EN
Amidst the vibrant contemporary art scene of Beijing’s 798 area, a photo exhibition imbued with Oriental classical influences is attracting special attention from art connoisseurs. It is the exhibition “Dusting the Pass: Album of the Forbidden City” by photographer Sun Ying (孙郡). This is the first global exhibition of a series of photos he has been cherishing and painstakingly working on for 9 years, as a deep gratitude on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Palace Museum.
Ton Doanh is affectionately called by the art world as the “poet of Oriental photography”. Completely different from the majority of fashion photographers who often favor sophistication, brilliance and speed, Ton Doanh has chosen for herself a challenging and lonely artistic path: a narrow path where each photo is created with patience, meticulousness and absolute respect for light.
During his journey of nearly a decade, Ton Doanh has set foot in the Forbidden City more than 80 times. He does not pursue quantity; his creative philosophy is "take only one photo a day". This meticulousness sometimes reaches an extraordinary level: he once waited up to four years just to hunt for a single moment of light, just as he planned. For Ton Doanh, the creative process is not simply about taking pictures but a profound spiritual journey: "each photo is a transformation", a time of harmony, a search for harmony between the soul of modern people and the immortal soul of ancient space.
In the space of Soul Art Center in 798 Art District, Beijing, the photo exhibition “Dusting the Pass: Album of the Forbidden City” (Dusting the Pass: Album of the Forbidden City) by photographer Sun Ying (孙郡) is attracting a large number of art lovers.
It is this patience and respect for heritage that has helped Ton Doanh create a completely different perspective of the Forbidden City. His photo series is a reflection of a profound artist who has gone beyond the brilliance on the outside to find the quiet, silent beauty hidden deep within each roof tile and wall.
Unlike most fashion photographers who favor sophistication and brilliance, Ton Doanh - known in the art world as the "poet of Oriental photography"
The works in the Tran Dynasty Collection immediately make viewers wonder: is this a photograph or a painting? The secret lies in the unique artistic style that Ton Doanh pursues: “New literary paintings” (新文人画). He has perfectly combined modern photography with traditional Chinese painting through the technique of “hand-colored brushwork” on the photograph itself.
The works in Tran Phu Tap make viewers wonder: is it a photo or a painting? He used a lens to capture little-known corners of the Forbidden City, then combined it with the “New Wenren Hua” style (新文人画), using the technique of “hand-colored brushwork”
This meticulous combination has created poetic frames, where the boundary between photography and painting is skillfully blurred. Under the lens and hands of Ton Doanh, the familiar details of the Forbidden City suddenly become soft and romantic. The yellow tiled roofs and red walls become gentle and quiet. The shadows of the trees and the misty smoke cover the space, the palace and garden appear as still as in an ancient dream.
In particular, the characters in the photo series, appearing in Qing Dynasty costumes, all have an elegant, ethereal appearance with calm eyes, as if they have just stepped out of an ancient painting. This creates a feeling that is both distant, mysterious, and strangely close, inviting viewers to step into the heritage space with all their souls. Ton Doanh has succeeded in capturing the little-known corners of the Forbidden City, fully exploiting the intersection of light, color and architecture to find the purest, most authentic beauty of the East.
Under his lens, the yellow tiled roofs, red walls, tree shadows and mist of the Forbidden City suddenly became soft and still as in a dream.
The exhibition “Tap Phu Tran – Album of the Forbidden City by Sun Jun” is held at the Ling Art Center, 798 Ward, Beijing, from September 27 to October 26, 2025. This is a journey to rediscover the pure beauty of the Orient, where the past shines again in the present, affirming “Trung Hoa chi mei” (The Beauty of China) in a completely new artistic language.
The exhibition is considered a rare opportunity for art lovers to admire a completely different Forbidden City – a Forbidden City “without queuing”. Here, visitors can slowly walk through each frame, listen to the breath of time, feel the silence and quiet beauty of the heritage without being jostled by the crowd. They are invited to feel the historical value with their whole soul, bringing viewers into a space of deep contemplation, where traditional beauty is honored at the highest level of art.
