murky water, grow crops on every available patch of land, and daily breathe the soot laden air. Nina made some video here and I took some photographs of the tranquil and almost classical river side views. Looking back on them, it looks like silvery morning mist, or fog at dusk – in reality this was midday on a clear Chongqing day.
Jessica Longmore
17 November 2010
Chongqing
