Wang Wei.

Inset: A steam locomotive in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Photos: Li Hao/GT, courtesy of Wang We

 

 

Bespectacled and dressed in a checkered shirt, photographer Wang Wei looks older than his 22 years. Wang, who started photographing trains when he was 15, has traveled more than 200,000 kilometers and snapped over 300,000 photos of different trains and railways nationwide.

Eyeing hordes of shoppers from a café in Xidan, Wang admits his nostalgia for trains dates back to childhood.

"I want to use my camera to keep the history of Chinese trains alive," he said.

For the past eight years, Wang has traveled to all corners of the Chinese mainland documenting steam locomotives and other trains from yesteryear left in the wake of the country's high-speed rail development. As a member of the post-1990s generation living in an increasingly materialistic society, Wang sees it as his mission to preserve China's proud locomotive heritage for future generations.

Training for greatness

Wang grew up in Xizhimen near the more than century-old Beijing North Railway Station.

Peering from the balcony of his childhood home, Wang loved nothing more than listening to train whistles and seeing powerful locomotives arrive and depart from the station each day.

"I learned to paint when I was quite young, which I think is similar to photography because both require attention to light and composition," he said.

Wang's love affair with photography developed when he received his first digital camera during middle school in 2005. But his parents often scolded him for indulging in his newfound hobby, worrying his preoccupation with photography would harm his grades.

It wasn't until the following year when Wang had his first photo published by the media that his parents began to change their attitude. The young photographer describes his big break as "purely a coincidence."

"I was aboard a train that was about to depart Beijing North Railway Station. Just as the train was leaving the platform, I saw a young child on the tracks too terrified to move," he said.

"I grabbed my camera, leaned out the window and shot the photo just before the train screeched to a halt. The photo was published by media outlets, including the magazine Railway Knowledge," said Wang.

Snapshot of history

Even though Wang is still at the beginning of his photography career, he has already set lofty goals to become the country's premier railway shutter bug.

Wang's early photos focused on Beijing railway stations. In October 2007, he left the capital to shoot trains at Zhuozi Mountain in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The remote area straddles part of the 833-kilometer Beijing-Baotou Railway, which was constructed in the early 20th century.

"I was at the section of a big curve of the railway, where there are several U-shaped valleys between the mountains. Because I went during autumn, the leaves had all turned yellow. It was so beautiful," said Wang. "Although I was inexperienced at the time, it meant a lot to me and paved the way for my career in photography."

In 2012 Wang revisited Zhuozi Mountain after learning its section of the railway was to be abandoned.

"Trains went around Zhuozi Mountain when I shot photos on both of my trips, but now the track has been abandoned in favor of another line that goes through a mountain tunnel," said Wang.

Wang reconnected with his childhood roots in 2007 at Beijing North Railway Station by shooting a giant steam train featured in the film Mei Lanfang (2008), a biopic honoring the Peking opera great. In 2009, Wang braved -30 C temperatures to photograph three steam trains carting coal from a mine in Jalainur, Inner Mongolia.

In addition to shooting what he describes as "endangered trains and railways," Wang also sketches scenes of abandoned railways.

One of Wang's favorites is the old Liuzhou-Guiyang Railway in South China. Scrolling through his smartphone, he delights in showing Metropolitan his sketches of forgotten sections of the railway.

"I really wanted to shoot the western section of the Liuzhou-Guiyang Railway, which was abandoned in 2008. I was originally angry at myself for not taking the opportunity [before it closed], but later I found a way to capture it through drawing," said Wang.

Full steam ahead

Wang travels over 40,000 kilometers annually to take photos of trains and railways. His trips usually last less than a month, and his daily costs are around 100 yuan ($16).

When he studied at university as a multimedia arts major, Wang recalled he often had trouble making ends meet. He has a more stable life and steady income from his photography nowadays, although insists taking photos of trains is still "just a hobby."

While most men his age are scrambling to find Ms Right, Wang admits he'd rather take photos of trains than girls.

"The girls I like despise me, while those who pursue me aren't to my taste. It's a dilemma," he sighed.

"Although I know I'm doing something meaningful ... my work doesn't bring me big money. Even my mother doesn't understand me."

But Wang's persistence over the past eight years has paid off in the form of international recognition. His photos have appeared in National Geographic and he was profiled by CNN last year.

Wang said he has "figured things out" and is more determined than ever to continue photographing vintage trains and railways before they disappear forever. His next adventure is a trip to Shanxi Province to shoot an electric train that is about to be retired.

"I'm working hard for a meaningful pursuit. I can afford to take care of myself, which is enough. I'm not chasing material riches," said Wang.