A street in Guangzhou, by Lai Fong, 1880  广州街头，黎芳摄（1880年）

Do you know who was the most famous Chinese photographer when photography first entered China in the second half of the 19th century?

你知道中国最有名的第一代摄影师是谁吗？ 

Lai Fong was his name. More than 400 of Lai Fong's photographs are now housed in the renowned Loewentheil Photography of China Collection in New York with a collection of over 21,000 early photographs of China.  

他叫黎芳（又被译作“赖阿芳”）。纽约著名的“洛文希尔中国摄影珍藏”藏有早期中国的21000多张照片，其中就包括400多张黎芳的摄影作品。 

Lai Fong also had a close tie with the city of Guangzhou. Through his lens, social life, landscape and culture of Guangzhou were vividly portrayed. Take the following photos for example.

黎芳和广州的关系也非常的密切。他镜头下的广州，生动地展现了那个时代的广州社会生活风貌，自然和人文景观。下面，让我们跟随黎芳的镜头，一起“穿越”回19世纪的广州，品味下广州当时的风土人情。 

Well-decorated boat in Guangzhou, by Lai Fong, 1870  广州花船，黎芳摄（1870年）

Concession of the United States in Guangzhou and the Pearl River, by Lai Fong, 1878 广州的美国租界和珠江，黎芳摄 （1878年）

Zhenhai Tower, by Lai Fong, 1880 广州城北五层城楼（镇海楼），黎芳摄（1880年）

Houseboats in Guangzhou, by Lai Fong, 1880  广州船屋，黎芳摄（1880年） 

The Temple of Six Banyan Trees in Guangzhou, by Lai Fong 广州六榕寺，黎芳摄 

Lai Fong's works are rare historical materials, which not only contribute a lot to the development of photography in China, but also provide valuable images for the study of photography, city development and architecture.

黎芳的作品，是非常难得的历史资料，为中国的摄影事业做出贡献的同时，也为研究摄影史、城市史、建筑史等学科提供了珍贵的图像信息。

Author: Yuan
Supervisor: Lv Yun
Editor: Lv Yun
Source: GZ-Maritimesilkroad (丝路云帆Silu Yunfan), official Wechat account of City Alliance for the Preservation and world Heritage Inscription of Maritime Silk Road Heritage