“Surprising Beijing” has a double meaning. On the one hand, when living in Beijing, one is bound to stumble upon surprising situations and things: Beijing is a surprising city. On the other hand, the photographer also aims at “surprising” people at the right place and at the right time so he can create “surprising” pictures by playing with unexpected situations and juxtapositions.

This work can be seen as a series of visual jokes and heavily relies on humor. Does it mean that it is shallow? As Winston Churchill said, “a joke is a very serious thing”. These jokes actually reveal Beijing’s conflicting reality and surreal situations in the city. Daily life in China's capital city can be full of humorous poetry for those who are willing to see and enjoy it.

Laurent Hou Photo