Larry Silver: Picturing Yangzhou: Online Exhibition

The city of Yangzhou, located in the Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, has a rich history of economic and cultural progress. Due to the proximity of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, Yangzhou was an important port for foreign trade and was a melting pot for diverse cultures. Since the Tang dynasty, this city has been known for blending Chinese and foreign cultures, especially in the arts. In the 1990s, many cities in China underwent socioeconomic transformations. This period was marked by a focus on urban tourism, driving the need for economically redressing dilapidated downtown areas. During this time, culture became a key element in balancing heritage preservation with urban development. For Yangzhou, a city of rich history and a landscape adorned with traditional gardens and canals, cultural preservation meant the renewal of traditional streets and the improvement of homes in historical blocks. Alongside these economic transformations, China heightened its participation in the Sister City program, developing relationships with smaller cities in the United States to foster friendship and understanding between the two nations.

 

In 1996, Mayor Shi of Yangzhou invited photographer Larry Silver and his wife Gloria to the city to document the progress of these economic and cultural initiatives. This creative journey resulted in a body of work that reveals the city and China’s deep connection with tradition. With photographs picturing multiple generations, from Chinese elders who have witnessed the Cultural Revolution of 1966, Millennial youth who likely participated in the protests of 1989, to the newborn Generation Z, Silver captured the lived history of a rural city spanning over a decade.