“At least once in a lifetime, one should have a reckless romance and a spontaneous journey.” This once-popular internet phrase inspired many young people to hit the road. Li Yuanyuan, a post-90s girl from Beijing, also embarked on such a special journey three years ago—walking along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Along the way, she photographed the lives of over a thousand canal people and collected wishes from various individuals, all just to hear their stories and legends.
“What can I do for the canal? Photograph the lives of 1,794 canal people and collect 10,000 wishes from ordinary folks.” This is what’s written on a business card Li Yuanyuan designed herself.
At the Huzhou Nanxun-Tang Ancient Canal section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Zhejiang, the reporter met Li Yuanyuan.
With a large backpack, a DSLR camera, and a pair of hiking shoes… dressed like a true traveler, she was chatting with an elderly man at a shop called Shuangqiao Noodle House.
“This is a noodle shop with a story.” After parting ways with the old man, Li Yuanyuan took out a notebook she always carries and said, “This is the wish the old man just wrote down for me.”
On the pink notebook, full of youthful charm, the reporter saw a mix of handwriting styles that, at first glance, resembled ancient totems. This is the notebook Li Yuanyuan uses to collect wishes from ordinary people.
“These past two days in Nanxun, I’ve collected eight wishes. The wishes of Huzhou people are simple and sincere—some just hope for their family’s good health or for their shops to do well in business,” Li Yuanyuan said with a smile. Some even wrote wishes like “May the world be filled with love.” It made her realize that the hearts of Huzhou people are big and open.
Opening the young woman’s DSLR camera, the reporter saw all kinds of people, with different expressions and poses. One photo showed a middle-aged woman squatting by a bridge washing clothes.
“This woman is most concerned about livelihood issues, especially prices and medical care. She hopes people can live better lives, with support in old age and access to healthcare when sick,” Li Yuanyuan said with emotion. In fact, many seemingly ordinary wishes are actually some of the most pressing issues society faces.
Li Yuanyuan said, “Collecting wishes is just a form. My real goal is to listen to the stories of the canal people.”
Compared to many artistic young women who enjoy finding stories in books, Li Yuanyuan’s journey to “find stories” seems to carry a bit more spirit of adventure.
“Three years ago, I decided to measure the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal step by step with my feet, and I’ve just kept going until now.” As she spoke, Li Yuanyuan tucked a strand of hair that had fallen by her ear and smiled like a blooming peach blossom.
Li Yuanyuan said the canal has quietly benefited people for thousands of years. The families living along the canal are kind and hardworking but often not good at expressing themselves. She hopes the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal will be more than just a tourist attraction—it holds the life changes of the canal people. “Because I have school, I can’t walk the entire canal in one go, so I basically walk it in segments during winter and summer vacations each year. No fixed plan, just go as I please until I finish the whole journey.”