Photographer captures lives of veterans

Han Jialong, a young photographer, hesitated to raise his camera when Yun Zhengxi, a veteran in Xianyang, Shaanxi province, was in such poor health that he hadn't eaten for a week and was lying in bed.

With the insistence from his son, Han filmed the old man, fully dressed in his uniform. Three days later, Yun passed away.

Yun was a member of Chinese People's Volunteers during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), known in the West as the Korean War. Thursday marked the 70th anniversary of the cease-fire agreement.

Han began to capture the portraits of CPV veterans three years ago, voluntarily, at his own cost, and has since photographed more than 170 of them.

The aging heroes, most of whom are in their 90s, all straightened their bodies as much as they could and met Han's lens with determination and energy in their eyes.

"Sometimes, we make appointments with the veterans this week, but they pass away the next week. I encountered such situations twice," Han said in an interview with China Central Television.

It all began when Han's grandfather, a veteran in that war, died while Han was in primary school. But the stories his grandfather had shared about the war stayed with him.

In 2020, after graduating from university, Han decided to pursue his idea of photographing the veterans.

"Since I couldn't capture photos for my grandfather, why not do it for his fellow soldiers? With an average age of 90, these veterans are passing away, and if we don't act, their stories will fade away with them," he said.

Using the money he earned from part-time jobs during his university years, Han purchased the necessary equipment and commenced his project with the support of the local veterans affairs department in Xianyang.

Initially, the veterans posed in civilian clothes. But after some donned their military uniforms, adorned with medals and badges, Han found it a better way to portray their spirit. So he prepared some military uniforms for them when filming. The veterans were delighted.

After sharing the stories and photographs online, Han received an outpouring of support and invitations from both the veterans and their families.

In February, he received a special invitation to photograph a hospitalized veteran named Yu Shaoli, who was in Panzhihua, Sichuan province, some 1,300 kilometers away from Han's location. Despite the distance and lack of financial support, Han made the journey.

Yu's daughter, Yu Dehong, who extended the invitation, said: "Han did his job out of genuine emotion and respect. My father has a deep sense of belonging to the veterans' group who endured that war."

After completing the photo session, Han did not leave, as he found there were over 100 surviving veterans of that war in Panzhihua. He continued his project, visiting and documenting the stories of each veteran one by one. For over three months, Han and his team recorded the personal accounts of 113 veterans.

To Han's surprise, the video recordings of these war veterans became popular among young people. Many high school students said they'd like to volunteer and contribute to Han's work when they enter college.

Early this year, Han dedicated himself entirely to his project, establishing a youth public welfare service center that documents veterans' stories.

Han considers his work as a form of giving back, "After we give our love, the feedback we receive from the veterans is multiplied. What we are doing is recording history. Our contribution is to preserve their stories for future generations."