Portrait of Opium

Author: Han Yunfeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Han Yunfeng is a painter. Due to his profession, he has frequently traveled to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, since 1985 to gather materials for his oil paintings. He roamed the tropical rainforests along the China-Laos border, sketching and taking photos. It was there that he first heard about the "Golden Triangle," which later changed the course of his life. This has long been a name misunderstood by outsiders, often associated with conspiracy, crime, terror, and killing. However, the real living conditions of the people in this region have been artificially obscured by these imaginations. When Han Yunfeng first encountered these people, he, as an artist, deeply touched their simplicity and resilience in their hearts. It was precisely because of such an opportunity that, many years later, we can see this illustrated book, The Portrait of Opium, which condenses all his heart and effort. Every line of text and every photograph in the book describe the contradictory living conditions of the mountain people in the "Golden Triangle" who live by growing opium. This description reflects the author's highly personal perspective and insights when observing the subjects. Over 10 years, Han Yunfeng visited the "Golden Triangle" nearly 20 times during this period, during which he shot over 200 hours of video footage and tens of thousands of photographs documenting the lives of the local people. These photographs still move him, and they move us, who can only understand other life experiences through photographs. Han Yunfeng has built a bridge between the "Golden Triangle" and the outside world, one of understanding and recognition.