Hu Huishan Memorial in Chengdu

Liu Jiakun

Type Religious / Memorial Memorial
Date 2009
City Chengdu
Country China
Photographer Iwan Baan Bi Kejian

Erected after the devastating earthquake that struck Wenchuan – a county in China’s Sichuan province – in 2008, this memorial honors Hu Huishan, a 15-year-old high-schooler who perished in the cataclysm. The pavilion’s shape recalls the emergency tents that were raised in the affected areas.

Access to it is restricted and it can only be seen through a peephole. The interior is painted pink, Hu Huishan’s favorite color, and some of her personal belongings are illuminated through a skylight.

With an external grayish plaster that refers to local traditions, the construction is surrounded by the trees of the Jianchuan Museum Cluster. Besides paying tribute to Hu Huishan, it symbolizes the collective memory of a nation mourning the loss of 60,000 people.

The tragedy also gave rise to what is Liu Jiakun’s smallest work to date: this simple, intimate pavilion built as a testimony of grief and resilience.