The Atheist in Search of God
凡人强烈的愿望凝结成神的身躯
This is my journey of climbing five sacred mountains in search of “faith”, as an atheist.
This photography project is closely connected to my mother. She is a person of great inner peace, and whenever I face difficulties, I think of her. Her faith helps her calmly navigate the challenges and pains of life. As a lost young person, I never truly understand her perspective.
In September 2024, I returned from Europe to my homeland, embarking on a journey to Mount Wutai, one of China's four most revered Buddhist sites. I lived with the monks in the temple on top of Mount Wutai, converse and using photography as a way to explore the spiritual world, confronting my own confusion and anxieties. My goal is to tell the stories of the monks and believers, revealing their inner worlds and the strength of their faith, while showcasing the unique beauty of Chinese traditional culture through picturing the one of a kind Chinese traditional buddhism architecture.
Through this project, I seek to bridge the gap between the lost youth and the older generation, and in doing so, gain a deeper understanding of faith and my mother’s spiritual world.
这是一个极具个人意义的摄影项目。有关于我——一个无神论者，爬了五座神山寻找自己的信仰。
这个项目与我的母亲有着深刻的联系。我的母亲是一位内心非常平静的人，在我遇到困难、无法排解的时候都会想起我的母亲，她以一种非常平静的态度面对着人生中的困难，信仰支撑着她平淡地化解人世间的痛苦与折磨。我是一个迷失的年轻人，一个无神论者，我无法真正理解她。2024年9月，我带着对自我内心的探索，决定通过实际的体验来消解内心的焦虑。五台山由极其个人的叙事出发，我的视角代表着大部分迷茫的普通的年轻人，我们正成为中国社会新一代的主要劳动力，踏上人生的征程，我从欧洲回到故乡，拜访了中国佛教名山五台山，在山中的寺庙中居住并进行拍摄。我希望通过驻地拍摄的形式为我自己拨开迷茫，用摄影的手法感受、记录、传播、答疑解惑。我希望通过我擅长的摄影与身体力行的实践进一步了解母亲的精神世界，并透过母亲看向与信仰的力量，通过摄影讲故事，构建新老劳动力之间互相理解的桥梁，向世界展示中国传统文化的独特魅力。
The chanter I encountered during the climb.
Kinkakuji Temple, China. People throw money at the feet of the statue in the hope that their wishes will come true.
A small puddle left by an excavator on Yedou Peak, 3,061 meters above sea level in Mount Wutai.
In the temple on the top of Wanghai Peak at an altitude of 2,793 meters in Mount Wutai, two monks are directing a giant elevator to build the temple.