From The EastSouthWestNorth blog: Which is the single most famous photograph in China? It’s the one known as Big Eyes (“§ßÁúºÁùõ“). Here is the translation from the book (posted here in full) by the photographer Xie Hailong (Ëߣʵ∑Èæô).
[translation] The location is Anhui province, Jinzhai County, Taoling Town, Zhangwan Village.
It seemed to have rained last night. The photographer came in the dark and started as soon as it was daybreak. The villagers opened their doors and the raindrops were still dripping from the pumpkin racks, leaving a damp courtyard on a damp morning.
At dawn, the village was especially quiet and tranquil. In the silence, there are sounds of doors opening and closing and then small shadows appeared in the lead-grey fog. Or maybe it was not fog, but just the night mist that was still in the morning light. Once the children got outside the village, they seemed liberated and began to talk and yell aloud as they breathed the fresh air. The morning dew dampened their clothes and the flowers, grass and trees touched them on the way.
The Meishan Reservoir formed a water body at the foot of the fill. The water was still and smooth and stretched out with the water weeds to both sides until all the way to the horizon. To get to the other side of the reservoic, the closest way is by boat.
The children pulled out a rickety boat from the wet grass and got on it. But suddenly they are stunned, they got quiet, they opened their mouths and their eyes lit up — a grown-up has just gotten on the boat. Because of the additional weight, the boat swayed a little bit and water began to creep in through the cracks.
