I had been spending time with them, pouring my life into them, be they of weddings or funerals. I spent time together with the villagers during festivals such as the Torch Festival and the Yi Ethnic New Year. In addition to capturing with my camera the remarkable moments of life in the village, I also took photos of the villagers' ID card and family portraits from house to house during my leisure time to have some heart-to-heart talk with them. I approached them honestly and directly, and try to work out a solution, and that certainly has boosted the strength of our mutual understanding.

The photographer's narrative is translated by Zhang Lei.