Happy memories in different shades

Shooting family photos at traditional studios during Spring Festival is still in vogue, Xu Lin reports

It has been a ritual since childhood for Sun Yumiao to take family photos during Spring Festival at the China Photo Studio in Beijing

Her family has been taking such photos every two or three years around the Lunar New Year. The last time was in 2017, and they're planning to take new photos this year, too.

The first day of Spring Festival fell on Feb 5 this year.

"I will forever cherish such happy moments with my parents," Sun, 31, says.

In the old days, it was a luxury for Chinese to go to a photo studio. It was seen as an important family event. Nowadays, with digital cameras and smartphones commonplace in China, people can take photos wherever and whenever they like. Still, some Chinese enjoy the process of posing at studios because it also means family reunions.

Sun, who's an office clerk, and her parents, for instance, dress in their favorite clothes before visiting the studio. Then they hang out together and enjoy a hearty meal at a restaurant for special dishes, such as Peking duck.

China Photo Studio was founded in Shanghai in 1937. It was relocated to Beijing's Wangfujing commercial street in 1956. Chinese leaders and other celebrities from home and abroad get their photos taken at the studio, according to the photo studio's publicity department. The late premier Zhou Enlai was a patron.

The studio was recognized as a "time-honored brand" of the country by the Ministry of Commerce in 2006.

"We often take black-and-white photos because we like vintage style," Sun says.

"When you look at old photos, you recall the time when the elders in your family doted on you, some of whom may have passed away. I have never seen some elders in my family but have heard about them. I'm able to visualize their lives through such images."