The Legend of The Black Pearl
A long time ago, on the banks of the Wuding River, which was later renamed Yongding by the emperor Kangxi, there lived an old and melancholic dragon. This proud creature was sad and lonely, and when it cried, its tears would become the most beautiful pearls. One night, the dragon saw a moon eclipse and its reflection in the river. Moved by such a beautiful sight, unparalleled by anything it had ever seen, the dragon wept for the last time. A large tear became a glowing black pearl, and as it dropped into the Wuding River, the dragon disappeared, never to return again. Time passed, and all dragons went extinct, but the people who lived around the Wuding River kept finding pearls. Only the infamous black pearl was never recovered, lost temporarily in the rivers and channels of the city that later became known as Beijing.
paperback zine, edition of 60. 148 × 210 mm, 49 pages.
with support from standingwaveproject. curated by Zhang Jiajing.
presented at Kyiv Art Book Fair, MYPH Photo Festival etc.