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# Project Description God's Acre Ruichang Dong Summary Final work Dong Ruichang is a Chinese visual artist and film producer whose practice investigates the social and material transformations of Shanxi. Rooted in sustained fieldwork, his projects examine urbanization’s effects, shifts in religious practice, changes to local environments, and the lives and objects neglected or forgotten by society. Working across conventional photography, documentary filmmaking, and forensic‑style archival methods, Dong combines direct image‑making with rigorous archive building to present multiple facets of the Loess Plateau. Concurrently, his research conducts a social dissection of disease, charting how epidemics, chronic illness, and health narratives reshape bodies, communities, and cultural imaginaries. He examines illness as both metaphor and social condition—how disease informs identity, stigma, caregiving practices, and collective memory—while documenting clinical spaces, patient experience, and material traces in everyday life. Dong pursues two complementary modes: documentary filmmaking and photographic/archival practice on the one hand; and experimental visualization—data visualization, advanced imaging techniques , and multimedia installation—on the other. Attentive to aesthetic composition yet driven by evidentiary inquiry, his work reveals the cultural and ecological systems that shape lived experience on the Loess Plateau, inviting audiences to reconsider memory, belonging, and the material traces of social change. Dong Ruichang is a Chinese visual artist and film producer whose practice investigates the social... College London College of Communication Course MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Graduation year 2025 Behind an ancient temple, towering generators loom like monuments. A mural’s god has had his eyes gouged; beside it, a blind villager nonetheless knows every lane and corner by heart. Shanxi’s countryside once moved to simple rhythms,deeply imbued with local culture. But under the tide of urbanization many villages have hollowed: young people leave, elders remain, courtyards lie idle, and memories slowly fade. These stories tell of dispersal and loss, but also of identity, belonging, and a lasting bond to the land. Final work Wind Turbine Part The photograph depicts a wind turbine nacelle placed in a mountain construction site. It rises like a monument of industrial progress, symbolizing a new form of faith built through technology and human ambition. Table A domestic corner showing daily objects reflected in a dusty mirror. The mix of bottles, jars, and fabric captures the quiet texture of everyday life. The Vanishing Sculpture The photo juxtaposes a tunnel entrance and a symbolic sculpture under sunlight. The composition explores the coexistence of landscape, symbol, and modern space. Wall Painting A close-up of an old mural on a damaged wall. The peeling plaster and worn pigments reveal traces of ancient faces, showing the passage of time and decay. Research and process Virtual Reconstruction This image presents a virtual space built from field data and photographs. Viewed through VR, it recreates the spatial and visual characteristics of the original environment, connecting physical research with digital interpretation. Field Research The photograph documents a moment of on-site field investigation. The photographer conducts firsthand research within the landscape, observing its geography, vegetation, and traces of human activity. Share this project Behind an ancient temple, towering generators loom like monuments. A mural’s god has had his eyes gouged; beside it, a blind villager nonetheless knows every lane and corner by heart. Shanxi’s countryside once moved to simple rhythms,deeply imbued with local culture. But ... A link to this page has been added to your clipboard Browse related work Archives & Collections Histories Identity Nature & Environment Realities Documentary Photography
# Links ## Official page - https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/682848/cover ## External - https://www.instagram.com/buxia777 - mailto:ruichangdong40@gmail.com - https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F682848%2Fcover&text=God%27s+Acre - https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F682848%2Fcover&media=https%3A%2F%2Fportfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F10%2F30181935%2F1-25.jpg&description=God%27s+Acre