Our Journey

By Mi Ruirong

From 1995 to 2005， Chengdus economy developed rapidly， marking the turn of the century with what seemed like profound social changes. A decade is merely a moment in time. Under the authors lens， Chengdu， a city of dazzling lights and fragrant life， brimming with poetry， wine， righteousness， and stories， was connected from dots to lines to planes， transitioning from blur to clarity.

The Fireworks of Time： Chengdu City Image Memory from 1995 to 2005

Chi Ajuan

Sichuan Peoples Publishing House

January 2024

138.00 （CNY）

Chi Ajuan

Chi Ajuan is a seasoned media professional， a member of the Chinese Photographers Association， and vice president of the Sichuan Female Photographers Association. With nearly 20 years in the media industry， she has traveled to almost 40 countries and regions， launching columns in major domestic media outlets， publishing a wealth of photography-focused reports. Her works have been issued in stamps and albums and collected by the National Archives and the National Museum of China.

When I first got my hands on Ajuans The Fireworks of Time： Chengdu City Image Memory from 1995 to 2005 proof copy， I couldnt help but smile. Countless photos construct the timeline of a city， seemingly familiar yet unable to conceal the eras “superficial” and “rustic” exploration of the future. This precisely embodies the term “fireworks，” signifying sparks of curiosity and hope for future life.

The era captured by these images isnt very distant， not long enough to be called ancient. On closer inspection， each photo feels deeply familiar， as these scenes have all flashed before our eyes， the “curtain” behind our gaze being refreshed and overlaid time and again until finally being pushed to the forefront. The former cityscape cant obscure the skyscrapers that have emerged; behind the once uniform attire leaps a quest for vibrant fashion， and within the armies of bicycles， twinkled eyes filled with anticipation for the future. Yes， we walked through life just as the city has traversed through time.

When I flipped through the thick proof copy， one photo caught my eye -- Chengdu Department Store in 1996， rebuilt in 1986， which no longer resembles its appearance in the photo.

From 1952 to 2023， the Chengdu Department Store has evolved into its 3.0 version. The original version was a Soviet-style building constructed in 1952， standing alongside another Soviet building — Chengdu Xinhua Bookstore， located at the southeast and southwest corners of Renmin South Road Square （now Tianfu Square）， respectively， echoed by the old imperial citys Chengdu Municipal Governments original office building and the Sichuan Province Eight Halls Office Building to the north and south. These four buildings， located at the four corners of the square， were iconic structures of Chengdu at that time. In 1986， in step with the first wave of urban development， the Chengdu Department Store was renovated into a five-story building， which is the scene captured in Ajuans photos， its exterior festooned with various advertisements such as “Beida Fangzheng，” “Rainbow Electronics，” “Chengdu Brand Television，” and more. When coupled with the spring breeze of reform and opening up， Chengdus commercial atmosphere became increasingly vibrant. In 2008， the Chengdu Department Store underwent its third makeover， growing taller with neon lights twinkling， and even the name of the mall underwent several changes. But what its called is no longer important. Whats etched in the minds of the people of old Chengdu is still the Chengdu Department Store.

Through the years， whenever I passed by Tianfu Square， I never stopped to check out the sunken plaza or the legendary musical fountain， nor did I venture into the now more bustling “Chengdu Department Store，” I wanted to preserve my memory of the department store as it was in my youth.

In the 1960s and 1970s， as most goods were rationed， simply stepping into a store to browse became a pleasure， and even just touching the goods could evoke anticipation and joy. Back then， fabric was wrapped around thin boards and arranged in rows on the counter， and you could ask the salesperson to take down a few for you to check at the counter. Then， the salesperson would verify if you had a fabric coupon before selling by the meter， giving a little extra before cutting the fabric. Bystanders and those buying fabric would say， “Add a bit more！” The salesperson would laugh and say， “Look， Ive already added so much.” What was considered “a bit more” was only an inch wide， but it was a significant benefit for those buying fabric. The payment method back then was quite unique. Before buying fabric， the salesperson would clip the fabric coupon and cash in a metal holder， which slid along a wire overhead to the central cashier. After processing， the change and stamped receipt slid back， concluding the transaction. With envious eyes all around， the person with the fabric walked away proudly.

To modern ears， this might seem inconceivable， yet it embodies the evolution of a city and society. Only by traversing and living through such times can one fully appreciate societal advancement. We are thankful for recorders like Ajuan in this city， who capture small events， scenes， characters， and stages with their cameras. When these are compiled into a volume， it stands as a testament to the citys transformation. In the lens， scenes once lived through have now turned into a forest of steel and concrete， the city has become three-dimensional， and the skyline has risen. In the lens， the “modern foreigners” coming and going have become the driving force making this city a capital of fashion. Through this lens， the shy outsiders have gradually integrated into this city， becoming new Chengdu residents.

We are fortunate to have chroniclers like Ajuan， so we no longer rely solely on the crevices of our brains to remember bits of life and urban scenes. These photos are like taking us through a time tunnel， with light spots flickering， igniting surprises. Every scene is as if you， flipping through this photography collection， are gently pressing the camera shutter， with no need to ask where the youth of days gone by went！

From 1995 to 2005， a decade of photographic records is like fireworks launched into the sky， blooming like youth， interweaving like friendships， carrying our shared memories and growth with the city， as well as the warmth of that era.