Capturing belief in Tibet by lenses

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(Global Times) 09:50, August 21, 2013

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Many people say they feel a sense of awe when looking at Yang Yankang's photos of Tibetans. These black-and-white images document Tibetan people's normal lives, but each image touches viewers on a deep level and lingers on.

We've seen many beautiful pictures of Tibet, but most of them are merely tourists' snapshots of this area's unique landscapes and natural scenes. But Yang said he wanted to photograph the religious side of Tibet, which he calls the real lives of Tibetans.

Before he started photographing Tibetan areas in January 2003, Yang had spent years documenting the life of grass-roots Catholic followers in rural areas of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

He said it is fortunate for people who have belief, and he likes to pass the touching moments along to people who lack faith themselves

Starting from the Labrang Monastery in southern Gansu Province, Yang's tracks covered other Tibetan areas, including Qinghai, Tibet and Yunnan.

Yang said he pays attention to the esthetics when pushing the shutter button, but it does not simply mean focusing only on lights and shadows. He also tries to capture Tibetans' reverence, and their fear and love of Buddhist deities, shown in the photo "A Tibetan who spreads longda [magical incantations printed on cloth or paper]."

Another day on a sunny afternoon, Yang rested by a temple and did not mean to take any photos. Then four young lamas who were practicing Buddhist dancing in the yard caught his attention.

"The lamas' moves and their shadows on the ground created a mesmerizing rhythm, I couldn't wait to capture this moment," Yang said.

The photo of a nun looking down at a dove in her hands has drawn accusations that he set up the photo.

Yang said he saw the nuns playing with the doves that local people brought to the monastery to set free, and he invited one nun to a nearby field to be photographed.

"The way the nun looks at the dove is full of pity and sympathy. There is no set-up there," Yang said.

When Yang started to capture Catholics' activities about two decades ago, he asked to be baptized in order to be incorporated into their lives. In 2003, he converted to Buddhism when beginning his new photo project with Tibet.

Yang said he does not mind when people questions his motives. For him, religions do not throw up obstacles to faith. The only true measure is to approach religion with a devout mind.

Once two Catholic priests paid a visit to his home in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province at the same time as a Tibetan Buddhist was staying in his home.

"We enjoyed each other's company, discussing and comparing our beliefs," Yang said, quipping that his god may well be photography.

Yang is preparing to go back to Tibet again in September, wrapping up his 10-year Tibet project.

Looking back at the past decade, Yang said he used to see Tibet as a mysterious place and had only a surface understanding of its complicated culture, but now he sees Tibetans as a resilient people living in extreme natural hardship.

"They are soft and hospitable, and rely on Buddhism to seek spiritual peace on the forbidden land," said Yang. "As outsiders, the only thing we need to do is respect them."