Watering My Horse by a Spring at the Foot of the Long Wall

Xiaoxiao Xu embarks on a journey of 25,000 kilometres to document the lives of the people along the foot of the Great Wall of China. Contrary to popular belief, the wall is not a single, continuous structure, but rather a collection of walls and fortifications built during various Chinese dynasties. Her images show that, despite its decline in some of these parts, a lively relationship remains between the wall and local populations who honour and protect it. In the process, Xu attempts to discover the impact of fast-growing China on this historic site. The villages along the Great Wall still live by ancient traditions, but these are gradually disappearing. She captures this visual transformation.