A 79-year-old photographer spends 30 years capturing the real Xinjiang

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Zhao Mei) news: On April 11, 2026, at the Wenbo Lecture Hall on the first floor of Urumqi Museum, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 79-year-old photographer Feng Gang shared his legendary journey from the classroom to the wilderness, using his camera to document Xinjiang's ecological beauty, based on more than 30 years of wildlife photography. His humorous speech was frequently interrupted by applause and admiration from hundreds of attendees.

Photo taken on April 11, 2026 shows photographer Feng Gang shares stories of capturing Xinjiang's ecological beauty through his lens with hundreds of audience members. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/Zhao Mei)

"Whatever you do in life, you must do it well," Feng said. He took pride in two achievements: first, as a teacher. He was once an English teacher at Urumqi No.6 Middle School, and his secret was encouraging students and building their confidence. Second, as a wildlife photographer, he recorded more than 100 rare mammals and birds, mainly ungulates in Xinjiang, showcasing Xinjiang's unique ecological beauty to the world. Feng is the first Chinese photographer to clearly capture images of the Mongolian wild ass, a national first-class protected species, earning him the nickname "Father of the Wild Ass" in photography circles.

In the 1990s, Feng was deeply fascinated by Animal World, narrated by Zhao Zhongxiang. Yet he noticed almost all breathtaking footage was shot by foreign photographers. "I know photography; I can do this too!" At that moment, he resolved: I must capture Xinjiang's wildlife and ecological beauty well.

Photo shows Feng Gang recounts his experience of photographing Mongolian wild asses. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/Zhao Mei)

In 1995, at age 48, Feng surprised everyone: he spent his family savings on a camera and an off-road vehicle, and began his self-funded wildlife photography journey in his spare time.

"At first, shooting Mongolian wild asses in the Kalamaili Nature Reserve, I was naive. I carried over a dozen kilograms of gear and ran after them, often over 30 km a day," Feng said. Once he chased wild asses for more than 10 hours, got lost and ran out of water. It was summer, desolate for dozens of kilometers, with scorching ground. Severely dehydrated, he nearly collapsed. In despair, he wrote a farewell note. Just then, a herd of running wild asses appeared. He forced himself up, set up his camera and kept shooting. "I thought my life might end filming Mongolian wild asses. Unexpectedly, after taking photos, I saw lights flickering on a distant hill — rescuers had come. They searched for over 10 hours and finally found me by following the herd."

Photo shows Feng Gang shares his experience of photographing Tibetan antelope. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/Zhao Mei)

After that near-death experience, Feng stopped chasing animals and created his own "camouflage and ambush shooting method." In spring 2004, to photograph wild camels, he ambushed for 76 straight days in wild camel habitats in the Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve.

Photo shows Feng Gang recounts his experience photographing wild yak. (Photo Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/Zhao Mei)

Ambush shootings avoided chasing animals, but brought constant troubles. Food attracted ants and snakes. Once he watched a snake swallow a toad near his hideout; he scattered tobacco around to drive it away. "Ticks were common too," he said. "Once I woke up with ticks covering my ear. I couldn't pull them off by hand, so I used a cigarette end to remove them."

Over more than 30 years, Feng entered uninhabited areas more than 60 times, traveled over 600,000 kilometers, and captured images of more than 50 rare species, leaving the most authentic and touching visual records of Xinjiang's ecology. Nearly 10 of his wildlife works are now on display at the Beautiful Tianshan Photography Exhibition on the 5th floor of Urumqi Museum.

Photo shows Feng Gang recounts his experience of photographing red foxes. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/Zhao Mei)

On the big screen at the lecture, wonderful and breathtaking photos reproduced the living scenes of wild animals in nature. Feng Gang recounted how he faced an approaching wolf alone, pressed the shutter and captured the image of the wolf drooling; and how he photographed the charging moment of an angry wild yak rushing toward his vehicle. "I photograph these wild animals to let people see their true nature and arouse everyone's awareness to protect the ecological beauty of Xinjiang," Feng Gang said. His stories behind the photos deeply moved the audience.

After the lecture, applause lasted a long time. "I never knew Xinjiang is home to so many wild animals. Mr. Feng's photos showed us the most touching side of these creatures. We must protect them well," said Liang Ling, a member of the audience.

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