The Star of Dong Chuan

Dongchuan Red Soil in Yunnan is famous for its colourful landscape. The colours come from the crops and the red-tinged land. It is said that the soil in this area is rich in iron, and when oxidized, it becomes red, hence the name Red Soil.

Farmers plant different crops in different seasons, so the colours change with the seasons.

The area looks like a huge colour palette.

For photographers, Red Soil is a great place to start with landscape photography.

Besides colours, there is also a legendary figure here. He is almost as famous as Dongchuan. If you search online, you can see his pictures. Some people say that he is the "star" of Dongchuan, a must-photograph figure when you visit Dongchuan.

Such a statement is not exaggerated at all. This person is Zhang Dong Qiang. He was originally an old farmer in Dongchuan, but because he was very photogenic, he was often the subject of photographers.

After each shooting session, he was paid some commission as a reward. Gradually, Zhang Dong Qiang found that the income from modelling was more lucrative than being a farmer, so he decided to quit farming and become a full-time model in Dongchuan.

At first, he set a certain price. If the person who photographed him did not pay, or paid less, he would get angry and argue with his clients. When some people saw that his attitude was a bit harsh, they simply did not shoot. So Zhang Dong Qiang had more to lose than to gain.

The loss was not worth it.

Later, his good friends advised him to take a different approach: conduct business in a harmonious manner, and simply let the customers take his photographs. If the customer was happy, he would naturally pay him. The strategy really worked. Customers paid him at least ten, or even hundreds of yuan. Zhang found that his income was higher than ever.

“He was a self-reliant man who made his own way up, step by step.”

After some time in the business, Zhang also mastered some photography skills. He would walk to the best spot and position, and even observe the light, calling on the photographers to be ready to shoot.

Zhang lived frugally, and when he had savings, he built a four-story house next to his home for travellers and photographers to stay.

His achievements were admired by all who heard of them. Zhang was a self-reliant man who made his own way up, step by step.

The next time you travel to or photograph in Dongchuan, why not pay a visit to this legendary old man? I am sure it will be an interesting encounter.

Note: Mr. Zhang passed away on 1 September 2022. He was 81.