Tajik heritage in focus

Li used to work as an editor with a Beijing-based fashion magazine in her 20s. As she gradually formed an interest in the arts, she quit the job and applied to attend a summer school program at the University of the Arts London.

"I spent most of my time browsing through art books, painting albums and photo albums in London's libraries. Then I decided to make an endeavor in photography," she says.

Later she returned to Beijing and started to learn photography at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. After she completed her study there, she found herself at a loss, without knowing what kind of photography subjects she should explore. During that period of time, she traveled to Turkey and some other foreign countries, as well as many places in China, such as Sichuan province, the Tibet autonomous region and Xinjiang to find inspiration. One of her stops during the journey was Tashikurgan.

"I was walking along the street in the downtown area of the county," Li recalls. "The street was shadowed by the descending sun. And the Tajik people passing by looked at me with their beautiful blue eyes which showed purity and simplicity. That appealed to me, deeply."

Then she decided to stay in the county. She rented a pickup van and hired a local driver to be her assistant. They drove to villages that were linked to the outside world by roads. After her arrival in a village, she would start to connect with locals by communicating via gestures, sharing exquisite accessories with Tajik women, helping them with household chores and taking their photos.

She found out that the traditional lifestyles and customs of Tajik people are carried down by generations of tribes.