Symposium explores photography's role in preserving 20th-century architecture

In his keynote address, Ma Guoxin, a renowned architect, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and avid photographer who has published several photography books of architecture and documentary portraits, reviewed the early development of architectural photography in China. He also emphasized that architectural photography is an essential tool for preserving architectural heritage, documenting spatial transformation and advancing the study of cultural memory.

Ma noted that the amateur and professional photographers who came to China in the mid-19th century left behind a vast number of valuable images for architectural history research. He highlighted the work of Felice Beato (1832–1909), an Italian-born British military photographer who captured the ruins of the Old Summer Palace, and John Dudgeon (1837–1901), a British missionary and Sinologist who created an extensive visual record of Beijing.

During the 20th century, Chinese scholars like Chen Wanli, Liang Sicheng and Jin Shisheng advanced the systematic documentation of architectural images. Their efforts cemented photography as a vital resource for studying architectural history.

Discussing contemporary developments, Ma noted that the widespread use of smart devices and advances in digital technology have led to explosive growth in architectural photography. Many architectural design institutes have formed professional photography teams, although theoretical research, image authentication and archival development still lag behind.