Last Heaven

Author: Hong Xing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This is a travel story of Hong Xing, a woman who journeys through Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, the source of the Three. Hong Xing is a remarkable woman. Whether it was a call from a past life or a sign in this one, this beautiful and vast land seems to have an inseparable bond with her. This is a "love letter" she wrote to Yushu. Hong Xing abandoned her comfortable urban life and chose aimless wandering, a journey with no destination. She visits Yushu at least once a year, exploring every corner of it, using her exceptional photography skills to reveal her "beloved" to the world. Majestic temples, mysterious reincarnated lamas, the desolate Kekexili, fierce Kangba men, and affectionate Tibetan girls come to life in Hong Xing’s writing and lens. There, she has faced countless life-and-death moments, made countless brothers-in-arms, been recognized as a "self-born dakini" by devout Buddhists, and entered the hearts of the simple and sincere Tibetan people. The alluring snow-covered plateau is a source of inspiration for countless artists, and for every photographer, to create there is a dream. At the remote roof of the world, the lifeless zone, and the third pole of the world—Kekexili—a frail woman carries heavy photography equipment and struggles through the harsh terrain. She is a dreamer from a distant city, one who records everything through her lens, her pen, and her heart—Hong Xing. At first glance, it’s hard to tell she is a woman with so much rich experience, or that she is one of the few female photography masters in China. Hong Xing has ventured into the Tibetan region dozens of times, from high lamas to nomads, making many Tibetan friends. She says her future home might be in some part of the Tibetan region because only there can she live authentically. Yushu is the place where this extraordinary woman with a camera, walking along the snowy seas, holds a deep affection for. From her first time photographing in Yushu, she was profoundly moved by the magical land. She is like a child who has been lost for a long time and finally finds home, eagerly embracing that distant and pure land. Hong Xing says it is the place where she has longed to find her dreams, where her soul can soar freely. Every year after, Hong Xing visits Yushu at least once to see the lama of Kangguo Temple, the 28 households of Qianmai Village living near the temple, and her friends in Yushu. Her arrival always brings joy to many people, gives Tibetan people who have never had their photos taken their own, helps children who cannot afford school to enroll, and, through her camera and pen, introduces this magical land of Yushu to more people in the mainland and overseas. Perhaps everything is fate. In Yushu, Hong Xing not only found a "home" but was also recognized as a "dakini" by the Kargyu sect lama and recognized as the abbot of Kangguo Nunnery and the tourism ambassador for the Gaduo Awakened Mountain. Hong Xing cherishes this bond of past and present lives and transforms her indescribable affection for Yushu into care for the daily lives of the simple and sincere Tibetan people living there. Hong Xing says sometimes she misses a certain group of people, while being frequently thought of by them—it’s a deeply moving feeling. She has visited this magical place, with an average elevation of nearly 4,000 meters, seven times. A new book, The Last Paradise—A Love Letter from a Female Photographer to Yushu, documenting her every personal experience, has been published by the Knowledge Publishing House. Hong Xing says Yushu is the most beautiful paradise in her heart. "To love that place is like loving my lover; to think of that place is like thinking of my family; to go to that place is to meet those Kangba people who love me and think of me too. To miss Yushu is to miss all its people, all its yaks, and all its stones." She transforms all this into beautiful love letters, hoping that her paradise can read her deep love for it.