China's relationship with its Tibetan
minority has at times been troubled, so
here's a moment worth noting: a Tibetan
couple's wedding photos, showing scenes
of both modern and traditional living,
captivated millions of Chinese social media
users.
The photo shoot is a ritual for many
newlyweds all around the world, and Gerong
Phuntsok and Dawa Drolma were simply
following couples across China when they
took a range of photos in both modern and
traditional settings . What they didn't count
on is their stylish snaps ending up being
seen by a huge proportion of Chinese
internet users.
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The photos show the couple in a coffee shop,
at an amusement park and driving in a
sports car - along with more pastoral
scenes from a Tibetan village. Classic
fashions and Instagram-like filters give
them a timeless quality. Xinhua, China's
official state news agency, reported that the
photos have been seen by 80 percent of
users of messaging app WeChat - which
would mean an audience of hundreds of
millions. In an interview with the agency,
Phuntsok, who works in advertising,
speculated about what made the pictures so
popular.
"Maybe we represented thousands of young
people from ethnic minorities, who left their
hometowns to pursue a 'modern life' but
chose to return to tradition after feeling a
void in the heart," he said. "I think we found
an echo with other web users. As we fight
for our dreams, some of us get lost. So we
wanted to say with the photos: stick to your
beliefs."
Many users on China's Twitter-like social
networking platform Weibo commented on
the contrasting lifestyles the pictures show,
says BBC Monitoring's Jeff Li in Hong Kong.
"The pictures have shown two completely
different lives in the cities and in the rural.
When the couple wears traditional costumes,
they represent the Tibetan people and their
unique lifestyles; but when they wear
modern clothes, they have turned into a
trendy couple," says user Yanzhi Jiangxi .
"I'm so jealous of how the couple can handle
living in the city and in the rural at the same
time," commented Leimo Leimo.
Of course, Tibet has often had a tumultuous
relationship with the rest of China (you can
find a timeline of the complicated history
involved here ). There is an ongoing
crackdown on Tibetan nationalism. But BBC
Chinese's Zhaung Chen says Tibet is also
adored by many Chinese for its raw natural
beauty and exotic customs, adding that the
quality of the pictures and the photogenic
bride and groom were also key to the virality
of the photos.
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