Spring Festival of the Dragon Year, 2024, has just come to an end. This also marks the beginning of the 15th year of French photographer Jeremy Grinan’s sojourn in Hainan. In the past year, Jeremy gained a new title—— Overseas Communication Officer of the Hainan International Media Center. On the eve of Spring Festival this year, Jeremy appeared for the first time as an Overseas Communication Officer in a photo series created by the Hainan Daily New Media Center and Hainan International Media Center. Together with eight other international residents of Hainan, he passed on his unique New Year wishes to the people of Hainan by being photographed with nine local Hainan foods.
On the eve of this year’s Spring Festival, Jeremy participated in a photo series for Hainan Daily.
In Jeremy's photo, he held a mackerel and expressed good wishes for "prosperity in the new year" to all. In September 2023, Jeremy finished an excellent short documentary about the lives of the Tanka in Lingshui, Hainan. He chose the mackerel as his photo prop to celebrate the successful conclusion of his work over the past year.
Since moving to Hainan, Jeremy has been dedicated to recording the unique customs and traditions of Hainan and witnessing the changes of this island through his lens.
Staying in Hainan for the relaxed vibes
Jeremy often appears in media interviews and on social media platforms with a beret on his head and a vintage film camera hanging around his neck. On the day of his interview for this story, he even wore a pair of flip flops, which added a significant “Hainan twist” to his French style.
“I only started wearing flip-flops after coming to Hainan. Except on formal occasions, I usually wear flip-flops when I go out with my camera to work. It’s relaxing and comfortable.” The relaxed vibes of Hainan are one of the biggest reasons he decided to stay here long term. Fifteen years ago, Jeremy was operating a website for a Hong Kong internet company, and he would walk through the crowded streets of the huge city in a suit and tie.
At the invitation of a friend, Jeremy went to Hainan for ten days of vacation. That was long enough for him to make a very important decision. He soon quit his job and moved to Hainan.
Jeremy remembers clearly that when he first arrived in Haikou, his friend took him on a tour around the city. One afternoon, while passing by a street near Longkun S. Road, he saw several people sleeping on chairs under the shade of the trees along the road. “It must be a very safe and relaxing place to sleep so peacefully on the street,”Jeremy said. With a natural desire for freedom, Jeremy had worked many different jobs before his stint in Hong Kong. After the trip to Hainan, he was sure that the life he longed for was there on the island.
When he first arrived in Hainan, Jeremy couldn’t speak Chinese. He wanted to build friendships with people from all around the world and integrate into his new Hainan life quickly through music, so he brought his guitar straight to the instrument store and met his first group of friends in Hainan through the universal language of notes and melodies. Later, he achieved clearer communication with the locals after studying on his own using online materials and bravely speaking Chinese with everyone he met. Soon, Jeremy hit upon the idea of documenting the tropical island through photography, and showing the world how different it was from his hometown in France.
Hainan serves as muse
Just like learning Chinese, Jeremy’s mastery of photography also started from scratch. At first, he went along with his friends playing music at different venues and taking photos. As he became more skilled, his photography themes began to expand to include character portraits, commercial advertisements, landscape photography, wedding photography, and more. In 2013, Jeremy founded a photo studio with friends in Haikou. In 2018, he started to venture into video production, and began to pay more attention to video creation. His journey as a professional photographer and filmmaker has taken him all across the island.
One of Jeremy’s photos of the architecture of Haikou’s historic Qilou Street area.
During his spare time, Jeremy enjoys wandering the streets with his camera at the ready. “The things I photograph in the street may seem familiar to Chinese people, but they are very unusual for international viewers.” Haikou’s historic Qilou Street area, Dongmen Market, the Xitian Temple, and other spots around Shuixiangkou are frequent haunts. As he wanders through these ancient streets and alleys, the street vendors, the patrons of the Laobacha shops, and the traditional architecture all come to life through Jeremy’s skilled photography.
