Father-daughter duo's adorable 35-year tradition documents her childhood to motherhood in photos

Photographs are a powerful medium to capture and preserve memories, emotions and moments that may otherwise fade away with time. They allow us to revisit the past, relive moments of joy and sadness, and share our experiences with others.

In addition, photographs can be used to tell stories, evoke emotions and inspire change, making them an essential part of visual storytelling. Over three decades ago, one father decided to craft a story through a series of photographs with his daughter taken at the same spot every year as she grew up. It started with a photo on a family trip and the duo continued the tradition for 35 years.

The pictures document the little girl growing up to be a beautiful woman while her father stands by her year after year. Moreover, the frame also comes to include her own children as she grows up. It is a beautiful portrayal of support as you can see the surroundings in the background change at the same spot over the years but the bond between the father and daughter remain the same.

The video was shared on Instagram by @historyphotographed and has gained over 21.5 million views and about 3 million likes from people who were absolutely mesmerized by this montage of pictures that document a family's journey.

According to Daily Mail, the father in the photos is Hua Yunqing, who took a photograph with his then-one-year-old daughter Huahua while on a day trip and loved it so much that they returned every year to take the same photo. For the next 35 years, Hua and his daughter Huahua captured a photo every year near the same lake in Zhenjiang, located in the eastern Jiangsu province of China.

Over the course of 35 years, they have only skipped one year of taking pictures, which was in 1998 when Huahua was unable to make it to their favorite lake. The photographs not only depict the duo's aging but also document the evolution of their lives. As they matured, the pictures captured the transformation in their fashion choices, Huahua's growth into an adult, and eventually into motherhood, where her own children came to be included in the yearly snapshots.

Instagram users absolutely loved this montage of pictures. @renieisloved said, "Yeah the waterworks started once the grandkids showed up. Precious." Another person @amezcuasiete said, "It hits when you start getting taller than them. And you realize at different moments everything they did and you want to repay them for all the love and care. I friggin love my mom, pop, and step pop."

@rajguru_it_is shared, "My dad started this thing of taking a family picture on every wedding anniversary of mum and dad from the very first anniversary. We can see gradual growth of the family from having me to having my brother, us growing up and stuff. My father passed away a year back and few weeks back it was there 24th wedding anniversary and I had no clue what to do. Seeing the reel is giving me motivation to keep this going."