If not Chengzi valley and the village association for many years, perhaps the last ten years, I would not have taken the topic of the Great Wall From this small village, to the country. Especially for shooting Ming Great Wall Builders descendants of the topic, not only let me see the solid Great Wall and see the history behind it, and its builders and guardians of family history, leaving me to find a Interpretation of the Ming Great Wall "living password" ......

--Great Wall--

Interpretation of the Great Wall with their cameras is my dream for many years, can this dream has been wandering. Ten years ago, I was collecting folk songs came Chengzi valley near Shanhaiguan. At first, I and other photographers, like, down the mountain every day, traveled here ditch gully gully, shooting the Great Wall scenery from all angles.

As domestic and international photography widely circulated argument that, gradually I found that the Great Wall photo shoot at me hard from dawn to dusk, the "Great Wall is always a wall Great Wall (Great Wall), change is always just Teenage rain and snow season only. " While frustrated when I do this, I did not expect a chance to talk with local villagers Zhang Heshan, but I completely changed the direction of the shooting later ......

All stories

They are derived from the Ming court once an exception

Along the Great Wall of the Ming territory of 374.5 km of Qinhuangdao, best preserved, to the number of Qinhuangdao in Hebei Province Chengzi valley segment in Funing County Town of operation. However, due to my home in Shenyang, so every time to Chengzi Village shooting, I had to live in the village Zhang Heshan home. A long time, conversational each other. A chat, I happened to know, turned out to be the ancestral home of the original Zhang Heshan Yiwu, Zhejiang, Hebei, not locals.

Further inquiries, I learned that Zhang Heshan ancestors 400 years ago turned out to be one of the candidates came thistle town with Qi Jiguang (Shanhaiguan to Beijing Changping area) settlement fortification soldiers. And not only are most of the old residents Zhang, Chengzi Village's true. I could not help but surprise, so that they are not descendants of the Ming Great Wall Builders do?

- autumn -

Historical records, after 1568 years ago, the Northeast Manchurian Jurchen tribal rapid powerful. In order to consolidate border defense, the court of any emergency requisition famous Qi Jiguang thistle town taking part, and let him Elite personnel from Zhejiang, Fujian and other places, to conduct a comprehensive renovation of the section of the Great Wall. Because of a huge project, guarding daunting task, but also to stabilize the military, the Ming court made an exception to allow the families of army officers and soldiers in the field to come Shoubian.

Chengzi valley that was the Great Wall of the Ming garrison of "powder keg." That year, the soldiers and the Great Wall together into a residential offensive and defensive systems, the windows of houses, according to the layout of the entire war need to build. Once the Great Wall Xiu, in order to better protect the city defenders, Qi Jiguang tower by households in turn assigned to the various guards, and to each speaker name names, so only the Zhangjialou Chengzi on the valley of the Great Wall, Lijialou ......

The next few days, I have been immersed in the excitement of this discovery. I began to pay attention to the details of life from the villagers and found that they do have many customs different from the Hebei local: the aunt who love package one kind Baltic leaf meal, the kids love to play a unique "backgammon", even their winter Roast mud brazier to be smaller than the average brazier One ...... and their stories from generation to generation, such as "rainy day quilts ignite the flames of newspaper" and "after her husband killed his wife to succeed her husband Shoubian" and so on.

The more in-depth understanding of the more slowly, and I Chengzi Village of these descendants of the Great Wall builders forged a puzzled friendship, whether it is their spring harvest, import of childbirth, or weddings and funerals, people in the village would call I, I help them take some photos to be taken. Over the years, I and Zhang Heshan forged a profound friendship that makes me even more is always recollections.

I remember during the 2006 Spring Festival, I came Chengzi Village to take some customs of the people. When Zhang brother, Zhangsao neighboring villages that have Yangko, visiting the temple after the Parade and other traditional activities, it would not delay a moment, and quickly in the hazy night to go borrowed a tractor to take me to. Before departure, the driver asked Zhang brother "Loop road after the village to go, no?" Zhang brother said: "in the ah."

