We had the good fortune of connecting with Yunqi Hao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yunqi, what inspires you?
I am often inspired by strong emotions, such as pain, passion, excitement, and being moved. For me, what I most want to convey and express is always emotions rather than specific events. For me, this is a also form of truth.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In the field of writing, my novel, “There’s No Story In The Town”, has passed review and is being updated on one of China’s largest online novel platforms. Additionally, I write short stories on China’s most renowned fanfiction platform, where my works have garnered over 1.07 million views. In the realm of photography, I have filmed three documentaries and taken various types of portrait photography, with plans to continue expanding my portfolio.

What I’m most proud of is the moment my work receives recognition. I love seeing readers resonate with my stories and witnessing the subjects of my photos discovering a version of themselves they truly appreciate. The most exciting moments for me are when, after countless revisions and adjustments, I finally manage to convey exactly what I wanted to express. The sense of fulfillment from achieving that is unparalleled.

The journey hasn’t been easy. I’ve endured a long period of obscurity, during which I felt “worthless” in certain aspects, as if my creations held no meaning. To overcome this, I relied on patience and continuous self-improvement. I had to endure the moments when no one noticed me, even though time seemed to drag on endlessly. I kept reflecting, learning, and experimenting until someone finally saw me and recognized my work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
LA is such a rich and charming place, and I’ve only been living here for a few months since moving from Boston, so I can’t claim to know it inside and out. However, if I were to plan a “friends visiting” itinerary, I would want them to have a comfortable, laid-back, and free-spirited week in LA.

I would definitely take them to Beverly Hills to experience a lively, glamorous, and extravagant corner of the city, where we could shop, dine, and enjoy drinks. I’d take them to Santa Monica to watch the sunset and enjoy the ocean. There, we wouldn’t need to do much—just stroll, chat, and watch people enjoying life. I’d take them to Hollywood Hills to see the fancy homes and imagine a life we’ve never considered before. The national parks around LA are also worth visiting. They’re peaceful, vast, and sometimes you can forget where you are, simply feeling in awe of nature. The Pacific Coast Highway should be an essential part of the trip as well. We’d drive along it at sunset, listening to “California Dreamin’” in the car—it’s a vibe that I know we’d all love.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Perhaps this answer is quite common, but I’d still say: my mother. She has supported me in a way that is both remarkable and “awkward,” which could also be described as an investment. She has invested in my education, my future, and my dreams. As a strong-willed career woman, she has always sought to plan everything for me. On regular days, I am more than willing to follow her advice. But when it comes to major life decisions, my usual obedience and compliance tend to vanish.

In those moments, my mother would support me while simultaneously blaming me. I think of her as my “angel investor.” And to her, I believe, she has never given up on me, because she sees part of me as her “unfulfilled dream” when she was young.

Other: email:amber000204@gmail.com
amber000204@126.com

Image Credits
The scenic and concert photos in the images were taken by me (Yunqi Hao—Amber). The other portrait photos feature me as the subject.
So I certify that I have rights and permissions for the images.

Photographer: Yunqi Hao
Artist:Yunqi Hao

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