This book regards the emergence of "guannian sheying" (conceptual photography) in China as a result from two factors: contact with external sources of influence and internal impulses. First, I demonstrate that between two possible translations for the term "conceptual" as in "Conceptual Art" introduced from the West, the choosing of the word guannian reflects a local psychology in the historical context: the pursuit of an autonomous voice. Second, I illustrate certain patterns and forces in the history of contemporary photography in China and elaborate two aspects which most directly...