Gan Tang, The Lake 甘棠，湖 (2024)

13m 48s | Documentary | No Dialogue

In the summer of 2023, the government of Jiujiang launched the Gan Tang Lake Cleansing Project. Within weeks, this ancient lake with over two millennia of history was drained. Nearby in Gan Tang Park, a boy wakes up in the rain. There, the destiny of Gan Tang awaits.

Statement

In my hometown, Jiujiang, China, a natural lake and an amusement park share the same name, Gan Tang. The name, meaning “pear trees,” is often associated with a beautiful imagery and comes from the oldest Chinese poem collection, Book of Odes. Gan Tang Lake, located in the city’s center, has been a blessing to the people for over two thousand years. Gan Tang Park, built in 1951 and transformed into an amusement park in the late 1980s, has long been a place of childhood memories for many, including myself.

The Gan Tang Lake Cleansing Project, announced in early 2023, marks the latest response of the government to a series of developments that have threatened the lake’s environment over the past decade. In the summer of 2023, the lake was blocked from the public, drained, and cleansed, followed by the demolition of Gan Tang Park. The government promises a “new” lake and park, but the question remains: will they still bear the spirit of Gan Tang after these changes? Who decides what is “old” and “new” in a city’s story?

This film was created amidst the Cleansing Project, reflecting my personal response to the unwelcome changes in my hometown. It documents the transition from “old” to “new” through footage of the construction site and the park’s destruction, forming a visual chronicle of local history. The staged performance of an old man and a boy provides a lens through which the audience witnesses this unsettling transition. These characters symbolize the old and the new, echoing the essence of the lake and the park—each mourning the loss of the other. The audience is invited to experience the transformation of these spaces, and the film becomes a site for grieving the lost past. The name Gan Tang also becomes a container, preserving the memories of the people in my hometown.