Brief introduction of Zhuang Xueben

Zhuang Xueben (1909- 1984) is a pioneer of image anthropology in China and a master of documentary photography. During the period from 1934 to 1942, I visited the minority areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces for nearly ten years, took more than 10,000 photos, wrote nearly one million words of investigation reports, travel notes and diaries, and held the Xikang Film Festival in 194 1. His photos show the spiritual outlook of ethnic minorities in that era, leaving highly credible visual files and investigation reports for the history of ethnic minorities in China. But it was not until this year that his images were gradually discovered, redefining his contribution and position in the history of photography.