I'm on the spot, recording moments, becoming history.
Starting in 2019, we have set up a "I am on the spot" column, which uses the precious interview experience of Xinhua reporters to "sink their hearts, stoop down, and integrate into their feelings" as the content, telling what they have seen, heard and thought at the scene of major news events.
In 2021, they practiced the "four forces", from the site of the First Congress of the Communist Party of China to the scene of the centenary celebration of the founding of the Party; from the frontline of the city's fight against the epidemic to the overseas epidemic center; from the farmland flooded by heavy rain to the city besieged by wind and snow; from the foot of the Tianshan Mountains where the cotton harvest was harvested, to the herdsmen's homes on the snowy plateau...
They freeze moments of news and record history.
From January 3, 2022, the "I am on the scene" column has successively broadcast the stories behind the masterpieces and photos of a number of Xinhua News Agency photojournalists in 2021. I hope that their works and stories can bring you hope and strength.
I have been working in Italy for six months since I joined the Rome bureau photojournalist in June 2021. From the country where the epidemic was cleared at that time to Italy, where the epidemic continued to rage, I witnessed the country still experiencing trauma. With the ups and downs of the epidemic, the epidemic prevention measures are relaxed, tightened and tightened again, and Italy has gone through 2021 in the continuous fight against the epidemic.
2021 is also a year of surprise for Italians, with football back at the top of Europe, Olympians winning gold and silver, and the G20 Leaders' Summit in Rome... These "highlight moments" belonging to Italy have attracted the attention of the whole world.
Summer, the best season of the year
Looking back, when I first arrived in Italy, the epidemic situation in the local area generally slowed down, and the number of daily cases remained at a low level of about one or two thousand (at the peak of the epidemic, tens of thousands of daily increases). In southern Europe in summer, in Rome in summer, the abundant sunshine dilutes people's fears of the epidemic, and the oleander blossoms adorn this ancient city, and Rome enters the best season of the year. At the end of June, the government announced that the outdoor mask order was completely lifted, and people's joy was written on their faces.
↑On June 28, 2021, visitors took a group photo near the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.
↑On June 28, 2021, in Rome, Italy, two young people sat on the side of the street taking a nap. For the first time on the same day, Italy achieved a nationwide designation as a low-risk area for the new crown epidemic, and people can not wear masks outdoors.
As a result, the once dismal flow of customers in the restaurant industry increased, and the fireworks on the streets returned. People flock to the cafes that can be found everywhere on the street to enjoy Italian coffee, enter the restaurants to enjoy fine wine and food, and regain the ritual sense of Italian dining.
↑On June 24, 2021, people spend money in the outdoor area of a restaurant in Rome, Italy.
Tourists from Europe and the United States continue to flock to Rome, gathering at the Trevi Fountain, Piazza de España, holding gelato (Italian ice cream) to wander the city's historic center for a long-lost Roman holiday. The city is slowly waking up from too much silence.
↑On August 4, 2021, tourists gathered in front of the Colosseum. Every August is Italy's "national holiday", during which locals enjoy a holiday of varying lengths.
↑On July 11, 2021, people toured in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
↑Three women eating ice cream in Rome to cool off on July 11, 2021.
Various exhibitions and festivals suspended during the epidemic period have been re-staged. In October, I traveled to Perugia to interview the European Chocolate Festival, which was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic. Because of the scale of the exhibition, the chocolate festival was changed from the past open-air venue to be held in the venue, but the audience was enthusiastic and dragged their families to participate in various activities at the chocolate festival. The person in charge of the organizer warmly greeted every visitor at the door, and when he saw me as an oriental face, he was overjoyed, greeted me and said welcome to your arrival, and thank you for reporting on the European Chocolate Festival.
↑On October 15, 2021, a woman displays a piece of chocolate at the "European Chocolate Festival" in Perugia.
↑On October 15, 2021, two women show chocolate at the "European Chocolate Festival" in Perugia.
Pandemics, inflation, rising energy prices... It's a bit cold this winter
In 2021, of all my interviews in Italy, the pandemic is the most important covered topic. With the launch of the new crown "green pass" in the European Union, Italy has officially entered the era of "green pass" since August. Since then, the government has expanded its scope of application, and today, it is almost impossible to do without this small QR code in Italy.
