Portrait of an LBX

China has a knack for knock-offs, to say the least. Lately, the term "shanzhai" (山寨) has come to describe this phenomenon. "Shanzhai" is literally a mountain fortress, but in pop culture the word now describes fake goods and those who make them -- the fakes are well done and the people making them well fortified. I imagine just about everything in this picture is shanzhai, right down to this guy's smokes, which are probably shanzhai Marlboro. I took this picture in Phoenix Old Town (凤凰古城), Hunan province, a beautiful reminder of what towns and villages in China must have been like before the wrecking ball hit.

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This will be the last of the Panjiayuan antique market shots. This woman occupies one of the small, indoor shops that surround the outdoor Panjiayuan market.

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Despite our intentions to find the joy and dignity in life, our discoveries would carry less meaning were they to lack proper context. For most LBXes, life is hard. A casual observer will likely witness only the hardship. Our guiding mission is to dig deeper. Nevertheless, there is beauty in adversity, and the challenges we face and overcome are an integral part of what makes us human.

The man here is a worker at the Panjiayuan antique market in Beijing, where I spent some time this weekend. From what I could tell, he spends his time hauling heavy things back and forth on a tricycle cart, but unfortunately I didn’t get to spend any time with him.

I’ll be posting shots from the market throughout the week.

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