Profile: Pictures of Tiananmen
Decades of history seen through a photographer’s lens
“In the 1980s and 1990s, many people only had one opportunity in their lives to visit Tiananmen Square and get their photos taken there. I was one of the photographers there who took photos for them, and now I’m the only one left from that period,” said Gao Yuan.
Gao,55, started his career as a photographer at a State-owned studio in Tiananmen Square in 1979. Over the past 38 years, he has taken tens of thousands of souvenir photos.
Now, although he is reaching retirement age, there are still more than 1,000 photos in his possession that haven’t been claimed by their owners.
With some tourists providing the wrong address and some leaving before the photos were printed, Gao has held on to these precious memorabilia and hopes he can return them to their rightful owners.
According to his studio’s regulations, photos that have been kept for more than a year should be discarded.
“Every photo taken in Tiananmen Square carries a special meaning for its owners. Many of them have been here only once in their lives, so it’s essential that I return these photos to them,” said Gao.
If these tourists come to Beijing again, he said he hopes to have another chance to take photos for them for free.
Lifetime’s work
After graduating from high school, 17-year-old Gao was assigned to a photography studio in Tiananmen Square in Beijing’s Xicheng district, becoming a member of its first batch of workers.
Back then, cameras were very rare in China. As Gao’s mother was already working at another photo studio in Xicheng district, he got to learn how to use one before assuming his duties.
According to Gao, in the 1980s, a job as a photographer at the Stateowned photo studio at Tiananmen Square was viewed as an “iron rice bowl,” a guarantee of a lifetime livelihood.
He earned a good salary from this job. “Back then, I was quite busy. There were lots of people coming to take photos in Tiananmen. Sometimes, when I rode my bike after work, I still had one eye open and one eye closed. It took me a long time to remember that I wasn’t at work,” Gao recalls with a smile.
Even in the cold seasons, when the capital’s icy wind penetrates the bones, tourists were still willing to wait more than 30 minutes to take a single photo, he added.
In the beginning, young photographers like Gao were taught by older photographers. During the shooting, a footprint was first drawn on the ground and tourists were then instructed to stand on the footprint one by one. The camera was set at a designated angle for each photo.
According to him, many people like to take photos in the early morning when taking part in the national flag-raising ceremony. Although the light is dim and the photo results are not ideal, it doesn’t dampen tourists’ enthusiasm for having their photos taken in front of Tiananmen Square.
For most people, having their picture taken in the country’s most renowned landmark is a ritual that simply must be observed.
According to Gao, there was one man who even visited Tiananmen Square with a photo of his deceased father to take a picture there in order to satisfy his father’s wish of walking around Tiananmen – and he wasn’t the only one. There are also many people who take the cremated remains of their deceased relatives to take pictures there.
Documenting changes
Gao is proud of his work. In 1979, there were fewer than 20 young people from all walks of life who worked at the Tiananmen photo studio.
With Gao the only exception, the others have left the place one by one over the past decade. He has been contacted by several other companies with work offers, but has refused them all.
However, he does have some regrets when he sees others making more money after leaving.
But in his position, he has the opportunity to document the changes the country has undergone that other jobs simply cannot offer.
From the primitive single-image to telephoto and domestically-made cameras, he has seen all the upgrades in equipment used in China.
Given the large flow of tourists through Tiananmen, a camera can only be used for three months on average. Some cameras get broken within a week.
In the 1970s, people were required to get a recommendation letter if they wanted to make a trip to Beijing. Before 1983, guests were required to write their address on an envelope and pass it to photographers, who would then mail the photos back to them.
It was only in 1983 that the photo studio at Tiananmen Square had more or less abolished its mailing service. Instead, it promised clients that they could pick up their photos in three hours by themselves. Currently, the studio can print photos in a minute and holds onto unclaimed photos for one year.
Gao revealed that in the 1970s and 1980s, the colors of tourists’ clothes were limited to blue, grayish blue and green. But now, even elderly women are colorfully dressed.
“Before, men in their 30s looked mature and reserved like elderly men. But now, the elderly, who take exercise every day, look no different from young people,” Gao said. “From the photos, people used to look quite serious in a group photo, which is in sharp contrast from today where the tourists’ facial expressions are lively and happy.”
So far more than 100 people have contacted him via Weibo or cell phone, but only one of them has successfully collected a photo from Gao – a middle-aged man surnamed Li who took the picture in 1985 when he was only 8 years old. He had come to Beijing with his father and grandfather. When Li came to Beijing with his mother this time, his father was in hospital and Gao took a second photo for him.