↑On November 11, 2021, a man walked past a rapid COVID-19 testing site in Rome.
↑On July 21, 2021, medical staff vaccinated a man against COVID-19 at a COVID-19 vaccination centre in Rome.
From the data point of view, the "green pass" has indeed promoted the increase in Italy's new crown vaccination rate, italy received more than 100 million doses of new crown vaccine in December, and the number of completely vaccinated people over 12 years old accounted for about 84% of the total population, and the vaccination rate was in the lead in EU countries.
However, the "Green Pass" failed to prevent the arrival of another wave of the epidemic. Since November, Europe has once again become the "epicenter" of the global epidemic, and although Italy is not the hardest hit area, the rising infection rate has made people nervous again. Epidemic prevention measures have been tightened repeatedly. People had to put on masks they had once taken off, there were always long queues outside the tents, and ambulance sirens rang out from time to time, reverberating over the city.
↑On November 11, 2021, people waited outside a rapid COVID-19 testing point in Rome.
Added to this the problem are energy shortages across Europe, the depreciation of the euro and soaring prices. For residents, the most direct feeling is that electricity and gas bills have soared, the price of gasoline in gas stations has continued to rise, and there will even be no oil to add. The severe epidemic situation, the increased burden of life, and the cold weather caused by the rain for several days have made this winter extremely difficult.
↑On November 30, 2021, pedestrians wore masks as they walked the streets of Rome.
↑On October 9, 2021, people refueled motorcycles at a gas station in Rome, Italy.
Ordinary people under the epidemic
War photographer Robert Kappa said, "If you don't shoot well enough, it's because you're not close enough." "For foreign correspondents, good photographic reporting needs to go deep into the lives of locals, observe their words and deeds up close, and dig deep into their stories. In 2021, I interviewed Italians from all walks of life to document the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their work and life.
One of the interviewees that impressed me was Simone, the owner of the restaurant "La Gensola". "La Gensola" has been opened in Trastevere, the liveliest city in Rome, for more than 20 years. In the early days of the epidemic, the restaurant industry became the most affected industry, and Simone's restaurants closed several times. Later, with the overall recovery of the restaurant industry, "La Gensola" also slowly regained some popularity, although the situation is getting better, but when talking about the future of restaurants, the burly man occasionally spreads his hands to express helplessness and concern.
↑On June 24, 2021, Simone prepared to serve to guests at the "La Gensola" restaurant in Rome. Simone said that during the epidemic, the "La Gensola" restaurant closed its doors several times according to the epidemic prevention policy, and Simone hopes that the restaurant can withstand the test in the future.
↑On June 24, 2021, Simone introduced dishes to guests at the "La Gensola" restaurant in Rome, Italy.
When the pandemic eased, I interviewed the comedy talk show debut of the "Comedy Club of Rome" after being forced to stop for 19 months, and learned some stories about the club's creator De Salvatore. During the closure of the club theater, despite De Salvatore and her colleagues' insistence on performing online, her meager income was not enough to support her, and she had to rely on teaching English classes online to subsidize her family and make ends meet. The improvement of the epidemic and the relaxation of the epidemic prevention policy have given her hopes, and in the first performance, she wrote about her experience in the epidemic and the people and things around her into the talk show. The unique perspective of life and the humorous language of bitterness made this strong and talented lady shine in front of the audience, winning constant laughter and applause.
↑ On September 24, 2021, De Salvatore, founder of the "Comedy Club of Rome", performed a comedy talk show in Rome, Italy.
During the epidemic, online teaching has become the main way for school education and students to study. When I was interviewing at the National Academy of Dance in Rome, I saw a girl who took dance lessons online, taking classes at home. When the teacher teaches basic skills training and individual dance moves, she can still follow, but when the teacher organizes the students in the classroom to teach collective dance, the little girl can only sit there and look at the screen with envious eyes. The epidemic has made it difficult for students to study.
↑On November 16, 2021, students wore masks to attend a modern dance course at the National Academy of Dance in Rome, Italy. The new academic year courses of the National Academy of Dance in Rome, Italy, are carried out through a combination of online and offline methods. Students must comply with epidemic prevention regulations such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing when participating in offline classes, while teachers and students who cannot attend due to the epidemic can participate through the Internet.
