Sleeping beauties kissed by a camera

• Source: Global Times
• [11:23 June 29 2010]
• Comments

Chinese in different states of repose.

Unconsciously adaptable

Hagemann found the Chinese passion for the siesta a nationwide pastime as he traveled around the country.

"As I have discovered sleeping people everywhere in China (and I have traveled a lot), I would not directly link the sleeping habit with the fast developing cities like Shanghai or Beijing," he said.

The fact that Chinese society accepts sleeping in public fascinates him. "Imagine if I went to IKEA in Europe and took a nap on a sofa or on a bed," he said. "It wouldn't take more than two minutes for them to kick me out!"

The pictures also got Hagemann thinking about how the media often relies on certain narratives such as the "birth of a new superpower" and the "rise of the Chinese dragon" when reporting about China.

"I started thinking that stories about China that focused only on the frenetic economy were incomplete and unjust. I began to see another aspect of Chinese life and culture distinct from the bustle," he said.

Most of the photographs Hagemann took were of working class, people who continue to make up the foundation of Chinese society, but don't receive the attention they deserve, he said. As he stated on the website, Hagemann hopes to convince people who see the pictures of "the calmness, the flexibility, and the adaptability of those jointly responsible for the revival of China."

Hagemann left China at the end of 2008 and is now living in Buenos Aires. Still, he remains enthusiastic about his Chinese subjects. He said that he continues to update the website on a bimonthly basis. "I still have lots of unpublished photos and I might implement a visitor's gallery if I run out of photos one day," he said.

People with photos of sleeping Chinese can send them to him at info@sleepingchinese. com.