A series documenting the changes that have taken place in the city of Chongqing by photographer Ximeng Tu. Tu grew up near the Jialing River and often swam there as a child. After studying in other cities in his youth, Tu returned to Chongqing for university. The Chongqing of today is different from the Chongqing of Tu’s childhood and these images are an effort to record those changes—to tell the story of the riverside from his perspective and memory. While initially noting the distinct shift in urban architecture, Tu began to notice other things like increased congestion, environmental pollution, and poverty:
“This is exactly what Jane Jacobs put forward: ‘The city is an organism.’ So my eyes turned from the high-rise buildings in the city to individuals, and I learned about the city by getting to know individuals. This photography collection is a journey of self-discovery, a way to retrace my own growth through the act of capturing images. I began visiting every corner of Chongqing—its mountains, rivers, trees, and the pebbles along its riverbanks—attempting to decipher the connections between people, the city, the flowing waters, and my own bond with my hometown. Through photography, I try to freeze Chongqing in time, yet the process itself carries a paradoxical feeling—the closer I get, the more I seek, the deeper the sense of loss becomes.”
Ximeng Tu participated in our 2025 Booooooom Art & Photo Book Award and made our shortlist.