Zhang Xiao: Exploring the Coastline of China

Zhang Xiao is a Chinese photographer who has published several series of photographs of China in flux. Born in Yantai City, Shandong Province, China, Zhang Xiao graduated from the Department of Architecture and Design at Yantai University in 2005. Before becoming a freelance photographer in 2009, he worked as a photographer for Chongqing Morning Post.

China – 

Photography feature – Zhang Xiao started his journey from 2009-2013 along the coastline of China. China has long coastline which from the mouth of Yalu river in Liaoning province in the northern to the mouth of Beilun river in Guangxi province in the southern. Totally, it is continuous eighteen thousands kilometers. There are great changes every day in China since it began opening up 30 years ago. The cities are like big construction sites speeding their construction pace to catch up with the rest of the world. All of this appears particularly outstanding in China’s coastal areas. A multitude of countrymen leave their native place to go there. Urbanization drive continually accelerate growth while people’s spiritual life stay.


Coastline by Zhang Xiao                                      Zhang Xiao’s Coastline published by Jiazazhi 


In China, every year hundreds of millions of people find work in other places. During the Spring Festival, hundreds of millions of people return home during a very short time, so the whole family can be reunited. They come from everywhere, North to South, East to West. People often lose their way during this process, losing the feeling of a real home. Lacking a sense of belonging, perhaps this is a symptom of being Chinese during this time.

Related Posts

Dignity or Death – Svetlana Bachevanova

Bulgaria –  Emaho caught up with renowned Bulgarian photographer and founder of FotoEvidence, Svetlana Bachevanova to learn what it takes ...

My Recollections – Mitsu Maeda

Japan – This is a ongoing series of my personal photographs of my grandmother, Tsuyajyo,  who started to have symptoms of ...

Massimo Berruti: LASHKARS

Pakistan – Massimo Berruti’s long-term assignment in the Swat valley, in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtonkhawa, is keeping up with ...

Max Pinckers – The Fourth Wall (2012)

India – A photograph of two men in uniform climbing over a fence, escaping. A re-enactment of a moment that ...

Intifada in Kashmir : Sami Siva

India – At the time of partition in 1947, the Maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh was forced to seek India’s ...

Zun Lee: Father Figure – Exploring Alternate Notions of Black Fatherhood

USA –  Widely hailed as a landmark project, Photography feature – Zun Lee’s monograph is at once documentary photography and ...

In Confrontation With The Apparent – Swapan Parekh

India – Emaho caught up with celebrated Indian Photographer Swapan Parekh who is  widely acclaimed for having brought  the documentary ...

Munem Wasif : ‘The notion of educating others is quite boring’

Bangladesh – Through rediscovering his own culture, Munem Wasif aims to raise awareness around the world with compelling images of ...

Enfant Terrible – Antoine D’Agata

THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT France – French photographer Antoine D’agata’s work is dark, introspective and shockingly bold. A photographer ...