Who knows the way to dealers, even a rollover occurs. Just when I was about to pack together both man and rolled into the ice, Zhang brother, Zhangsao hurried to the center of gravity pressure to the other side of the tractor, while shouting "stand fast off the field!" Before I could react, they turn a tractor into the river, the crisis thanks to Zhangsao protect the back of me, I did not fall into the river, but she and Zhang brother did not fall into the waist-deep in ice. Later still the only driver with a rope to pull the two of them up. He said adversity, their affectionate moment I will never forget.

A controversial photograph of the cliffs of the Great Wall

In addition to the ice scraped, shooting many times I have experienced distress.

In my film work, there is an award-winning photograph in the national professional beauty contest. At the time this picture has caused a controversy: when first saw this picture, there are several special circle of senior photographers to shoot the Great Wall, suspect this is not the real locations.

But this picture, but it really is one hundred percent real locations. For a long time I shoot in the valley of the Great Wall Chengzi segment, they are made well aware of the radius of hundreds of Zhang brother gave me a guide. One day, he mysteriously said to me, except the last one, the Great Wall near the ditch and gully gully almost all of us have been traveled! I quickly begged him to take me to the "last one" of his mouth. Who knows Zhang brother actually gravely said: "That is you, people say the dead does not work, it is too dangerous."

- majestic Great Wall -

So, That night, as we were with Zhangsao dry food prepared for us in the dark into the path up the mountain. Was removed several times, we finally came to the stalagmite-like Dromedary in the starlight Weimang. I saw Zhang brother deftly untied the rope wrapped around his waist, as the "wind -" bang, throw accurately to the rope tied to a piece of protruding stone. Zhang brother tried pulling the rope the actual situation, and then they climbed up agile. After a child, from the top ring rope thrown down, I have no time to think, tightened his back photographic equipment, they drum up the hill barely kicking a trial of strength.

Finally kicking up, a look, surrounded by still no way, I could not help but be discouraged. Zhang brother saw him, I get excited words: "Pale Ba, go back?" But have come, where I would be so willing empty-handed, had to bite the bullet and move forward. Not long after, Zhang brother back told me: "Do not leave me too close, leaving thirty-five meters of distance." I nodded and agreed with.

Goushen grass thick, dense bushes. Suddenly, Zhang brother hand motioned me to stop. The atmosphere suddenly tense up, only to hear the wind in the grass "buzzing" sound. At this point, Zhang brother quickly hand grasp the side of the trunk, he picked up a stick in one hand and brought with, before I come to understand how it is, a blinding flash of light and shadow.

- People living near the Great Wall -

I hurriedly asked: "Zhang brother, is snakes?"

See he did not respond, I quickly stepped forward and touched him, Then he recovered, his mouth repeatedly said: "Thank God, thank God snake!" And pulled out a small pot from the arms of "flat II "(Erguotou) Yajing, before I answer:" Yes serpent's tongue mouth, you see only the tail, "I can not help but burst scared!. So, we went more than three hours of the mountain, and finally to the summit.

Looking ahead standing height, green mountains, the Great Wall vast, everything is in me. I raised my camera, "Kaka" pressed the shutter, that moment, I think all the hardships are worth it. And who was I doubt the authenticity of the photos Beijing photographer, was also later Zhang brother brought it to the summit, personally experience the precipice swallow air miles on the Great Wall of sight ......

- Great Wall Snow -

Great Wall said the snow beautiful, I received several phone Zhang brother hurriedly ran, the result is always disappointing return. Compared to the majestic scenery on the cliffs, the Great Wall of snow is scarce. Winter day in 2005, Zhang Kota called to say Chengzi big snowflakes floating down the valley. I hesitate to go straight to the Shenyang Railway Station, look no car and hurried toward the bus terminal, and boarded the last bus to Qinhuangdao.

