Preface
The Minority Photography Talents Training Project is hosted by China Photographers Association and undertaken together by the Education Commission of China Photographers Association and Beijing Photography Correspondence Institute, with subsidies from China Literature and Art Foundation and supports of the Personnel Ministry of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. As an important initiative to carry out the spirit of art and literature conveyed by the Party Central Committee, the project aims to cultivate the backbones of talents of ethnic minorities by relying on abundant photography resources from China Photographers Association, while promoting cultural and social development in the regions inhabited by ethnic groups, as well as further driving ethnic development and reinforcing national unity.
The 3rd training session under the project was held in Beijing in January 2016. 60 trainees from 16 different ethnic groups came from all over the country, including Mongol, Hui, Tibetan, Yao, Zhuang, Miao, Tujia, Uyghur,Kazak, Bouyei, Yi, Dong, Dai, Bai, Shui and Han, to attend this 10-day session taught by renowned masters in photography and benefited significantly from it.
Xi Murong, a famous Mongolian poetess, once wrote a song entitled 'FatherН's Prairie, MotherНs RiverН,which remains popular to this day.
The song goes as follows
Now that I finally come to see this great land
Tears rain down my face as I stand on this fragrant prairie
The river sings of the prayers of the forefathers
Blessing the prodigal son to find his way home
Ah, fatherНs prairie
Ah, motherНs river
Which sings of the everlasting care and sentiments for home.
We have hereby arranged the publication of the works from outstanding trainees of the 3rd session, which are divided into three units, Home · Transition, Folk Customs · Kaleidoscope, and People · Life. Every little thing about home,unique folk-customs of ethnic minorities, and faces of the people convey the thoughts and feelings towards home, and are always the focus of photographers.
To record life, express states of mind, and keep memories, we look forward to sharing with more friends.