“I like to shoot old things, things that are very old and have life details and stories behind them.” In addition to taking photos, Jeremy also enjoys sitting down and chatting with passersby such as an elderly lady in an alley. Jeremy is completely at ease in Haikou’s urban atmosphere.
The title screen of Jeremy’s documentary on the Tanka. All images provided by the interviewee.
In the course of his photography work, Jeremy has traveled all across Hainan. In recent years, he has devoted himself to video creation, often posting short clips of his films on social media. From the volcanic stone houses at the foot of the Haikou Volcano to the life of the Tanka on the rafts of Lingshui, the boat-shaped houses in Dongfang’s Baicha Village and the retired train beside the Shilu Iron Mine in Changjiang... Jeremy has connected with the diverse regional cultures of Hainan through his camera. In Jeremy's opinion, Hainan is a treasure trove that provides a constant source of inspiration."Hainan Island is not big, but when it comes to culture, it is very big and the cultural world is very rich." Jeremy defines Hainan as "big" and "small" in this way.
Nowadays, Jeremy has achieved a good reputation and popularity in the field of commercial photography, which has brought him job opportunities in other provinces, cities, and even countries. Ningxia, Fujian, Shandong, Jiangxi... over the past two years, he has traveled to a wide variety of provinces and cities in China for work. He found that no matter how long he stays in these cities, or even when he returns to his hometown in France, he always thinks "It's nice here, but I still want to go back to Hainan." Somehow, the tropical island of Hainan has become Jeremy’s muse, and he longs to return to her no matter where he goes. "It's almost my second home. I have a lot of friends here."
Telling Hainan’s stories through film
Wedding photography is one of Jeremy’s daily projects, and he’s gotten an opportunity to try a lot of authentic Hainan food through this work. Since he’s not a fan of spicy food, getting used to the flavor of Hainan cuisine has been a snap. Working wedding banquets in the countryside led to Jeremy's discovery of his favorite Hainan specialty - Babaofan (Eight Treasure Rice). The very first time Jeremy tasted this dessert at a Hainan wedding banquet, his taste buds were completely conquered. Sticky rice is paired with lotus seeds, red dates, and raisins, creating a sweet taste that lingers in his mind long after it leaves his tongue.
Babaofan (Eight Treasure Rice) (Photo: Sanya Daily)
Jeremy’s photo of food being prepared for a countryside Hainan wedding banquet.
Jeremy is now quite well acquainted with the dishes traditionally served in Hainan, such as stewed meats, Wenchang Chicken, steamed abalone, and seafood. Working a wedding banquet in the countryside not only allows Jeremy to enjoy the fresh flavors of the local cuisine, but also to experience the unique customs of Hainan up close. "I love photographing weddings in the village. The scenes and ceremonies are very vivid and real, and I can feel that people are happier in their homes." Jeremy believes that compared to wedding celebrations in hotels, village weddings are warmer, the people are more relaxed, and he can capture the emotions he truly wants to capture. Weddings are not the only subject for Jeremy though. He has documented the Junpo Festival, Gongqi festivities, and many other traditional folk activities, creating a vivid record of life in Hainan.
When discussing why he keeps telling the stories of Hainan through his lens, Jeremy mentioned the word ‘fast’. "Hainan changes really fast, especially in Haikou where I live, every year it is changing. I think it's cool to be able to record these changes."
Jeremy constantly sighed about the development speed of Hainan, especially the city he lives in, Haikou. He describes it as "changing with each passing day", a phenomenon that can’t be seen in many other parts of the world.
"Every year, I think, 'Okay, I'll stay for another year, and that's all...'" Jeremy smiles as he talks about his future plans. He sees the island’s development as a free trade port as an excellent opportunity. In the end, it seems Jeremy has no reason to leave.
After the interview, Jeremy hopped onto his means of transportation - an electric bike - and his back gradually faded away as he rode off into the distance on the sunny greenway... When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Jeremy has that down pat.