Guozi jian jie
Guozi jian jie
Starting from Yonghegong Avenue in the east to Andingmennei Avenue in the west, Guozijian Street is located in the northwest of Dongcheng District. It is the only hutong in Beijing to feature ancient archways.
The street gets its name from the Guozijian House, which is the home of the Imperial College during the Yuan (1206–1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Now, visitors still can find many interesting antique stores, tea houses and traditional shops on the street. And because the street lies next to the Lama Temple, the perfumed scent of burning incense fills the air, making the street seem both classical and mysterious.
This volume contains 80 full-color photographs which chronicle a four-year journey of exploration through some of the oldest neighborhoods in Beijing, China. With a photographic process of long exposures ranging from twenty-five minutes to four hours, the people are predominantly lost. The images are of a way of life all but rubble to the modernization of China's capital city. Hutongs are the ancient Chinese communities built hundreds of years ago that now rest in the middle of the urban sprawl. Tight streets, communal bathrooms, and a poor water supply are balanced by an incredible sense of community & a peaceful way of life. Most of the dwellings depicted in this book have been destroyed in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. Paul Duda received his BFA in photography from Penn State University and an MFA from Pratt Institute in NYC. He has taught for the past 14 years at the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven, CT and has lectured about his work at numerous universities. Paul Duda owns and operates Studio Duda Photography, a commercial photographic studio & fine art gallery in New Haven, CT. With over 50 gallery shows, including OK Harris in NYC, Duda's work includes studies in more than 20 countries. www.studioduda.com
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