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The Story of the Field in front of my House

Last Updated on 2023/02/12

As I was chronicling the transformation of Kunming, an unexpected and tragic event occurred, turning my visual story into a sorrowful tale

This is the story of a field in front of my house in Kunming, China.

I lived in Kunming, China for nearly seven years, residing in a beautiful condo located in the northern part of the city. From my window, I had the privilege of witnessing the gradual development of the area and observing the transformation of the local people’s daily habits. As a photographer, I felt compelled to document these changes and capture the essence of the evolving community.

2008
January

001

When I moved to the new apartment, the field was partially cultivated. Local people used to go there to fly their kites, especially the elderly and the kids.

February

The field was the perfect place to celebrate the Chinese New Year with fireworks.

002
003
004


August

In August people celebrated the Hungry Ghost Festival by burning incense and offering to placate the ghosts.

005
006
007
008

November

In the middle of the field, there was an abandoned factory.

009

During the rainy season, the field was completely flooded.

010

Workers started to build a wall around the field. Its destiny was signed.
At the beginning a local company wanted to build a park, then they decided to build a hospital.

011
012
021

The Chinese character 拆 (chai) means “to be demolished”

022


A hall in the abandoned factory

023


The factory was spooky at night!

December

013
015

Soon the wall was completed.

014

The first trucks and bulldozers appeared in the field.
However, they didn’t have any clue about what they were doing.

2009

 January

016
017

People observe the works.

February

Another Chunjie celebration.
This time, locals were more organized and they sold fireworks directly on the spot.

020
019
018

They were gorgeous!

May

Soon, the old factory was demolished.

024
025
026
027
028
029
030
031
032
033
034
035

July

036

During the summer the ground was covered by thick, green grass.

037

The construction company began to dig the ground.
The sheeps didn’t care.

038

November

For a few months the work were stopped for some bureaucratic problem.

039

A paved road crossing the field was finally built.

040

December

The first holes were covered for some reason. The local construction company changed its plan and soon the work started again.

041
042

2010

043

One day a fire burnt a portion of the field.

044

Hundred of trucks started to arrive in the field, day and night.

045
046
047
048
049

Despite the works, local people still enjoyed flying kites.

050
051
052
053
054
055
056

February

The first of a long line of fireworks booths for the Chinese New Year celebration.

057

April

058

The construction company began to dig other holes.

059
060
061
062
063
064
065
066
067
069
070
071

Old people flying kites.

072

Hello panda!

073
074

A torrid April.

075
076
077
078
079
080
081
082

At the end of April, the rain came down filling the empty building foundations.

083

May

083b
083c

For some reason, the works were suspended again.

083d
083e

Kids were attracted by the pools.

083f

Every day they used to play and take a bath in the dirty mud water.

084
085

July

Then, one day a young boy drowned in the pool. Police arrived and they carried away the dead body.

086
087
088
089

This was the story of the field in front of my house, in Kunming.

Update 2020: For anyone curious, eventually, they made a hospital, a commercial center, and a few residential buildings.

Photos by Matteo Damiani

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