I lived in China for more than 30 years. I was born and grew up there. Despite being Chinese and growing up in China, I feel I’ve only just begun to understand Chinese people. As I walk through China with my camera, I try to carefully observe the people and things that I have become used to.

I spend as much time as possible in places where ordinary people feel comfortable and relaxed, like markets, factories and communities. Sometimes, as I’m walking with my camera, I’m even invited into people’s homes.
Compared with people in most Western countries—and even other Asian countries—people in China are generally uncomfortable expressing their feelings, opinions, or even personality to strangers. The skill of "blocking" strong feelings has even become a special science, intensively studied and passed down from generation to generation. In ancient Chinese philosophy, expressions of feelings like joy or defiance are especially dangerous, and hiding your emotions is considered a sign of maturity.
Because of this, Chinese people often seem serious and cold in public. You will notice many of the people in my photos have blank or dismayed facial expressions, even while doing things they like to do.

But sometimes, they will suddenly burst into a dramatic moment, showing their feelings and personality. These unpredictable dramatic moments and the stories they tell are like phantoms, but you can catch them if you look carefully.
This is why I call this book “Phantoms.”
My intention is to show glimpses of daily life in China, but also to highlight these phantom moments of feeling and expression where I’ve been fortunate enough to capture them. I’ve done my best to be objective, but of course this work also contains phantoms of my own fears and fantasies, as I choose where to aim my camera and what to include here.