Veteran journalist Xue Zhongqing has once again pushed the boundaries of his career, assuming the role of the curator of Wuxi City Construction Museum — a new landmark in Wuxi, a city with a population of 7.5 million in East China's Jiangsu province.
52-year-old Xue, a senior journalist at Wuxi Daily and general manager of Jiangnan Evening News, was named in July as the professional in charge of an exhibition at the museum, scheduled to open later this year. It will showcase the city's transformation from a wilderness area over 3,200 years ago to a thriving economic hub in the Yangtze River Delta region.
An aerial view of the Wuxi City Construction Museum being built in Wuxi, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Rong Xingyi for chinadaily.com.cn]
"I saw it as a major challenge with numerous details to manage, but I embraced the role with enthusiasm," he says in an interview with China Daily.
"The job requires both a deep knowledge of the city and a keen aesthetic sense. I know my hometown well, and with my journalistic skills in writing and photography, coupled with my arts degree, I'm confident I can pull it off," Xue says of why he's particularly suited for the role.
"You have to be both sensible and sentimental, dealing with art, numbers, and people," he says. "I wasn't prepared for the extent of the work initially, but I've always embraced every challenge, sorted things out, and enriched my experiences."
Although his exhibition plan for the museum is still pending approval from the city authorities, heavyweight artists in Wuxi seem to have confidence in this journalist-turned curator.
"I like Mr Xue's planning of the halls," says Tang Keke, former president of the Wuxi Historical Society. "The narrative is compelling and the concepts are clear. I'm impressed by his incorporation of comics and animation elements in the design."
Occupying approximately 12,800 square meters in the Wuxi Economic Development District, the museum features a striking black-and-white design with both three-story and single-story sections, and a surrounding sloped roof.
But for Xue, the task of laying out the exhibition in the new building will mark the end of his transition from photographer to print journalist to multimedia journalist to operator of a newspaper to art worker.
Xue on a commission as a journalist. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
With over 30 years of experience in the media industry and a strong appreciation for the fine arts, music and other art forms, Xue says he believes his background and diverse expertise make him well-suited for the new post and other roles.
Key to Success
Xue does not have a particularly impressive educational background nor did he start his career with any special advantages.
In college in 1991, the Wuxi native set his sights on becoming a news photographer while majoring in art. Two years later, he was hired as a graphic editor by Wuxi Daily. Although it wasn't the role he originally aimed for, he maintained a positive perspective.
"I didn't start as a news photographer right away, but I understood it was a process. Patience, hard work and waiting for the right opportunity were key," he says.
After six years in the graphic department, he was promoted to reporter due to his significant improvement in writing and photography skills.
A photo taken by Xue shows a Kazak herdsman driving horses to a new meadow in Gongliu county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
He began documenting everything happening in the city as well as major events across the country, with a firm belief that media should serve its public oversight role and tell the story of unsung heroes.
One notable example occurred in June 2000, when he visited a mountainous area in Xizang autonomous region to reconstruct the story of Ren Guoqing, a civil servant from Wuxi who responded to the nation's call to spend 21 years in Xizang and aid in the region's economic development.
A horrifying moment came after Xue and other members in the media group finished an interview in a tour to Congga county and headed back to Lahsa in a bus.
The vehicle was slowly ascending along a mountain road that was so narrow and treacherous that it only allowed for two small "narrow-bodied" vehicles to pass side by side, Xue recalls. As they reached the top of a mountain with an altitude of about 5,000 meters, there was a sudden "bang" — the bus's radiator burst and a plume of white steam shot out as the vehicle broke down.
Everyone panicked, as there were no civilian facilities nearby and few vehicles passed through this area, Xue says. Walking down to the foot of the mountain would take at least 48 hours. Looking around, the only place to stay was a military building on the mountain top, but how would the group get food and water?
At that moment, someone in the group encouraged them to stay calm, and they decided to try repairing the radiator by bandaging it with khata and other cloths. They also poured their bottled water into it.
After some effort, the bus, which was carrying 13 journalists, began descending the mountain. Then something else happened — the driver found the bus's foot brake was almost non-functional, leaving only the hand brake to control the bus.
The driver kept reassuring the passengers, saying, "It's okay, we'll go slowly."
"The vehicle continued down the mountain. As everyone's attention was focused on the mountain road, we realized just how perilous the road conditions were," Xue says. Sometimes, there were seven or eight consecutive turns.
Those sitting by the windows felt even more terrified, as the edge of the road was often not visible at all. "Watching the tense driver, we decided to offer some help — when a ravine appeared on the left, everyone moved to the right; when the ravine was on the right, everyone shifted to the left, ensuring the vehicle maintained its balance.
"In this way, like a scene from the Hollywood blockbuster Speed, we experienced one of the most dangerous moments of our lives before reaching safety," Xue says. "Everyone expressed their respect for Ren Guoqing, who had worked in a similarly harsh, monotonous and lonely environment for many years. It was not easy!"
Another thrilling moment in his journalistic career occurred during a report in March 2002 on local enterprises illegally discharging industrial wastewater into the Taihu Lake. Xue vividly remembers the undercover investigation and reporting when he was almost killed while traversing through thick mud.
"I was trying to get some good pictures as evidence of the illegal act when I suddenly fell into a patch of thick mud and was nearly engulfed," he says.
The accompanying personnel quickly pulled him out, and the inspection continued, ultimately confirming and exposing the illegal discharge. The report earned him many accolades and prizes.
Recalling the dangerous moments, Xue justifies his actions by saying that "being at the scene was part of the job", a principle he learned from a textbook by the New York Institute of Photography.
A photo taken by Xue in 2007 shows a worker at a construction site of the Huishan Tunnel in Wuxi. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Pushing the Limits
As Xue's experience and achievements grew, he did not rest on his laurels but continued to explore new frontiers.
He has rich expertise in the fine arts, classical music and sculpting.
Since the 2010s, Xue has shifted his focus from on-site reporting to academic research and all-media coverage, publishing nearly 50 articles and papers on media communication development and trends. His successful endeavors in this new area led to his appointment as deputy head of the Wuxi All-Media Communication Association and a guest professor at Wuxi Taihu University.
"Mr Xue is an outstanding scholar," says Yao Xin, a member of the association. "His theses provide insights into various fields of the media industry, from applying the golden ratio approach in short videos to how artificial intelligence is boosting media production. I've drawn a lot of inspiration from him."
A photo by Xue shows a scavenger by a beach in Colombo, Sri Lanka. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Compared to on-site reporting, Xue finds writing papers to be a more enjoyable experience.
"A reporter witnesses news and historical events, while a scholar observes and reflects on the communication industry. I have thoroughly enjoyed this shift," he says.
"I'm curious about how visual technologies are shaping the media landscape and what groundbreaking news products might influence future trends."
When asked what drives him to adapt seamlessly to different roles, Xue cites US photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984), a leading landscape photographer and environmentalist.
"I remind myself that I'm still young compared to Adams, and I strive to leave a meaningful impact in whatever field I pursue."
