Recently last month, Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, China documented the more than thirty types of monkeys that reside at their animal park. The stunning studio portraits, all photographed against a clean, white backdrop, show in detail the beauty and breathtaking variety of the many primates that the park care for.
就在上个月，中国广州的长隆野生动物世界对其园内超过30个不同品种的猴子进行了记录。这些令人叹为观止的棚内肖像，全部以纯白色为背景，于其细节中可见园区灵长目动物的美和惊人的多样性。
Chimelong Safari Park’s collection of primates is currently China’s largest. Their Primate Kingdom includes spider monkeys, marmosets, orangutans, macaques, tamarins, baboons, and much more. For the arrival of the Year of the Monkey, the park has specially opened a new Monkey Park, which also boosts a new 10,000 square meter jungle, and plans many activities to celebrate the monkey.
长隆野生动物世界有着中国最多的灵长目动物种类。他们的灵长目动物王国里包括蜘蛛猴、狨猴、猩猩、猕猴、绢猴、狒狒等不止。为了迎接猴年到来，公园特此设立了一个金猴公园，内增一万平方米的丛林，并为猴子们设有各式活动。
Billed as the world’s largest animal theme park, Chimelong Safari Park is home to over 20,000 kinds of rare animals, and the park itself covers more than 1,333,340 square meters. Just in time for the upcoming Year of the Monkey, these portraits of primates reveal to us the vital spirit and beautiful diversity of our distant cousins.
长隆野生动物世界，这间号称全球最大的动物主题公园，是两万多种珍稀动物的家园，而公园本身占地超过1,333,340平方米。正好赶上猴年新年的到来，这些灵长目动物的肖像展示了人类远亲的多元化，呈现出勃勃生机。
The photographer, Wu Xin (also known as “Stone”), was coincidentally also born in the Year of the Monkey and loves monkeys. He has worked as a commercial photographer in the advertising industry in China for more than twenty years, and enjoys shooting animals and food photography most. In this series of portraits, he and the Chimelong Safari Park team have focused on capturing the expressions of the monkeys, allowing the viewer to peer into their souls.
摄影师吴忻，人称“石头”，正巧生于猴年，并热爱猴子。吴忻在中国从事商业、广告摄影已有20余载，最喜欢拍摄动物和美食。在这个肖像系列中，摄影师和长隆野生动物世界团队着重于捕捉猴子们的表情，以便读者一窥它们的灵魂。
For Wu Xin, shooting this series of monkey portraits was a new and interesting experience. He says, “I have never come into such close contact with so many completely different types of monkeys, let alone have the opportunity to shoot their portraits. They all came in so many different shapes and sizes, and had such different personalities.” When asked what the difference was between shooting monkeys and humans, he says that it is actually much easier for him to shoot the portraits of animals. He believes that animals have a simpler heart and soul, which makes it easier for him as a photographer to capture.
对于吴忻来说，拍摄这个猴子肖像系列是个新奇有趣的体验。他说：“我以前从没接触过这么多不同种类的猴子，更别说拍摄它们的肖像了。这些猴子有各种不同外貌、不同体型，性格上也千差万别。”问及拍摄猴子和人物肖像之间的区别时，他说事实上拍摄动物肖像要简单得多。他认为，动物们更单纯的内心让他更容易将其用摄影捕捉。
Which isn’t to say that shooting the portraits of monkeys didn’t also have its own challenges. Since some monkeys are fidgety and like to move around very fast, at times he could only capture what he could at a fast shutter speed of only a few hundredth of a second. Once when shooting a lemur, the monkey jumped directly onto his shoulder, before turning around and obediently returning to its original shooting position. Of all animals, the photographer has always felt closest to the monkey – they are after all our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. He says, “The feeling I get from monkeys is that they are lively, adorable, and very smart creatures. It only stands to reason that the Year of the Monkey will be a lively and exciting year.”
