Chinese girl photographs the last 7 years with her grandpa

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03:38

CGTN

"The seniors grow old as fast as the children grow up."

Shi Mengyao and her grandpa /Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

Shi Mengyao was born in 1989. Her grandfather, Shi Lianqi was born in 1934.

Ever since her parents divorced when she was 4 years old, she sees her grandparents as father and mother.

Shi Mengyao and her grandparents /Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

At the age of 12, Shi enlisted as a member of an art troupe. Though training was isolated and lonely for Shi, her grandfather supported her by sending her over a hundred letters.

In 2010, she traveled to perform in other cities for two months before returning home to find that her grandfather looked frail. She then decided to capture those precious moments with him.

"Grandma was always nice to me. But I regret that many of my memories of her are blurry. I didn't want to make the same mistake again. I couldn't afford to forget about my grandpa."

Shi Mengyao took their first photo in 2010 /Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"I'm not good at expressing my emotions. The photos speak for themselves."

"I never learned photography. I just take pictures based on my instincts."

The scene was photographed after Shi Mengyao's grandma passed away /Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"I want to take pictures that make you want to kiss and hug them, as if they were of your most beloved ones."

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"Grandpa used to be the headmaster of a middle school. He cared about his appearance. White shirts and Japanese-style vests were his favorite clothes," Shi said.

"When I was taking this photo, a passerby asked grandpa: 'Old Shi, taking photos with your granddaughter again?' Grandpa was very delighted at that. And this one became his favorite."

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"I always liked taking pictures of grandpa's hands. In my childhood memories, those hands were there every time I looked up. They made me feel safe and attached to them, symbolizing grandpa's love for me."

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"Since 2015, grandpa began to feel unwell and went to the hospital frequently."

"He became very emaciated."

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"Grandpa was napping in the afternoon. So I lay beside him and took this photo. I believe there were omens. I was crying the whole time lying there. Before long, he was hospitalized and never came back home."

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"It was January 5 of the lunar calendar in 2017. Grandpa was transferred to the ICU. He didn't sleep a bit that night. I tried to comfort him, thinking he may be nervous. But he just stared at me like that, and I realized that I was wrong. He cried. So did I. I could see in his eyes that he was worried about me. There were so much that he had yet to say, almost like a farewell. The moment was invaluable, when fortunately, the camera was right beside the bed."

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"Grandpa passed away 4 days later at the age of 83."

"The sky was very beautiful on the day he left. I knew that was grandpa comforting me with such wonderful views…"

"According to the custom of my hometown, the portrait of the deceased elder should be burnt after the burial. Although I don't see it as a dead man's photo. It was one of the few legacies he left for us."

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"Our most precious memories in seven years were kept in the cameras and films. They filled the emptiness after he passed away. Immersed in tears and emotions, I made them into an album to memorialize my grandpa."

Photo courtesy of Shi Mengyao

"May we all become stars in the sky, to light the way for our most beloved ones."

In October 2017, the group of photos named "Me and Grandpa" was selected to be exhibited in the Top 20 2017 Chinese Cutting-edge Contemporary Photography Exhibition.

The story is one in The 1.3 Billion series exploring the diverse lives that make up China.