莱姆豪斯历史重现 Reliving Limehouse History​

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与如今的中国城不同，东伦敦码头区的莱姆豪斯地区曾是伦敦的第一个中国城，19世纪80年代至上世纪60年代，大量中国移民居住于此，他们大多通过开办餐馆、洗衣店等方式谋生，莱姆豪斯地区也因鸦片交易而被称为“鸦片窟”。如今该地区已少有中国人居住，只留下“南京街”、“北京街”等路标暗示这里曾与中国有些许关联。

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我重访莱姆豪斯地区，用中画幅胶片相机拍摄这里的街道，暗房冲洗放大后用刷子等清洁工具毁坏了影像。我试图用这一举动回应19世纪甚至今日华人以类似体力繁重的方式在英国谋生的事实，我尝试召唤出一段被遗忘的移民史，邀请观众一同走入流散在异国的中国群体。

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Limehouse was London's first Chinatown, emerging between the 1880s and the 1960s along colonial trade routes in the docklands. During this period, many Chinese immigrants made their living through laundry services and restaurants. Limehouse also became infamous for its opium dens, a legacy of the tea and opium trade.

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I documented the streets of the Limehouse district and then destroyed the images with a brush and cleanser. This act symbolizes the laborious efforts of Chinese immigrants to sustain their livelihoods in 19th-century London and even today. Through this process, I seek to revive a forgotten history, inviting viewers to confront the weighty narrative of the Chinese diaspora's living conditions.