BEIJING, July 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In the black and white
photographs, there are dilapidated streets and faded shops,
children playing in a simple park, lovers confiding in a quiet
grove, crowds gathering in teahouses, restaurants, and nighttime
book stalls, models in shop windows speaking of a happy life,
slogans and banners everywhere, calling out for the future...
These are some of the pictures taken by an Italian photographer
who documented China in the 1980s
when he pursued his studies in his 20s. Fascinated by the culture
and wealth of opportunities, he settled down in China which was little known to the world at
that time and became an independent visual artist. Over 40 years
later, he had his photo album published named At Ease: China, 1981-1984.
"Looking back to the old days, it was like a respite for the
Chinese who were unaware that they were going to embrace an era of
profound social changes and transformative economic development.
That was a rare and brief moment of tranquility when people were at
ease," Andrea Cavazzuti told the Global Times during a book signing
event at an Owspace bookstore in Beijing.
In the early 1980s, China was
in the early stages of its reform and opening-up. In 1981, the then
Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping
launched the first wave of economic reform, allowing greater
autonomy for state-owned enterprises, and experimenting with market
mechanisms in agriculture and industry.
Beginning in 1980, special economic zones were established in
coastal areas including Shenzhen,
Zhuhai and Xiamen to attract
foreign investment and promote economic experimentation.
The reform and opening-up laid the foundation for the rapid
economic growth and transformation that would unfold in the
following decades. The reforms initiated during this period set
China on a path to becoming one of
the world's major economic powers while fundamentally altering its
political and social landscape.
Time difference
Andrea, who was referred to as ""Lao An" by his Chinese friends,
said that he felt like he had experienced a kind of "time
difference" and temporal travel across eras in two vastly different
countries in the world.
"When I was a child, Italy's
economy was at its most prosperous period. In the 1990s, I
experienced a rapid economic development in China that was almost the same as that of
Italy. When I was a teenager, the
streets of Italy were similar to
what I later saw in China. It
seems that I relived two similar eras," the 65-year-old said in
fluent Chinese.
When selecting the major for his undergraduate studies, most of
his classmates opted for science and engineering disciplines. Out
of a strong interest in the square-shaped Chinese characters and
Eastern culture, Andrea was determined to study Mandarin.
"I had a passion in reading Chinese. China takes up a vast land in the world map,
yet few people around me at that time knew what was happening
across this expansive land," he recalled.
In 1981, it took him seven days to arrive in the place which he
thought was "a paradise for photo taking." He aimed his lens at
ordinary Chinese people, observing how they cautiously navigated
towards a happy life.
Since 1982, Andrea began his two-year study at Fudan University
in Shanghai, majoring in modern
Chinese literature. The school activities took him to various
places across China. Whenever he
arrived somewhere new, he tried to stay a few extra days carrying
his camera, which was still a novelty in that era of China.
"I'd like to photograph things that people don't pay much
attention to and express a different voice. I take photos without
any specific purpose; I photograph whatever attracts me. I haven't
met anyone like me who travels around just taking pictures," he
noted.
Zhi An, a Chinese author, told
the Global Times that he felt another time difference from reading
the Italian's photo album with over 190 photos.
"In the early 1980s, the ordinary people led similar life and
there was no big gap between people's income. Therefore, the
general public was marching in unison. Chinese people including me
didn't know that we were standing at a critical juncture," Zhi
noted.
However, people's lives were quietly undergoing changes. It was
not long before the peaceful respite came to a halt and it was
followed by sudden scattering as people rushed to make a fortune.
That was the era when modern lifestyles began to sprout, said the
author.
Andrea captured things that were unnoticed at the time but
fleeting, Zhi said.
Follow your heart
The Italian was particularly interested in zooming in on shop
windows because it offered people a glimpse of what's hold for
future.
"The storefront displays always store something you can't
purchase at the moment such as fresh fruit, computers and rockets.
It was people's aspiration for future life," he said.
Having lived in China for more
than 40 years and witnessed the sweeping social and economic
development, Andrea said China is
running much faster than Italy now
in terms of development.
However, compared with the distinctive architectures and
structures designed in the old days, the disadvantage of
globalization is that more and more modern structures have become
"standardized."
Tokyo, Beijing or New
York? Sometimes, you are at a loss of where you are staying.
The modern cities look similar. It was the unique designs that
impress people, he added.
No matter how times changes, Andrea said that what remains
invariable is "to be yourself and do not go with the flow when you
make your life choices."
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SOURCE Global Times