Breath of Chongqing at 4 A.M.

By Keqiao Cheng, EDITOR

To freeze and record the life of ordinary people in a photo with a 70-year-old ZORKI film camera and a crisp shutter.

All photos share one trait: being captured at 4 a.m.

Liu Qiufeng, a 19-year-old native of Chongqing with his faithful recorder, snaps the breath of the city through the dim light at 4 a.m., the smoke from the roadside stove, and the breath from the pedestrian. He hopes to use the most traditional film camera to leave the most beautiful light and shadow for Chongqing, which is his “hometown”.

A laborer: He wakes up as soon as the boss calls him

At 4 o’clock in the morning, in the Chaotianmen Market, a laborer falls asleep while lying on the goods.

“Hey, bro, don’t you feel cold sleeping here?” Liu Qiufeng reminds him.

“Don’t wake him up, because a laborer knocks off wherever he is sleepy. Sweats from carrying the goods will drive the chill out. So don’t worry.” The proprietress of the breakfast stall next kindly reminds Liu Qiufeng.

Press the shutter, done!

A row of seafood: the peddling sound is the best annotation of life

One day in October, at 4 a.m., at the aquatic product market in Xisan Street, Yuzhong District. These seafoods are transported from all over the world, staying at this wholesale market for a short time, and then are sold to various places.

In the basin are various seafoods as razor clams, mussels, sea cucumbers, lobsters, shells and brown crabs. The oxygen supply equipment goes into the plastic basin and bubbles pop out from the bottom, causing a stark contrast to the noisy market.

The shutter is set to one-fiftieth of a second, aiming at the row of seafood basins and the photo is done. When Liu Qiufeng is about to leave, the proprietress mutters, “Kid, why not buy some? It is hard to see such quality seafoods.”

Such a lively peddling sound is the best annotation of life.

A bowl of porridge: treat yourself with more than 20 kinds of pickles

Where there are people, there are businesses. The breakfast stall owners at Chaotianmen (Chaotian Gate), like the owners of clothing stalls, work from dawn to dusk.

At 4 o’clock in the morning, for the laborer, who is tired from carrying the goods, a bowl of hot porridge is the best breakfast.

One steamed bun is one yuan, coupled with a bowl of porridge as well as more than 20 kinds of pickles, in the words of the laborer: “Ba Shi!” (a Chongqing dialect referring to “awesome”).

As life goes on, he starts a new job after finishing the porridge. Carrying goods is only part of the work in the morning. Most of the laborers at Chaotianmen have the other job. They build the best harbors for their family with the two jobs.

“The happiness I saw in the morning is more than I thought.” Liu Qiufeng says.

A street lamp: how many years can you stand in this bustling city?

At 4 a.m. in Chongqing, of course, there are streetlights.

An old-fashioned electric pole near Baixiang Street, together with the luminous streetlights, attracts the attention of Liu Qiufeng. The shooting effect of this street lamp is more like the masterpiece of the last century. Due to the gray transition, the alienation of light and shadow comes out.

Under the streetlights, the car rumbles across occasionally. The earliest cities, perhaps, were made up of these different items, thus making them so diversified.

Such poles are increasingly fewer in the bustling urban areas nowadays. As I think, they have played their roles in their times. Their best times should also be kept in my camera.” He says.

Source: CQCB

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