Beijing, With Love: One Photographer's Emotional Farewell to the City

For many expats, life in Beijing is defined by fleeting yet unforgettable moments, new friendships, growing families and the quiet routines that slowly turn a foreign city into home. For Hungarian photographer Monika Schlosser, those moments became the heart of her time in the capital. 

Now, as she prepares to leave after four years, she's saying goodbye the best way she knows how: through her lens. Her upcoming exhibition this weekend, Beijing, With Love, is both a farewell and a heartfelt thank you to the city and community that shaped her work, capturing the laughter, connection and everyday intimacy that define life far from home.

You describe your exhibition, Beijing, With Love, as both a farewell and a thank you. What inspired you to turn your departure into a photographic project?
Beijing is not just a city you move to. It's an amazing adventure. When you first arrive in a completely different culture, with language difficulties, the city is huge, and you can't find your usual food or even a hairdresser who speaks English. And you are standing there thinking, "Okay… what's next?"

Then you start meeting more and more people. You feel that making connections here is much easier — people are much nicer and more helpful than you have ever experienced before. This is how I remember my time when I first arrived here.

I'm so lucky that through photography I built many different connections, got to know a lot of amazing people, and had the honor of taking part and capturing important moments of their lives. So when it came time to leave, I felt I had to say thank you somehow.

This is how the exhibition idea came up.

I'm not a street photographer, but while walking through the city, I saw love, kindness, laughter, and connections everywhere — the same things I try to show in my photos, which are mostly of expats. So it felt natural that this would be my exhibition topic. This is how Beijing, with Love came alive.

You've lived in Beijing for four years. How has your relationship with the city changed from when you first arrived to now?
Sometimes I feel like it's home, sometimes I feel like I haven't even seen a small part of Beijing.

Things are hidden here, so you have to make an effort to really get to know it. Four years is a long time, so I have my favorite places — the hutongs, the 798 Art District and Ritan Park. I also do a lot of shootings in these places, but I always try to discover new ones.

I have my scooter, I sit on it, and just go. This is one of the things I will miss the most once we leave.

I started to like some Chinese food, I understand the culture a little better — unfortunately, not the language. We really love Beijing. The time we spent here was the best four years of my life, so far.

You say that many of your images focus on small, intimate moments. What draws you to capturing these quiet connections?
There is so much noise in the world. So many bad things are happening, people are always running, and sometimes there is no time to stop. I love it when time slows down a little during my sessions.

I ask people to take a deep breath, forget about what is next and just be present. When you are with your partner, just look at them, say something kind, whisper something in their ear. Play with their kids, have fun together.

And then the magic happens.

You see yourself happy, loved, and connected in the photos. These are the moments that stay with you and maybe help you through difficult times.

I once had a family session, and I didn't know that the mother was very ill. We had so much fun with them and their three kids. Later, I found out that she passed away after the shoot — so those photos were probably their last happy memories together.

No words.

So for me, photos are not just photos. They are anchors. And they should be about good and happy moments, because these moments count.

Through your photography, are there any common emotions or experiences you have noticed among people building lives here?
The common point I see is always the community here. I hear so often how special and wonderful it is. Most people love living here, but they miss the "normality" of their home country. After four to eight years, many feel ready to move back — at least for some years.

People also really appreciate how safe it is to live here. As a mother, this is something I deeply value. And of course… Taobao — which makes every day feel like Christmas.

You mention that the exhibition touches on the experiences of arriving, connecting, and belonging. Can you tell us a bit more about how you've structured the exhibition around these themes?
Imagine that you arrive here as a foreigner. Slowly, you start recognizing more and more of the city, you begin to enjoy it, fall in love, and start building your life — maybe a business, maybe a family.

Through small moments, I try to show how this process happens naturally in my exhibition.

Is there a particular photograph in this exhibition that feels especially meaningful, and if there is, can you share the story behind it?
I'm the worst when it comes to choosing a favorite photo, because I feel a strong connection to all of them. I remember every little story and fun moment during the shootings.

But if I have to choose one, maybe I would choose Casey's session.

Her mother asked me to take photos while her boyfriend secretly proposed to her. I was already waiting at the agreed spot. He was very nervous, walking around near the Lama Temple, trying to find the right moment. At one point, they went inside the temple, and because I needed to buy a ticket, I lost them for a second… and when I found them again, the proposal had already happened.

In the end, that real moment stayed theirs — but I could still be there to make this memory last forever. This was a very emotional and unforgettable shoot.

You've said photography for you is about capturing real emotions rather than perfect images. How do you help people feel comfortable enough to be themselves in front of your camera?
That's my secret, which I can't really explain.

Honestly, it comes naturally. I think I have a good ability to connect with people, even those who are stressed. I understand that organizing a photoshoot can be complicated — especially with three kids, or with a husband who doesn't really want to be there.

I always tell them: you arrived, your job is done, now mine starts. And I have many small tricks to make sure everyone enjoys the session.

How has living in Beijing shaped your style and perspective as a photographer?
A lot has changed in my work. Before Beijing, I mainly did brand and business photography. Here, I started doing family, maternity, and newborn photography, which is a completely different world.

As a mother and a very emotional person, this shift felt natural, but technically, I had to learn a lot. So everything you can see in my photos today is shaped by these years.

What do you hope visitors will take away from the exhibition?
I hope people smile. And maybe take one small step closer to each other while looking at the photos.

Maybe they start to see things with new eyes, notice more beauty, more connection, more love around them. If that happens, I'm satisfied.

As you close this chapter and move on, what part of Beijing do you think will stay with you the longest?
The people. I will miss the connections the most.

And if anyone visits Budapest one day, I would love to welcome them there.

As a place, I will miss the hutongs the most — for me, that's the real China. And the Great Wall — I've been there around 20 times. But I will also miss the feeling of saying, "I live in Beijing." Because honestly, I think it's something really special.

The "Beijing, With Love" exhibition will be taking place at the Treeland Gallery in the 798 Art District on Sat, Apr 25 from 10am to 9pm and on Sun, Apr 26 from 10am to 6.30pm. 

On Sat, Apr 25 at 6.30pm, there will be a special talk and meet the artist activity which you can register for by scanning the QR code in the poster above.

Treeland Gallery萃岛
B09, Beisanxiao Jie, 798 Art District, Jiuxianqiao Jiedao, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥街道798艺术区北三小街B09号 

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Images: Monika Schlosser