Feature: From plow to camera, farmer-photographers thrive while honoring the Great Wall

This undated photo shows the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall in Luanping County, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo by Duan Jiujun/Xinhua)

by Xinhua writer Yang Qi

SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Visitors to the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall can hardly ignore the stunning pictures of the UNESCO heritage site that are exhibited along the trail toward the exit. Many of the photos are credited to Duan Jiujun.

Through Duan's lens, visitors can enjoy magnificent views of the Great Wall against various backdrops, including spring blossoms, drifting clouds, winter snow, starry skies and even double rainbows.

His work gives the impression of a professional photographer who has made frequent visits to the area. But in fact, Duan, 56, is a local of Hualougou Village at the foot of the Jinshanling Great Wall who put aside his plow and picked up a camera over 20 years ago.

Located about 150 kilometers north of Beijing, in Luanping County, Hebei Province, Jinshanling is one of the most well-preserved sections of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) structure and an ideal spot for photography lovers due to its perfect integration with the landscape.

In the late 1980s, when tourism began to grow in the local area, Duan saw an opportunity to make some additional income for his family by opening a rural guesthouse.

In 2003, a photographer named Wang Jianwu stayed in Duan's guesthouse for more than a year. Duan was so captivated by Wang's work that he hung the pictures on the walls of the building.

"With these photos and the stories behind them, it wasn't just an ordinary farmhouse anymore -- it became a place with cultural elements," Duan said.

Before leaving, Wang told Duan, "Keep shooting. The photos on the walls will be your own in a few years."

Encouraged by these words, Duan started with a borrowed camera and soon began to delve into the art of photography.

With a camera in hand, Duan's fascination grew into a passion. Despite doubts from some villagers, he invested in better equipment and spent countless hours learning photography techniques.

With his photography improving, Duan began to garner attention. His photos of the Great Wall, often showcasing its awe-inspiring beauty, started to win awards and drew more tourists to the area, helping Duan's family business to thrive.

But photography offered Duan more than just economic gains. Soon other photography enthusiasts sought him out for guidance, impressed by his deep knowledge of the area.

"One day, when a photographer called out 'Teacher Duan' I didn't think he was referring to me, and I looked around at the others," said Duan, who is now a member of the China Photographers Association and China Great Wall Society.

"It gives me a feeling of joy and accomplishment, too," he said with a gentle smile.

Duan's success has inspired others in Hualougou Village. Among them is Zhou Baoquan, who used to be a truck driver and had other jobs away from his hometown. Following in Duan's footsteps, he returned home to run a farmhouse and later also became a Great Wall photographer.

Since he bought his first camera in 2011, Zhou would come to the Great Wall whenever he found time.

"The Great Wall was the playground for us during childhood," Zhou said. "More than 10 years after I returned home, it still gives me comfort and strength."

"You can read history from it," Zhou said. "After all these years, you still find many details, including inscriptions and decorations on the walls. So the ancient soldiers didn't just build it for defense; they also had their ways of expressing their feelings and desire for better lives."

What started as a small group has grown into a community of farmer-photographers who have turned the village into a veritable "photography village," with its photographer association boasting over 50 members.

Once mostly reliant on farming, the villagers have now turned their homes into guesthouses, providing accommodation for the many photographers and tourists visiting from around China and the world.

In 2014, the village formed a rural tourism cooperative, which has broken down barriers between individual business owners and allowed them to promote Hualougou as a collective.

Hualougou is now home to more than 100 guesthouses, which together host over 100,000 visitors annually. Some of the popular ones can generate over 1 million yuan (about 139,000 U.S. dollars) in annual revenue.

This influx of tourism has created jobs for more than 700 local residents, helping to lift the rural community out of poverty and into a new phase of pursuing revitalization. Such an undertaking is also ongoing in many other rural areas since China declared the eradication of extreme poverty in 2021.

The village has proposed that its revitalization should be on the premise of preserving the Great Wall's culture, said Zhou Baoquan.

For these farmers, photography has become an act of preservation. They view their images not only as a source of income but also as a way to protect the Great Wall's legacy.

"When tourists visit, they ask many questions about the Great Wall, so I learn about the Great Wall from books and pass that knowledge on to others," said Duan.

"I don't see us just as photographers. We are guardians and ambassadors of the Great Wall's culture," he said. ■