From the 1950s through the 1970s, leprosy was a significant medical issue in my country. The authorities gathered all of the leprosy patients into one village. All of the elderly have been treated and are no longer contagious, but they are now experiencing severe side effects.

  
This village is only 100 miles distant from where I live, but there are no cell phone connections once you arrive. The local government provides the fundamental requirements of life and the necessary materials. The male-to-female ratio in this community is extremely skewed (30% male, 70% female). This causes a labor scarcity. For some elderly women, iodine insufficiency remains a problem.

  
The women who live in this community possess extraordinary mental strength. Due to a catastrophic pandemic, they were forced to leave their homeland when they were in their prime. After residing in this "leprosy village," they fought the disease and its aftereffects for more than ten years.

  
When I spoke with these women, I could tell that they never gave up hope. I refer to this community as a "lost wonderland" because its inhabitants are unaware of city life and have no need for it. I've realized that we shouldn't judge them according to our own standards and values. They have been abandoned by the rest of the world. However, they have also lost touch with the outside world.

Lost Wonderland

  
To overcome my emotional despair, I tried to concentrate more on myself and less on the outer world. My life over the past thirty years flashed before my eyes like a fast-paced film. I am pursuing my degree overseas, operating a small business in my city, and participating in other activities. I took numerous photographs of those unforgettable events, but I neglected my inner emotions and my body's steady transformation.

  
My work documents the emotional stress and physical discomfort I experienced as a woman living alone. I feel that some women of the same age as me also experience comparable mental concerns, such as age and gender anxiety. Similar to how the water faucet appears clear through my lens, ladies tend to have a clear perception of exterior things. In the meanwhile, my blurry selfies suggest that women frequently suffer an uncertain, difficult-to-express sense of self.

"We are just the fuel for this future train, not the passengers." 

To overcome my emotional despair, I tried to concentrate more on myself and less on the outer world. My life over the past thirty years flashed before my eyes like a fast-paced film. I am pursuing my degree overseas, operating a small business in my city, and participating in other activities. I took numerous photographs of those unforgettable events, but I neglected my inner emotions and my body's steady transformation.

  
My work documents the emotional stress and physical discomfort I experienced as a woman living alone. I feel that some women of the same age as me also experience comparable mental concerns, such as age and gender anxiety. Similar to how the water faucet appears clear through my lens, ladies tend to have a clear perception of exterior things. In the meanwhile, my blurry selfies suggest that women frequently suffer an uncertain, difficult-to-express sense of self.

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Jia Hao

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