Hot and cold about summer

LIU CHANG/CHINA DAILY

The humidity and high temperatures of summer can also take a psychological toll. Yumin mentioned experiencing seasonal depression, which often occurs in late spring and early summer.

"I even feel that the seasonal changes affect my hormone levels, worsening my mood and overall well-being," she said.

What further affects Yumin's mood in summer are farewells. It's graduation season, which Yumin sees as a "season of goodbyes".

Another reason for the disdain among summer detractors is the abundance of insects. Southern China is particularly plagued by various bugs, from flying cockroaches to rove beetles that cause dermatitis.

Living in the south, Yumin has encountered these pests firsthand. She even knew a classmate who ended up in the hospital after being bitten by bugs one summer.

Jin Baikai, a 25-year-old photographer from Chongqing in Southwest China, also shares a strong dislike for summer insects. She has captured many scenes of her hometown during summer, one of which she titled "My Malice Toward Summer".

"Mosquitoes, the sun, foot odor, humidity, and sticky people pressing against each other "are her most vivid impressions of the season.

Jin's hometown is known as one of the hottest cities in China during summer, often referred to as a "furnace". Its basin geography and location at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers make summers there even more humid and stifling.

Jin vividly describes this climate as "being stewed in a pressure cooker".

"In summer, I can hardly go out during the day; I only venture outdoors after 5 pm," she said. "Summer feels very murky to me — my senses become dulled, unlike in winter when the sharpness of the wind keeps me alert."

While many photographers depict summer as bright, cheerful, and candy-colored, Jin's summer photographs often feature a dark, mossy green as the predominant hue, with backlighting that blurs the outlines of objects and people's facial expressions, creating a sense of "oppression" or even "suffocation".

"I'm not deliberately trying to portray summer as bleak; it's just the way I see the world," she said. "I believe a photographer should present their own style and feelings, which naturally reflect their true self."

Jin attributed her outlook to her upbringing as a "left-behind" child, growing up feeling lonely and not sociable. Born in winter, she looks forward to her birthday celebrations, even though she has to organize them herself since she rarely receives surprises from others.

"I eagerly anticipate winter, which is why I always hope summer passes quickly," she said.

guiqian@i21st.cn