The engine of change moves across china like a brush fire. In cities, buildings are torn down to make ways for high-rises and boulevards replace narrow streets .As the fashion changes and reforms take roots, China remains a country where eighty percent of its population is tied to the land. Those are the parts of China what Pan Weiming face to and focuses his lens at. It is not a matter of nostalgia but a spirit of renewal In an ageless tradition, Chinese literati always finds inspiration from land itself.
　　Chinese farmland is both an examination of this parts of heritage and a reflection of Mr. Pan’s self He approaches the subject as a man who has seen the world and as a country son who vents his own emotion through his camera. Following Chinese traditional view of the cosmos, Mr. Pan sees the land pulsating and dynamic as well as fragile and yielding. Through these images, we see a quiet and almost ageless beauty that defines Chinese civilization.
　　While Mr.Pan may have returned to the unchanging farmland for inspiration, the tools he uses reflect the other side of his boundless talent. Many images in the book were created using a PANFLEX camera that Mr. Pan himself to design and produce. His mastery of the camera allows him to produce pictures both visually stunning and esthetically complex I am sure readers will share my enthusiasm in Mr. Pan’s work and join me to wish him many success in whatever path he embarks.
　　 Yuan Li
　　 July 2001, Westfield,NJ,USA
　　导言
　　作者：李元
　　变革与更新的浪潮象燎原之火在中国大地蔓延。在大小城镇，陈旧的建筑被成片推倒，代之以拔地而起的高楼大厦；通衢大道覆盖了昔日狭窄的老街深巷。尽管时尚迅速取代着时尚，改革很快刷新了改革，人们看到，中国依然是一个以农为本的国家，在这里，百分之八十的人口依然深深扎根于它的土地上。这就是潘维明先生梦魂萦绕的中国，这就是他的镜头始终聚焦的中国。摄影家回归他的土地，并非出于思乡与怀旧，而是为了寻找精神的再生。这是中国一个恒久弥新的传统——中国文化人总能从华夏沃土上寻找到心灵的归宿与创造的激情。
　　中国乡村既是古老中国传统的试金石，也是摄影家潘维明自身反思的多棱镜。当浪迹天涯的他回到生于斯养于斯的这片土地时，他用他的镜头倾泻并平息他心底汹涌澎湃的动情。透过这些充满对神州大地敬畏与膜拜的镜头，我们可以听到潘维明脚下大地脉博的跳动和心率的奏鸣，闻到他带给我们的中国乡村湿润的呼吸，甚至去抚摸他的田野多愁善感的温情。通过这些照片，我们看到了一个千古不变的既古老又青春的美丽中国，一个既青春又古老的美丽华夏文明。
　　重返中国乡村，也许是潘维明用相机考察乡村中国的一次心路历程。但人们也许不知的是，他手上那架捕捉美并创造美的机器，还反映了他多面的才能与创造力——本影集的许多照片，是潘维明使用“潘福来”全景相机拍摄而成。这是一架他亲自参与设计创意并投资制造的相机。他那些以纯熟的摄影艺术创造出来的作品，给人以视觉上强烈的冲击和美学上深邃的感悟。我深信，读者会和我一样分享对潘维明作品的沉醉，并和我一起祝福他在未来的任何他所追求的事业中取得更大的成功。
　　李元
　　2001年7月
　　于美国新泽西州（徐小平译）

作者：Yuan,Li