Beijing Opens World Eyes

Organizers of the World Photographers Focusing on Beijing event picked a broad theme--"Beijing--History, Culture, People"--hoping to bring the best out of the 48 foreigners from 25 countries and 22 from China.

The yellow-jacketed snappers charged around the city capturing moments in time they hoped would reflect Beijing as both modern metropolis and ancient capital.

The Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven of course remained the most popular settings, but the new modernity of Beijing caught many first-time visitors by surprise.

"Beijing is different from my imagination," said Australian photographer Robert Henderson after two days' shooting.

"I didn't realize that Beijing is so Western. I used to think there were less cars, more bicycles, less fashion and younger people must be more restricted.

"Changan Avenue is huge and it is fabulous, greener than I thought it would be."

As the modern gloss of Beijing impressed some, then the fading charm impressed others more, with most of the world-class photographers zooming in particular on people.

The vanishing world of hutong residents and their morning exercises in parks proved the most popular theme for foreign photographers.

Capital Automobiles handed each photographer use of a Honda, Audi or Red Flag car, plus a driver and an interpreter. Locations and subjects were selected to suit individual photographer's specialties and tastes, their daily schedule as open or as crammed as they prefered.

A total 3,500 best shots will be collected eventually by the organizers --Beijing Foreign Cultural Exchanges Service Center. The event represents a municipal milestone--the first time such a talented huddle of photographers have been invited to shoot the city.

The cultural center will stage an exhibition and publish a photo album for the Beijing 2000 Sixth Summit Conference of Major Cities of the World in September. Nor will the photos do any harm to Beijing's 2008 Olympics bid.

The organizing committee also let the group relax at a Peking Opera show at Huguang Guildhall, an acrobatics show at Universal Theater, the Summer Palace and a fashion show at COFCO Plaza.

Beijing This Month talked to six photographers about their experiences.

It's late in the evening. I am still recovering from malaria. I have not slept for more than six hours in the last four days, but still I am hungry for this fantastic city.

Time is short and the weather has not been kind, and for the first 24 hours here I found myself chasing my tail because there are so many fab things to photograph.

But I have a huge smile on my face especially since being offered the most amazing hospitality by a kite maker in Chaoyang Park, who virtually adopted me as his son.

Roll on the next few days--I'm starving.

Geoffrey Stanley Brown--Australia

I have engaged in photography for more than 20 years. I am keen on advertising photography, airlines, cars, whatever, and I have my own studio in Sydney.

This is my first time in China. I went to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and there were a lot of people there. What I want to do is to sit in a quiet place or wander around the streets, watching what's going on, what the real life is. It is amazing. I would like go to Xi?n if possible. I want to review the terracotta army there.

I like to travel around different places and see different cultures, to know people's daily life. I think people are the same all over the world, although they talk in different languages and behave in different ways. But in essence, they are always similar. If you treat people in the way you want to be treated yourself, then you get the right response.

This is my first time in Beijing. Before coming, I tried the Internet, and got to know more about China. There was so much information about China that I had to narrow down my choice to Beijing only. I'm happy I can concentrate on Beijing.

Beijing is way ahead of Bombay in terms of discipline. For example, I went to shoot the Beijing Railway Station, and I found very few trains are late. One train was six or seven minutes late and a pretty voice kept announcing the thing. So far I have seen all the best parts of Beijing. As a journalist, I also want to see the other side of Beijing.

I like Beijing a lot because it's a very well-planned city, which is missing back home. I think we can learn a few things here as far as administration of the city is concerned.

It is my first time visiting this place. When I got here, I was astonished with its progress, people's civilization and education, the streets, buildings, everything here impressed me very much. From the information I know, I think China is a very populated country. I know it has to meet many problems like population, traffic jams and maybe poverty, but I haven't seen any of that.

As you know, I am from a country almost the same size as China, but our population is only 107 million, and so when I heard that China has 1.3 billion people, I thought they must have destroyed most of the country. In my country, people are destroying everything--the trees, the rivers, and the resources. And of course, we are also trying to address that problem.

I've been involved in photography for 30 years, and I am especially interested in documenting. I take pictures as a document for future people. After arriving in the city, I have done a lot of walking. I cannot sleep very well. I wake up deep in the night, get up and write down my experience. It is fantastic. I feel I don? have time. There is not enough time for a man like me to really know Beijing.I feel very frustrated, because I came here and I am going to leave here knowing nothing.

I want to take photos of people's normal life, the kindergarten, the hospital and the hutong. I want to see what they are doing.

I would like to learn to speak Chinese, but it is too difficult. Anyway, I can say "thanks", "hello" and "goodbye" in Chinese.

Beijing now is such a modern city, which I did not expect. Big shopping centers are everywhere, just like in America or Europe. I have traveled around the world. Europe is my favorite place to live, and it is my way of life. But for the people, here in China, they are very curious, friendly and they are so good to be with.

I like Chinese food. I tried Peking duck in France. I have known a Chinese friend for 15 years. She always told me a lot of things about China. Before I came here, I could only depend on my imagination. For me, everything is new.

I have a special feeling for Beijing. I first came here in 1978 when China first opened its door to the world. I organized the Singapore Photographers Association to take a nine-day trip in Beijing.

I took a photo of Tiananmen Rostrum, and what was really new and interesting for me is the stream of bicycles, a unique Chinese phenomenon.

I also took many good photos of the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. In 1978, nine days was too short for us who first came to Beijing. My brother who was a professor at Qinghua University described our trip as "pao ma kan hua" ( Looking at flowers while galloping on a horse).

This time I hope I can take photos of Beijing's new look, and I will show the world the new development of Beijing though my photos. I have been to the Forbidden City four times. Each time, I found new angles for photos. A photographer sometimes has to go to the same place several times to produce a good photography work.

The organizing committee arranged many good places I can't visit with a tourist group, and I will seize these chances. I hope I can do some creative work with a new mood embued in the work of the photography, expressing my new feelings through my work. Of course, the quality of the work will partly depend on the opportunity, the favorable location and friendly people.

I found new angles for photos. A photographer sometimes has to go to the same place several times to produce a good photography work.

Chinese photographer Hui Huaijie.