Xiaoxiao Xu

In February 2014 I stayed in North-West China. In an unknown rough part where I had never been before. I went there to take photos of "She Huo". She Huo is a centuries old event that takes place in the countryside, around Chinese New Year. She stands for “God of...
In February 2014 I stayed in North-West China. In an unknown rough part where I had never been before. I went there to take photos of "She Huo". She Huo is a centuries old event that takes place in the countryside, around Chinese New Year. She stands for “God of the land” and Huo literally means “fire”. The fire expels evil spirits and the God of the land brings blessings, derived from witchcraft and totem worship of remote antiquity. It is designed to bring good harvest and fortune for the New Year. She Huo is a beautiful folk art with it's own specific costumes, instruments, props and performances. Which is characteristic for the Chinese culture. Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan have all Shehuo performances with their own specific characteristics. Di(ground) shehuo for example use clown and comic elements together with martial arts movements. Ma (horse) shehuo is performed with actors riding on horses or mules. Yao Bairong , 70 years old , from Shaanxi province began performing when he was six years old. He specializes in Ma shehuo. Yao told that all his skills and knowledge of shehuo came from his father and grand father, he is now busy to pass it to his grandson, it's about maintaining the family traditions, but more than that, shehuo is a popular traditional culture event. The famous Shehuo village Dabaiyang in Shaanxi Province was slowly swallowed by the expansion of city Xi'an, although local villagers still have preserved the costumes and instruments but the performance stopped years ago already. Many traditions are lost through urbanization. The reason to photograph this subject is related to my origin. I leaved China at an age of 14, I have always missed the traditional Chinese culture and it interests me immensely. I want to photograph it before this wonderful folk art has been lost. Shehuo also has something mysterious, alienating and fairylike, I do not just want to document the parade and the ritual, I want to create a certain dreamlike atmosphere.
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From the series She huo, Man and ladder, made with Hasselblad 2014
The clown
Little tree with plastic bag
young boy and old man
last glance
the parade
tractor with buddha statues
3 boys waiting for performance
the river
pass out and become god