On the road, I saw the road is still dry, they say it to themselves, "quickly it snow, snow bar." To Qinhuangdao, is 21:00 and more, I had to call the taxi driver Xiao Yang asked him to send my village. After ancestral mountain, I saw a large snow flying in the sky, I can not help but say "Great, great!"

The driver elated to see me the way, but not in the field, said: "?! Tian brother, you engage in the arts is not a mental problem the sky next snow you happy to be so, but also middle of the night came all the way from the mountains" between the positive and joking , drove to a large slope but also how to not open up. I pushed off several of them.

No way, the rest of the way I had before unrivaled line. In the knee-deep snow, I struggled to go more than four hours, it has already reached the limit of the body can bear. Fortunately, just when I was about to fall, trance saw a "snowman." I was exhausted last effort called, "Zhang brother!" Distance immediately sounded a familiar voice, "I'm here." Despair two hugged together, helped each other toward his house, then, nearly dawn ......

Wall alive password

Ming Great Wall Builders descendants

Zhang Heshan is a typical "descendants of the Great Wall." Now, he has been the administrator obligation to dry the Great Wall more than 20 years. As a farmer, it would have been difficult to feed their families. But he said Great Wall with the ancestors of sweat and body temperature, people are left to future generations to read to - to say small is a family name, a family heirloom things, to the big national, non-national little more spirit keepsake. So he must help the ancestors and descendants of a good guardian of this Great Wall.

- simple villagers -

I thought, maybe it is this never betray loyalty, which makes the Ming Great Wall through centuries of time, and finally in its descendants survived. Twenty years, Zhang Heshan be responsible for daily inspections again, "Zhang floor" of his ancestral home. Grilled encountered have ruined brick wall, he stepped forward to stop, and regardless will not offend people; have encountered off the brick, but also to keep the collection together with future repair time; encountered signs of collapse, also to reinforce immediately to avoid the collapse of a larger area of ​​damage; to meet visitors or photographer, but also the obligation to tell them where appropriate for the shooting, where very dangerous ......

For Zhang, the guardian, "Zhang floor" is not only their family responsibility and their ancestral human spirit monument. I remember once Zhang brother told me that during the Cultural Revolution, the village has two stone tablets inscribed repair the city as the Red Guards soldiers list is the "four olds" smashed. In order to protect what our ancestors left behind, in a night, he secretly summoned the tribe will smash the stone carried to their own fields and buried. Zhang said the brother, not for anything else, just to filial piety is also necessary to do something.

A few years ago, in order to compensate for the lack of household expenditure, while making the Great Wall of patrol duty pipe work, Zhang brother had offered to open a guesthouse. I comforted Zhang brother assured to guard the Great Wall, I will try to help him. In order to avoid loneliness when his patrol, I first taught him photography, and I used to find out the old camera two for him. I did not expect he quickly learned, and use the opportunity to shoot a lot of Xuncheng unexpected picture.

- some kind of celebration -

As I shot a series of pictures of the Great Wall in the country and the world photography contest winners, Chengzi valley gradually began to renowned Chinese and foreign. Each meeting, Zhang brother always said: "Tian brother, the village people have let me thank you, you not only make Chengzi valley into the country, but also to the world."

Each time, I said to myself in my heart: If you are not a casual acquaintance with them, if not years with exchanges Chengzi valley villagers, perhaps the last ten years, I would not have taken the topic of the Great Wall from this small mountain village start, to the country, and took the Warring States Great Wall, the Great Wall of Qin Shi Huang, Chinese Great Wall, and the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Northern Qi Great Wall.

--Child--

Especially for shooting Ming Great Wall Builders descendants of the topic, not only let me see the solid Great Wall and see the history behind it, and its builders and guardians of family history, leaving me to find a Interpretation of the Ming Great Wall "living password" ......