Columbia University in the City of New York
Help

Photography Exhibit Illustrates Life in East and Southeast Asia

Nov. 2, 2009Bookmark and Share
A prayer flagpole on the peak of a mountain in Amdo. At ceremonies dedicated to the mountain deity Sherdrak, local Tibetans make offerings, recite prayers and do prostrations.This picture, taken at the steps of the entrance into one of Yangon’s oldest temples, provides a rare glimpse into the everyday life and struggles of the Burmese people there.Workers pack in on the back of a large truck on the highway in Manila.At a 140-year-old youth hostel located in the north of Hokkaido, hostel keepers greet guests returning from a 10-hour hike across the island's mountain crests.Malaysian workers on motorcycles wait to make their daily commute into Singapore to find higher paying work.This photo was taken near the summit of Ma On Shan, a 2,300-foot peak to the northeast of urban Kowloon, Hong Kong.The ubiquitous construction sites in present-day Lhasa are testament to the rapid and continuous change in Tibet."Love Locks" are engraved with the names of lovers and the date of their visit. The key is thrown over the side of the mountain as a symbol of everlasting love.After her husband was laid off from a state-owned construction enterprise, Mrs. Zheng (pictured here) became the family's primary breadwinner.Riverbank erosion at Kaeng Tana Rapids has led to serious infrastructural problems. Here, a paved walkway in a public park threatens to collapse.In order to accommodate a growing migrant population, many of Shanghai’s older and cheaper housing units have been converted to tenements. Here, a resident goes to check his electric meter.In Shigatse, "urban" and "rural" are not concepts that are strictly defined. Here, a farmer calmly leads his bovine charges on a paved road through the city.In Nara Park, deer roam freely and can be fed freely. They are not afraid of people, who often come to the park to feed them.Fire is the biggest threat to traditional Japanese houses. Every evening, this man walks through his rural village wearing a sash that says, "Beware of Fire."A traditionally costumed guard at Gyeongbok Palace is juxtaposed by Seoul’s modern buildings and visitors.

Click to view a slideshow of select photos from the exhibit.

Image credit: Karlee Blank, CC'12
A new photography exhibit by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute features 25 photos taken by undergraduate students who traveled to East and Southeast Asia over the past year. The photographs illustrate key trends and concerns in East and Southeast Asia today such as the balance between urban and natural environments, the role of the worker and cultural customs and tradition. Cosponsored by the Columbia University Photography Society, the exhibit is on display from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. through Nov. 13 on the fourth floor of the International Affairs Building.
Top
Columbia on Facebook Columbia on Twitter Columbia on Google+ Columbia on iTunes U Columbia News RSS Columbia on YouTube

Multimedia

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery’s first exhibition of 2012, “Felix Candela,” offers a comprehensive look at the career of the famed Spanish-born architect. (2:54)
Columbia's Leadership in Climate Research

Columbia in the Headlines

The Guardian, May 8
Child Mortality Down By a Third in Jeffrey Sach's Millennium Villages

NPR, May 7
Prof. Phil Levy: Foreign Policy-A New Dawn In Europe? Think Again

Financial Times, April 24
Prof. Marcos Troyjo: Brazil-Miracle or Mirage?

NPR, April 6
Prof. Gregory Mann: Foreign Policy-The Mess In Mali

CNN, March 30
Prof. Gary Sick: What If Israel Bombs Iran?