Wang Wei: Independent Photographer & Railway Culture Scholar

Wang Wei is an independent photographer and railway culture scholar who has been engaged in railway photography and historical research for 23 years.

He graduated from university in 2011 and worked as a photojournalist for two months but resigned due to a mismatch between the assigned subjects and his personal interests. Since then, he has pursued independent photography and research, traveling across China and more than 30 countries. His work and personal story have been featured in various media outlets, including the BBC, Daily Mail, The Guardian, CNN, Chinese National Geography, and Southern Weekly.

Railway Heritage Protection & Research

Wang Wei has combined activist social documentary photography with legal advocacy by submitting “Immovable Cultural Relic Recognition Applications” to local governments where railway heritage sites are located. His efforts have led to 30 historical railway buildings receiving official protection.

His research integrates historical materials, field investigations, oral history interviews, archival image collection, and hand-drawn restoration. In June 2017, he published the three-volume series My Jingzhang Railway (ISBN 978-7-113-22631-2, ISBN 978-7-113-22631-9, ISBN 978-7-113-22631-6). This set, structured along the spatial progression of the railway from start to finish, was developed over four years but incorporates over a decade’s worth of research, collected materials, and oral histories. Wang Wei later presented this work to the National Railway Museum in York, UK.

Exhibitions & Recognition

November 2017 – His exhibition A Rugged and Difficult Road: My Jingzhang Railway – Wang Wei’s Field Investigation Photographic Archive was showcased at the Lishui Photography Festival in China. This exhibition depicted the century-long transformation of the Jingzhang Railway, discussing China’s modernization, railway heritage conservation, and the urgent need to protect historical railway artifacts. It received the Expert Recommendation Award and was later exhibited at Yinghua Gallery in Beijing’s 798 Art District in January 2018.

2023 – His exhibition Looking Back is Moving Forward: Wang Wei’s Railway Heritage Investigation and Protection was presented at the Pingyao International Photography Festival. This showcased his 2006-2023 efforts in social documentary photography and activist railway heritage protection, demonstrating how his work influenced the preservation of historic railway buildings. The exhibition won the Outstanding Curatorial Award.

Global Railway Exploration

As of December 2024, Wang Wei has explored 106,806 km of railway heritage in China, collecting data and materials on nearly 30,000 km of old railway lines. He has investigated 3,031 train stations, identifying 549 significant railway heritage sites.

Beyond China, Wang Wei has extensively documented railway heritage and landscapes worldwide, covering countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Greece, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Russia, Japan, the United States, and Canada.

Looking Ahead

Now based in North America, Wang Wei continues to produce creative works that connect railway culture with people’s lives and bring lesser-known railway histories to light. As the title of the exhibition curated by his wife suggests: “Looking Back is Moving Forward.” His journey of discovery and preservation will never stop!