Story of Bading Village (II)
Photography: Gao Zhiyong, in an amateur photography career spanning more than 30 years, has traveled extensively throughout Tibet shooting documentary photography.
This photography series from artist Gao Zhiyong shows life experiences of those who live in Bading Village, Tibet, through recording life in a small village, restoring the living conditions of ordinary Tibetans. During his time there, Mr. Gao Zhiyong associated with his fellow villagers from morning till night, living the same life and doing the same work, attaining a deeper understanding of rural Tibet. In his spare time, he used a camera to document fragments of villagers’ lives, capturing a true record of Tibetan village life.
Through Mr. Gao Zhiyong’s lens, we can see the gentleness, friendliness, and inner peace of mind between rural Tibetans, outlining a fresh story of the Tibetan countryside.
February 7, 2014, dusk, the Mima family’s New Year celebration.
March 7, 2014, 66-year-old Banche waits on the edge of her field for measurement of the area, seeing how much she shares of last year’s water and electric fee.
Her family’s land is near the pumping reservoir built by the Forestry Department, meaning she no longer has to worry about drought.
April 28, 2014, village head Achong and technology special representative Shelun weigh various families’ sheep fattening,
checking the fattening situation for each family for cash and fodder rewards.
May 11, 2014, 55-year-old Trinley and his son Jampa sow barley. Bading Village has a lot of land, and every year the sowing area exceeds 1790 mu, with each family cultivating an average of 42 mu. You can imagine the intensity of labor involved during the spring sowing and autumn harvest seasons.
June 3, 2014, the Trongsa family’s daughter-in-law, 26-year-old Dorje carries water on her back. Dorje is the wife of the Trongsa’s eldest son, Shetse. According to the customs here, if Shetse’s younger brother Shelun does not take his own wife, then Dorje becomes the wife of both brothers.
August 15, 2014, the fruit bearing festival in Bading Village, 57-year-old Shilo brings the village women to the hillside behind the village to make offerings to the mountain gods.
August 15, 2014, the fruit bearing festival in Bading Village, women turning the barley land.
The Trongsa family stays up late on New Year’s Eve.