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The early industrial enterprises of Shanghai and of China were established on the flanks of the Suzhou Creek.The daily lives of the Shanghainese rely heavily on the ubiquitous docks along the creek,from the acquisition of the necessities for daily living to the disposal of trashes.In particular,the creek was critical to the sizable population living on its banks.For a long time,the creek has been playing an irreplaceable role in the life of every local citizen.From seventyor eighty years ago to the time when the photos were taken,the seasonal changes,the food,the clothes,the houses of the people did not undergo a drastic change,neither did their expressions,beliefs or environment.Braving difficulties and unaware that they were being noticed,those people makes for the basic features of the Suzhou Creek.Their resilient struggle and their rich private experiences have become an integral part of the culture of the creek and an underlyingfeature of this city.Both vigorous and wayward,such human condition knows no bounds as it makes its headway,rendering any account in words pale in comparison. 
Suzhou Creek,once the nerve center of Shanghai,has witnessed the intricate experiences of the local populace that related to it,and it was Lu Yuanmin who brought them to light.As an astute photographer,he has spotted the difference between his creek and ours.It is not simply a matter of renovating bridges,dredging up silt,or planting trees and grass.Trace the memory of the lost age and we can find it is far more complicated.The large-scale facelift of the city came only in recent years,yet when the creek is no longer recognizable to him in this process,some warning signs have already emerged: The spirit of the creek is in jeopardy when the creek becomes alien to the life of the local populace. 
Lu Yuanmin seeks to reiterate the significance of Suzhou Creek with his photographs.In his simple images,the waterway regains the central position it formerly occupied.It makes a comeback with grandeur,eloquence,and awe-worthiness.Ordinary photographs are "shot"with human endeavor,but these photographs come out naturally like flowing liquid,and this makes a critical difference.It does not make much sense for human beings to combat the worldthey live in or to desert it.Fundamentally,they are living with the rest of the world and subject to its ups and downs.A photographer's emotions and sympathies all stem from this.This is an understanding long absent from the Chinese photography,and now it looms large in these photographs,in a glory comparable to the setting sun.