The best photographers get the closest to their subjects, and in the case of Hangzhou photographer Zhang Wang, his dedication in sharing the lives of Buddhist monks has produced prizewinning images of startling simplicity, candor and mysticism.

Zhang, 52, who has given much of his life to the subject, has become the closest thing to the monk with a camera.

The photographer has felt drawn to the Buddhist temples and monks since his childhood in his home village Tiantai in east Zhejiang Province, the home of the Tiantai School of Buddhism.

He studied in Tiantai Mountain Buddhist College for three years, lived in Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou for three years, and explored many other temples in Zhejiang Province for years due to his artistic passion as well as his belief in Buddhism.

The exhibition “Buddha’s Footprints,” which shows his classical photos from temples in Zhejiang, is being exhibited at XixiIncity, a shopping mall on the west side of Hangzhou.

“Several years in the future I will not take photos, instead I would like to spread the Buddhist culture of Hangzhou and West Lake to the rest of the world by holding international exhibitions,” Zhang said at the opening ceremony.

That proselytizing process has already started — last year the photographer took a break from shooting and held exhibitions of his works at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, at the International Culture Congress held in Hangzhou, and at the West Lake International Expo. This year Zhang will have a soloexhibition in Germany.

Upon finishing his studies in oil painting in college, and after gaining experience in photography, he started a design firm and made enough money to support his art for years, then decided to return to the mysterious place of his childhood.

At the time, in 1999, the newly established Tiantai Mountain Buddhist College in Tiantai was looking for a photographer to take photos for the new school. Zhang was hired. But he did not treat his duties just as a job, rather, he decided to live alongside the monks-in-training at the college for three years, until the first group of students graduated.

Returning to childhood

“That period changed my life and consolidated my determination in taking photos of Buddhism,” recalled Zhang, adding he has taken some 10,000 photos related to the subject over the years.

His schedule was the same as the students’: up at 4am, morning prayers, breakfast at 6am, then classes during the day.

After dinner always was the best time to shoot because he could capture casual scenes. Another good time was the weekends when he could capture the students when they left school to shop. 

One of his most memorable moments at the college came during the summer of 2001, when about 30 students went to Putuo Mountain in Zhoushan on the East China Sea in Zhejiang Province to be initiated into the priesthood. They had to be there on time or risk being disqualified.

However, a typhoon suspended ferry service.

The students were determined — they rented a wooden boat and crossed the waters, and Zhang went along. The narrow cabin was crowded and flooded by sea water again and again, Zhang recorded the journey on his camera. Fortunately, they all arrived safely.

One photo recorded their relief after arriving — unlike the solemnity of many of Zhang’s works, it shows four students with broad smiles playing at the beach. “It was their first time seeing the sea,” Zhang said.

“I seek to convey their common sentiments,” Zhang said. In the exhibition, many of his works tell about the daily lives of monks and nuns, such as sweeping the floor, picking tea leaves, and playing the ancient game of Go, also known as Encirclement Chess.

Zhang received an amazing response after publishing the photos from Tiantai Mountain Buddhist College, and they cemented his reputation as a photographer of Buddhism.

Finding spiritual perspective

More than half of Zhang’s classical works were shot at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, one of the top 10 temples in China, and a place that seldom allows photographs, let alone letting a photographer live in the abbot’s building.

This level of access was possible because in 2002, Zhang was chosen by the temple to take photos for its new website.

He took meals with the 90-year-old abbot, and was allowed to visit the temple’s most secret place, the Depository of Buddhist Sutras, at will.

Again, Zhang did not rush. He studied the monks’ religion, customs and art, following their strictly regulated daily lives, sharpening his senses and diving ever deeper into their spiritual perspective. Ultimately, he became a part of their world.

One of his classical works, “Passerby,” which is displayed in the exhibition, was taken at the Depository of Buddhist Sutras.

In the photo, a Buddha statue sits in the hall, while the scenery outside the door behind the Buddha is reflected by the smooth floor. Behind the door, a figure passes by.

The photo won a Golden Statue Award for Chinese Photography, the highest honor for a photographer in China.

Another signature work, “Looking for the Buddha,” was taken at Yanxian Cave, a scenic site in Hangzhou. The cave contains images of ancient figures of Indian Buddhism, and the photograph shows contemporary monks holding burning torches to observe the images of “ancient monks.”

This work won Zhang the Grand Prix Award in 2005 in the special China-themed Austrian Super Circuit, an award known as “Academy Award” for photography.

“His work shows people a sense of space, distance and contrast, which is attributed to his favorable position,” celebrated Japanese photographer Aya Takahashi said. The comments, along with those of others in the artistic world regarding Zhang, are inscribed on the walls of the exhibition.

Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon said Zhang’s work “embodies the spirit of facing complicated problems in the modern world.”

Zhang said he has devoted himself to making more people aware of Buddhist culture in Hangzhou because “half of West Lake culture is related to Buddhism, and we cannot just hide the treasure in the safe.”

Date: Through March 31

Address: 3/F, XixiIncity, 1 Wuchang Ave, Yuhang District

Admission: Free