The Degradation of Villages is a poignant photo series, captured by Chinese photographer Wang Yuanling, that gives viewers a glimpse into China's vanishing villages before they disappear forever. While contemporary discourse on China always centers around the country's economic boom, this modern transformation has resulted in the largest internal migration in human history, with 160 million Chinese leaving their rural villages for booming urban centers.
Wang's photos are haunting in that they give off a sense of foreboding, as if the vanishing villages will eventually disappear once and for all. Wang says this is disturbing because the village is "the fundamental structure of Chinese society" and "the transformation of the village is source of all problems".
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Rural-urban Migration
- As China undergoes the largest migration in human history, opportunities exist for innovation in areas such as sustainable urbanization and rural development.
- Preserving Cultural Heritage
- As China's villages face extinction, opportunities exist for innovation in areas such as cultural preservation and tourism development.
- Environmental Awareness
- As the degradation of China's villages is documented, opportunities exist for innovation in areas such as sustainable agriculture and resource management.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Photography
- Opportunities exist for photographers to capture and document vanishing cultures and communities before they disappear.
- Tourism
- Opportunities exist for tourism companies to promote and develop sustainable cultural tourism in rural areas.
- Urban Development
- Opportunities exist for developers to create sustainable and livable urban environments that accommodate the influx of rural migrants.
