— Photography Book — Everyone in Yunlin: Writing the Land, Seeing the Era (Last 10 copies on Earth)

【Inspiration & Introduction】 In 2011, at the invitation of the government, I ventured into Yunlin to photograph what I observed. Initially, I saw only the surface—the environment and landscapes. Gradually, I began to witness the labor of its people. Through prolonged interaction and acquaintance with local figures, my photographic scope widened, revealing individuals striving in various fields, their spirits truly admirable. Furthermore, I discovered that on this land where the working population is aging, a group of young people aspire to return to their hometowns. They are unwavering in their beliefs, continuously creating new economic value, driven by a shared dream: to enable more people to come home. All these stories are gathered in this book, "Everyone in Yunlin." 【The Author's True Thoughts】 If you ask me what I saw in Yunlin during this year and a half after leaving my engineering career, I would tell you: I moved from bewilderment to gradually seeing a part of myself that felt incomplete. But more importantly—this warm land, the sea that is like a mother, the elders silently cultivating and creating a new environment in their hometowns, the new generation committed to returning home... As a member of the post-70s generation living in the city, I was not only startled by dead pigs by the roadside but also deeply moved by these resilient coastal inhabitants of Taiwan. This piece of land, closest to me yet the most unfamiliar, became the most impactful encounter after two years of working in the city. 【Book Features】 With the most unadorned words and lens, this book reveals the purest emotions and missions of the local people. It documents the lives of nearly forty farmers and fisherfolk, the "Chien Shui Zhuang" cultural festival, artisans passing down their crafts, artists, and young entrepreneurs returning to their roots. Farmlands, oyster sheds, wetlands... Yunlin people toil sweetly and strenuously on their land, resisting industrial pollution, land subsidence, and market monopolies by distributors. They continuously develop new products, striving to create new value. Many young Yunlin natives who wish to return home dream with simple courage, hoping to unite more and more people from Yunlin to tread together on this warm soil and live joyfully. 【Words from the Locals】 * "Just go for it!" the Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Yunlin County told me. * "Come, let's watch TV together. You remind me of my grandson; you always come to chat with me," said an 84-year-old grandpa from Taixi. * Brother Chen attends meetings in Taipei in the morning and takes the high-speed rail home in the afternoon to raise eels. He says, "Why would I let someone else do something so joyful!" * Although he can only make a few lanterns a day, Brother Lin works hard to preserve this traditional craft, saying, "If we don't do it, what will happen on Mazu's birthday?" * "A conviction, a love for our hometown, an ideal to bring change to our home, abandoning conventional farming methods and insisting on raising safe and healthy shrimp. We have no money, only perseverance and dreams!" said the "Good Shrimp Boys" who raise shrimp in abandoned pigpens using seawater. * Brother Zeng, who developed the spa clams, said, "Continuously evolving this industry with an environmentally friendly approach for sustainable operation is key to retaining talent and encouraging more people to return to work." * "We always hope to influence others with our humble efforts. The process is slow and hard, but we never tire of it. Why is that? It's a belief, isn't it? Believing that each of us holds our own convictions," said Cai Yun-shan, who promotes fishing village tourism. 【Details】 Specifications: Thread-bound / 320 pages / A4 / High-resolution concentric circle four-color printing / First Edition / 1500 copies Publication Date: 2012/7/6 Language: Traditional Chinese / English * Independent Publication (Cost NT$1 million) * Bilingual (Chinese/English) * Large format / Two centimeters thick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAm53sqsAF8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfrgGDwHdbA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tumy_gEHx9E