Third Front employs a documentary approach to explore the massive industrial development campaign in China during the 1960s and 1970s. Chen Jiagang’s photographs capture the scale and atmosphere of the construction sites, machinery, and workers involved, reflecting a complex historical moment marked by ambition and sacrifice.

The images present a stark, often somber mood, emphasizing the physical and social landscape transformed by this industrial effort. Through detailed compositions, Chen conveys themes of labor, progress, and the endurance of human effort amid vast infrastructure projects.

Published by Timezone 8 in 2008, the 170-page photobook offers an in-depth visual study of the Third Front movement, providing historical context through imagery rather than narrative text.