https://katharinahesse.com/ 2026-06-08 weekly 1.0 https://katharinahesse.com/human-negotiations 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/bio 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/corporate-commercial 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/contact 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/news-links 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/portfolio 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/new-1 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/page-1780649828923 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/albinos-work-in-progress 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/everydayclimatechange-contributions 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/vanishing-traditions--acrobats 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_iuukfe_Hesse_acrobats_china000_thumb.jpg A young apprentee balances a drum during daily training in Wuqiao, ChinaAcrobatic performances belong to Chinas variety arts and have existed for centuries. Acrobats originally were to entertain poor villagers in the countryside. Nowadays it's a profession for young people from the countryside seeking a better life in China's big cities where they lead a life as outcasts. Their monthly income is not enough to participate in social life , let alone to have private lifes. The troupes often live together in basic housing such as dorms and it's difficult to break out. A young apprentee balances a drum during daily training in Wuqiao, ChinaAcrobatic performances belong to Chinas variety arts and have existed for centuries. Acrobats originally were to entertain poor villagers in the countryside. Nowadays it's a profession for young people from the countryside seeking a better life in China's big cities where they lead a life as outcasts. Their monthly income is not enough to participate in social life , let alone to have private lifes. The troupes often live together in basic housing such as dorms and it's difficult to break out. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_uw97cy_Hesse_acrobats_china001_thumb.jpg A young acrobats ' apprentee hangs from a barre for about 30 minutes during daily excercises . Students who fail these kind of basic training won't make it into a professional troupe. A young acrobats ' apprentee hangs from a barre for about 30 minutes during daily excercises . Students who fail these kind of basic training won't make it into a professional troupe. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_5vk5xm_Hesse_acrobats_china002_thumb.jpg Acrobating performances were recorded for the first time more than 2500 years ago as cheap entertainment for locals in rural China with special shows for the Emperor by the best troupes. While China has seen a dramatic transformation over the years, one component that has not changed is the fact that acrobatic performances are still seen as cheap entertainment, this time though with affluent cities such as Shanghai or Beijing in the background where performers from poor rural backgrounds feel uneasy or as one of my main protagonists from a theatre in Beijing says :” We are the underbelly of society. City people look down on us as we are considered old fashioned and penniless.”As seen in the images below, immense self -imposed discipline, personal sacrifices and rigor, are necessary to survive daily practises. Acrobating performances were recorded for the first time more than 2500 years ago as cheap entertainment for locals in rural China with special shows for the Emperor by the best troupes. While China has seen a dramatic transformation over the years, one component that has not changed is the fact that acrobatic performances are still seen as cheap entertainment, this time though with affluent cities such as Shanghai or Beijing in the background where performers from poor rural backgrounds feel uneasy or as one of my main protagonists from a theatre in Beijing says :” We are the underbelly of society. City people look down on us as we are considered old fashioned and penniless.”As seen in the images below, immense self -imposed discipline, personal sacrifices and rigor, are necessary to survive daily practises. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_5zu0gj_Hesse_acrobats_china003_thumb.jpg Performers rehearse for a show in the afternoon inside a theatre in Beijing. Performers rehearse for a show in the afternoon inside a theatre in Beijing. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_1bshv6_Hesse_acrobats_china004_thumb.jpg A young girl stretches during daily excercises in an acrobats school in Wuqiao, China. A young girl stretches during daily excercises in an acrobats school in Wuqiao, China. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_nds1yg_Hesse_acrobats_china005_thumb.jpg A young performer stretches during warming-up excercises for a performance in a theatre in Beijing. A young performer stretches during warming-up excercises for a performance in a theatre in Beijing. