STORY: Faces of China: Capturing beauty of hometown with lens
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Nov. 3, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:57
LOCATION: PANJIN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. shot of the red beach
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): XIE GANG, Resident in Panjin City
3. shot of Xie Gang
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): XIE GANG, Resident in Panjin City
5. shot of Xie Gang working
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): XIE GANG, Resident in Panjin City
7. various of the red beach and Panjin
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): XIE GANG, Resident in Panjin City   

STORYLINE:

A retired man in Panjin City, Liaoning Province, enjoys capturing the changes in his hometown and promoting its beauty through his lens.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): XIE GANG, Resident in Panjin City
"My name is Xie Gang, and I'm 61 years old. Before retiring, I worked as a legal advisor at Panjin Liaoyou Chenyu Group Co., Ltd."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): XIE GANG, Resident in Panjin City
"I developed a passion for photography in 1988. Over the years, Panjin's ecological environment has greatly improved, and the number of birds has increased, making for richer, more diverse filming content. Recently, I've been particularly enjoying using drones to take aerial shots of Panjin's wetlands."

Following his retirement in 2023, Xie turned his passion for photography into full-time work.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): XIE GANG, Resident in Panjin City 
"In the year since I retired, I've become even busier, with my photography schedule fully packed. I've dedicated myself to capturing and promoting Panjin, earning the title of 'Documenter of the ecological civilization at the Liao River Estuary.' Some of my photos have won awards in national aerial photography competitions."

Over the past decades, Xie also experienced many regrets.

Once, while he was at the red beach waiting to capture a rainbow, his drone lost control and fell into the reeds.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): XIE GANG, Resident in Panjin City
"At that time, the tide was rising, and I had no choice but to quickly borrow a pair of rain boots from the entrance guard at the red reach scenic area. I waded through the reeds, searching for the drone. Just then, it started pouring rain, and as I crawled through the reeds, my face was soaked. I finally managed to find the drone. As I emerged from the reeds, I looked up to see a rainbow hanging in the sky. However, there was nothing to photograph -- no equipment and no good foreground. I could only take a quick shot with my phone to remember the moment."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Panjin, China.
(XHTV)