↑On November 16, 2021, students participated in the modern dance course of the National Academy of Dance in Rome, Italy through a combination of online and offline methods.
Conveying the voice of China in Italy
From October 30 to 31, the G20 Leaders' Summit in Rome was held online and offline, and Italy, as the host of the summit, received great attention from the international community. As the official photojournalist of the Chinese delegation, I covered the summit and all the activities of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the summit.
↑On October 28, 2021, in Rome, Italy, two journalists walked past a sign inside the media center of the G20 Summit.
↑ On October 28, 2021, in Rome, Italy, people were busy inside the media center of the G20 Leaders' Summit.
In order to ensure that the report is foolproof, I planned in advance with my colleagues, divided the work and coordinated, and squatted in advance at the entrance handshake, group photo and main venue. As a reporter accompanying the Chinese delegation, I was mainly responsible for filming the participation of Chinese delegates and the main venue on the opening day of the meeting on October 30.
The first phase of the summit was held on the 30th, and when the leaders of various countries entered the main venue, all the photojournalists who had been waiting in the field would point their long guns and short cannons at the world political figures. The shutters in the venue were heard one after another. At that time, I didn't care about any inner waves, I just felt that my eyes were not enough, for fear that a blink of an eye would miss a key plot and important character. Due to the high concentration and concentration, I only came back to my senses when the staff signaled the reporters to leave the venue. And these few minutes became one of my most memorable memories of 2021.
↑On October 30, 2021, the G20 Leaders' Summit opened online and offline in Rome, Italy.
↑ On October 28, 2021, Xinhua News Agency reporter Kim Ma Mengni was interviewed at the media center of the G20 Rome Summit.
In early November, I travelled to Turin to cover the 2021-2022 Figure Skating Grand Prix in Italy. The Chinese team's two-pair pair skating duo, Han Cong/Sui Wenjing and Peng Cheng/Jin Yang, are the most winning players in Italy and the most concerned by the audience. They lived up to expectations and won the double skating championship and runner-up. When the two Chinese flags are slowly raised and the Chinese national anthem reverberates in the arena, my pride as a Chinese arises. The moments of the competition and the passionate moments of the awards were recorded on my camera and in my mind.
↑On November 6, 2021, Sui Wenjing (left) / Han Cong greeted people after the game. On the same day, in the 2021-2022 Figure Skating Grand Prix in Turin, Italy, in the Italian pair skating competition, China's Sui Wenjing / Han Cong won the championship with a total score of 224.55 points.
↑On November 6, 2021, Peng Cheng/Jin Yang in a free skating competition. On the same day, in the 2021-2022 Figure Skating Grand Prix in Turin, Italy, China's Peng Cheng/Jin Yang won the second place with a total score of 211.86 points.
Rome hasn't changed, it's still the "Eternal City" in people's minds.
The mutated new coronavirus, the Omiljung strain, is sweeping across Europe with greater spread. Nervous and slightly frightened emotions began to spread through the city again. In winter, Rome often drizzles, and the sunlight through the clouds becomes extremely precious. The changing weather and the tension of the atmosphere make the city seem to be bleak and silent. Still, Rome remains the "Eternal City" with its breathtaking charm. Thousands of years of urban history, monumental architecture and stunning artwork remain the city's labels; the roar of motorbikes on the road, the scent of coffee in the streets and the warm, optimistic and unrestrained Italians will always be the heart of the city. Its vibrancy sooner or later and will definitely be back.
↑On August 12, 2021, two tourists cool off by a fountain in Rome, Italy.
↑On December 11, 2021, a woman photographed a Christmas tree in Piazza Venezia in Rome, Italy.
In 2021, I spent summer, autumn and winter in Italy.
In two months, spring in the Apennine Peninsula will arrive!
In 2022, will the epidemic be far away from humanity?
I will continue with the camera, wait and record this moment.
Scan the QR code in the image below to see the relevant reports involved in the article:
Producer: Lan Hongguang
Coordinator: Wu Wei, Fei Maohua, Zhou Daqing, Liu Jinhai
Reporter: Kimma Monnie
Editors: Liu Xin, Han Xu, Zhou Jiayi