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_qo09vu_Hesse_acrobats_china006_thumb.jpg A young performer stretches during rehearsals for a show in Beijing A young performer stretches during rehearsals for a show in Beijing https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_vuc2tq_Hesse_acrobats_china007_thumb.jpg Young acrobatic performers observe their colleagues during daily morning rehearsals for an afternoon show in a theatre in Beijing. Young acrobatic performers observe their colleagues during daily morning rehearsals for an afternoon show in a theatre in Beijing. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_tr5a8g_Hesse_acrobats_china008_thumb.jpg A young apprentee looks out of a window after the daily training in an acrobats school in Wuqiao. A young apprentee looks out of a window after the daily training in an acrobats school in Wuqiao. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_7q46qh_Hesse_acrobats_china009_thumb.jpg A young performer stretches during rehearsals for a show in Beijing. A young performer stretches during rehearsals for a show in Beijing. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_o6ntlw62_awnbvk_Hesse_acrobats_china010_thumb.jpg A young acrobat apprentee from the countryside lifts one leg into the air for 30 minutes with a bandage around her neck during her daily training in an acrobats' school in Wuqiao, China.Acrobatic performances belong to Chinas variety arts and have existed for centuries. Acrobats originally were to entertain poor villagers in the countryside. Nowadays it's a profession for young people from the countryside seeking a better life in China's big cities where they lead a life as outcasts. Their monthly income is not enough to participate in social life , let alone to have private lifes. The troupes often live together in basic housing such as dorms and it's difficult to break out. A young acrobat apprentee from the countryside lifts one leg into the air for 30 minutes with a bandage around her neck during her daily training in an acrobats' school in Wuqiao, China.Acrobatic performances belong to Chinas variety arts and have existed for centuries. Acrobats originally were to entertain poor villagers in the countryside. Nowadays it's a profession for young people from the countryside seeking a better life in China's big cities where they lead a life as outcasts. Their monthly income is not enough to participate in social life , let alone to have private lifes. The troupes often live together in basic housing such as dorms and it's difficult to break out. https://katharinahesse.com/china-1 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/borderland--n-korean-refugees-work-in-progress 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_825zye_hesseborder2x_thumb.jpg hesseborder2x hesseborder2x https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_wnb4xz_nk042hesse_thumb.jpg BORDERLAND | Katharina Hesse View BORDERLAND by Katharina Hesse. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_qaabp5_hesse_2Koreaslr_thumb.jpg hesse_2Koreaslr hesse_2Koreaslr https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_rfd568_2_Koreas_Hesse_102lr_thumb.jpg Seoul, Korea Aug.2013 : a new arrival at a shelter . Seoul, Korea Aug.2013 : a new arrival at a shelter . https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_kalpbp_nk0E8T0290_thumb.jpg the Friendship bridge in Dandong that connects China and North Korea. the Friendship bridge in Dandong that connects China and North Korea. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_trxps3_00011730-SPP-NKOREANREFUGEES-006_thumb.jpg Park Lee Hwan (a pseudonym), 67, stands in the hallway of a building where mostly North Korean immigrants live in Seoul.Park left North Korea on November 3, 1997 and it took her 5 years to travel clandestinely from China to South Korea...Park finally decided to flee to South Korea when a campaign against North Koreans was launched in Northern China . Park says she had to hide in cupboards and slept in forests fearing police was going to find her.In 2003 she managed to break into the Korean Embassy in Beijing , from there she was sent to a third country, the Phillipines and from Manila to Seoul.Park's 4 daughters who have stayed in North Korea, do not know that their mother lives in Seoul and not in China. Park Lee Hwan (a pseudonym), 67, stands in the hallway of a building where mostly North Korean immigrants live in Seoul.Park left North Korea on November 3, 1997 and it took her 5 years to travel clandestinely from China to South Korea...Park finally decided to flee to South Korea when a campaign against North Koreans was launched in Northern China . Park says she had to hide in cupboards and slept in forests fearing police was going to find her.In 2003 she managed to break into the Korean Embassy in Beijing , from there she was sent to a third country, the Phillipines and from Manila to Seoul.Park's 4 daughters who have stayed in North Korea, do not know that their mother lives in Seoul and not in China. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_uc3lgw_Khesseborderland20133_thumb.jpg Khesseborderland20133 Khesseborderland20133 https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_rdcwvr_Khesseborderland2013_4_thumb.jpg Khesseborderland2013_4 Khesseborderland2013_4 https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_l41z3g_Korea2013lr_thumb.jpg Seoul, Korea Aug.2013 : a new arrival in her apartment. Seoul, Korea Aug.2013 : a new arrival in her apartment. