Located on the banks of the Xijiang River in the southwest of the Pearl River Delta, Heshan City, Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, is a modern entrepreneurial city in the Greater Bay Area. Although this small city is not as prosperous and lively as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, it has picturesque pastoral scenery and a variety of small town styles.
The water network of Heshan City is criss-crossed, with a water town style (taken on January 26, 2023, drone**).
Heshan City is a pilot county for the construction of water system connectivity and water beauty villages in China, with beautiful scenery (taken on July 1, 2022, drone**).
This year, I witnessed the other side of the high-rise buildings in the Greater Bay Area, with the strong atmosphere of fireworks and the thick cultural and historical heritage, giving people a sense of belonging and security, which is an indelible nostalgia and a city memory that is still being inherited.
In Xiaonan Ancient Village, Longkou Town, Heshan City, a local artist writes Spring Festival couplets for villagers (taken on January 15, 2023, drone**).
The food street in Heshan City is crowded with people gathering to enjoy food and celebrate the New Year (photo taken on January 23, 2023).
A traditional fire dragon dance is held in Huangdong Village, Yayao Town, Heshan City (photo taken on October 13, 2023).
More than 60 people, including overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao, walked into the Overseas Chinese Museum in Jiangmen City to visit the theme exhibition "Roots in the Hometown of Overseas Chinese" (photo taken on February 16, 2023). Heshan City is a well-known hometown of overseas Chinese, overseas Chinese rely on wisdom and hard work to go abroad to make a living, fight for a piece of the world, some villages almost every household has overseas Chinese relatives overseas, footprints in dozens of countries and regions.
This year, I witnessed the development of Heshan City, and recorded the changes around me bit by bit: infrastructure renewal, ecological environment improvement, public service improvement, ......These changes have not only changed the face of their hometowns, but also improved the quality of life for people. More and more people are returning to their hometowns to contribute.
The river channel in Dabu Village, Heshan City, is wide and smooth, and the banyan trees in the river are a paradise for small birds (photo taken on January 1, 2023).
Children gather at the Heshan Cultural Center Square to demonstrate the charm of Chinese martial arts in a school Wing Chun gymnastics performance (photo taken on November 16, 2023).
Children read at the Farmhouse Bookstore in Xinwei Community, Taoyuan Town, Heshan City (photo taken on April 21, 2023). Heshan City actively promotes the standardization of rural bookstores and does a good job in public cultural services.
This year, I also witnessed many stories of the pursuit of happiness, and in conversations and interviews, I photographed smiling faces blooming with happiness. I use photography to convey this sense of happiness and gain to more people, and cheer for rural revitalization and high-quality development.
Beekeeper Mai Dingguo carefully inspects the health and honey quality of bees near the Bishan Reservoir in Heshan City on October 25, 2023. Mr. and Mrs. Mai Dingguo have raised nearly 200 boxes of bees, with an annual income of 200,000 yuan, and beekeeping has become a "well-off honey" and "happy bee" for the couple to work together to be well-off.
On the top of Gulao Tea Mountain, the villagers seized the season to pick and make the tea market before Ming. Tea farmer Lao Shijia smiles as she looks at the green and plump spring tea (photo taken on March 28, 2023).
Villagers participate in a bucket bucket competition at a farmers' fun sports meeting in Heshan City (photo taken on March 17, 2023).
In Zhongxi Village, Shaping Street, Heshan City, dragon boat team members return victoriously and celebrate the victory with waiting villagers (photo taken on June 21, 2023).
Yuqiao Village, Shaping Street, Heshan City, held a folk art parade, inviting married women to return to their parents' homes for a parade, and the scene was full of gongs and drums (photo taken on June 9, 2023).
In Gulao Water Township, Heshan City, parents take their children to play and play. Summer vacation in the countryside has become a new trend, and children experience a different summer life in the countryside (photo taken on August 7, 2023).
Record the story of the development of the hometown town, record the bits and pieces of people living and working here, and record the other side of the fireworks in the Greater Bay Area.
Curator: Yu Lan.
Co-ordinator: Song Weiwei, Deng Hua.
Production: Han Fang, Chen Shuo.
*: Huang Jiming.
Editors: Zhang Lei, Song Weiwei, Han Fang, Chen Shuo.
Produced by Xinhua News Agency Photography Department.