这并不意味着拍摄猴子们的肖像就不存在着挑战。有些猴子坐不住，四处穿梭，有时候他只能用快达几百份之一秒的快门速度尽量捕捉。有一次拍摄狐猴，狐猴直接一跃而上他的肩膀，说时迟那时快，猴子又乖乖回到了它原先所在的拍摄位置。在所有动物中，这位摄影师一直对猴子感觉最为亲近——毕竟在动物王国里它们与我们人类血缘关系最近。他说：“猴子给我的感觉就是活泼、可爱、机敏，所以猴年也一样是有活力和朝气的一年。”
The monkey has enjoyed a significant role in Chinese culture for over 2,000 years. The Monkey King Sun Wukong, for example, is the main character from the 16th century Chinese classical novel, Journey to the West. One of the most beloved characters from Chinese literature, Sun Wukong has supernatural powers that he acquired from Taoist practices. He can run extremely fast, transform into another animals, cast spells, and can travel over 34,000 miles in just one somersault.
猴子在中国文化中扮演特殊角色已超过两千年。中国16世纪的经典名著《西游记》中的主角美猴王孙悟空是为一例。作为中国文学中最受喜爱的角色之一，孙悟空有着从道教中修炼出的超能力。他疾如闪电，能七十二变，他法术过人，一个筋斗便可翻到十万八千里开外。
Monkeys have even influenced ancient Chinese martial arts. Monkey Kung Fu is a form of martial arts that incorporates the movements of monkeys and apes into some of its techniques. One variation of Monkey Kung Fu was developed near the end of the Qing dynasty in Northern China, when a legendary fighter named Kou Si studied the movements and mannerisms of monkeys, combining them with his own Di Tang style of fighting. He later called the style Da Sheng Men in honor of the Monkey King Sun Wukong.
猴子甚至影响了古代中国的武术。猴拳是一种出招技巧中吸收了猿猴动作的武术招式。猴拳始于清朝末年的中国北方，彼时寇四研习猴子的习性和动作，并将其与他自己的地躺拳融合。随后，他将这种拳式命名为“大圣门”，以此向猴王孙悟空致敬。
The monkey also is the ninth of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac, and people who are born under this sign are characterized by and known for their playfulness, mischievousness, and intellectual curiosity. Monkeys are also believed to be fond of practical jokes, and are quick-witted and sociable creatures. However, some of their negative traits include being stubborn, manipulative, and deceptive; they are believed also to have a tendency to be pranksters and opportunists.
猴子在中国十二生肖中位排第九，属猴人被认为是精力充沛，活泼好动，生性好奇。猴子被认为是调皮捣蛋、机智敏捷、喜好群居的物种。然而它们也一些负面特点，包括性情顽固、玩弄心机、轻浮难测。它们也被认为恶作剧者和投机主义者。
Chinese Lunar New Year, which is based on the Chinese lunar calendar and not on the Gregorian calendar, starts this year on February 8. Also known as the Spring Festival, which is its direct translation from its Chinese name “春节”, celebrations traditionally start from the evening preceding the first day, and will last until the Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year is a major holiday for the Chinese and is an important occasion for Chinese families to come together for their annual reunion dinner. Families also traditionally use this time to clean the house, to sweep away ill fortune, and to make way for incoming good luck from the upcoming new year.
中国农历新年，也叫春节，是基于中国农历而非公历。今年的农历新年从2月8号开始。春节通常从农历新年第一天的前一晚开始庆祝，直至元宵节。中国农历新年是华人的重大节日，是华人家庭进行一年一度团聚围炉的重要时刻。传统上，华人家庭也会借此时机进行年终大扫除，称为“扫尘”或“掸尘”，是以辞旧迎新！
We at Neocha would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our readers a very happy Year of the Monkey. May your new year be full of prosperity and good luck!
Neocha借机在此祝福我们的广大读者猴年快乐，新的一年里吉祥如意！
Website: int.chimelong.com
Contributors: Leon Yan, David Yen
Photographer: Wu Xin
Images Courtesy of Chimelong Safari Park
