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

Joan Fontcuberta: The Photography of Nature / The Nature of Photography

Catalan photographer Joan Fontcuberta is the 33rd recipient of the prestigious HasselbladFoundation International Award in Photography. To celebrate the award ...

Depth Charger – Antoine D’Agata Part II

THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT CONTENT France – Emaho in conversation with Antoine D’Agata, continued –  Manik: Any moment of regret? ...

Blasting Into Space With The Afronauts – Cristina De Middel

© Cristina De Middel, from the series The Afronauts, all rights reserved England – It is not an easy task to interview Cristina ...

Joanna Kinowska on Mateusz Sarello’s Swell – ‘For watercrafts the swell is more disturbing’

Poland –  The black book. Canvas. Pressed letters. The half poetic text is in English. The  photographs are black and ...

Helmut Smits: “The sculpture already exists within the marble; Michelangelo’s task was merely to chisel away the excess. I think the same is true for almost everything in life.”

From a childhood of crafting without museums to distilling Coca-Cola into pure water in "The Real Thing," Rotterdam artist Helmut ...

Colin Pantall on Kazuma Obara “Silent Histories”

Japan – Grave of the Fireflies is an anime film about the Second World War in Japan.  The main characters ...

Sputnik Photos Lost Territories

Lost Territories: Support Sputnik Photos project on Post-Soviet Countries of Central Asia

Poland –  Twenty-five years after the fall of the USSR five Sputnik Photos photographers are setting out on a journey ...

Ayako Mogi: Travelling Tree

Japan – “Travelling Tree” collects photos taken by Photography feature – Ayako Mogi during her peregrinations throughout Europe and Japan ...

Christer Stromholm: ‘Les Nuits de Place Blanche’ – Celebrating Life of Transsexuals in Paris in 50’s & 60’s

France –  Christer Strömholm (Stockholm, Sweden, 1918–2001) is one of the most important European photographers of the twentieth century. He ...

Showing Slide 1 of 10