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_qw014z_NKborder2013_thumb.jpg NKborder2013 NKborder2013 https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_zjzprn_hesseNKborderland20100007lr_thumb.jpg hesseNKborderland20100007lr hesseNKborderland20100007lr https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_m8yr60_nkriver001_thumb.jpg the Yalu river in Northern China the Yalu river in Northern China https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_zjexoi_00011730-SPP-NKOREANREFUGEES-005_thumb.jpg A 20 -year old refugee from North Korea hides his identity in a farm house in Northern China.He left his mother and sister in North Korea in April 2006 to come to China. In North Korea he was a road worker and constantly hungry.{quote} The safest thing would be not to move at all because if you do physical activities, you get hungry {quote}, he says.In China he lives as a labourer for farmers and as a construction worker . If he's lucky he makes about 40 EU/month. But he says his boss often does not pay him and he's beaten by locals who know he cannot seek help due to his illegal status. A 20 -year old refugee from North Korea hides his identity in a farm house in Northern China.He left his mother and sister in North Korea in April 2006 to come to China. In North Korea he was a road worker and constantly hungry.{quote} The safest thing would be not to move at all because if you do physical activities, you get hungry {quote}, he says.In China he lives as a labourer for farmers and as a construction worker . If he's lucky he makes about 40 EU/month. But he says his boss often does not pay him and he's beaten by locals who know he cannot seek help due to his illegal status. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_gheger_00011730-SPP-NKOREANREFUGEES-008_thumb.jpg 2 relatives, 38 (L) and 42 (R) year-old, hide their identity in a farm house in Northern China.They crossed the border together and arrived in March 2006. They decided to leave North Korea because they were starving and even can't remember their former salary as they had not been paid for several years. 2 relatives, 38 (L) and 42 (R) year-old, hide their identity in a farm house in Northern China.They crossed the border together and arrived in March 2006. They decided to leave North Korea because they were starving and even can't remember their former salary as they had not been paid for several years. https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_o666s5_nk0E8T0287_thumb.jpg The Yalu river that divides North Korea (L) and China (R), Dandong The Yalu river that divides North Korea (L) and China (R), Dandong https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_b9sggt_00011730-SPP-NKOREANREFUGEES-009_thumb.jpg North Korean refugeesee : Asia : BORDERLAND North Korean refugeesee : Asia : BORDERLAND https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_2nggwx_khesseborderland2013_6_thumb.jpg khesseborderland2013_6 khesseborderland2013_6 https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_r8sby2_hesseNKborderland20100014ENDlr_thumb.jpg hesseNKborderland20100014ENDlr hesseNKborderland20100014ENDlr https://storage.neonsky.app/4bd5ebf857248/images/nk3gzwlc_0ec3w3l6_116kbd_khesseborderland2013_5_thumb.jpg khesseborderland2013_5 khesseborderland2013_5 https://katharinahesse.com/by-the-sea-1 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/last-retouches-1 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/modern-china-general-single-pictures 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/punks--china-youth 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/ai-weiwei 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/back-stage-guo-pei 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/watching-the-olympics-1 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/petitioners-1 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/beijing-nights-china-youth 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/once-in-beijing 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/lhasa-blues 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/catholics 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/xinjiang---kashgar--urumqi-khotan-2001-2009 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/baseball 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/china-psychiatries 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/bullet-train-beijing-shanghai 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/shanghai-expoopening-2010 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/bars-restaurants 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/asia-1 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/mongolia---ulan-bator-outskirts 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/suffering-in-silence 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/papua 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8 https://katharinahesse.com/publications-tearsheets 2026-06-08 monthly 0.8