good photos...

I love that shot with the wind turbines, great collection !

Awesome collection, as always.

This kind of photographing can hardly be called photojournalism.

Looking forward for any collection at Magnum or at least NG level.

kids look angry in pic 7.

Just in case you forgot, this world is not limited to China.

Good to see childhood obesity is not just an American problem

Photojournalism is exactly what this is, and very good work too. Ignore the snobs.

Of course they look angry! They're teenagers doing something they don't really feel like doing. Sort of like raking the lawn, cleaning their room, going to school...some things never change!

Everywhere i look i see something about China these days...Great pictures like always. My favorite is Number 14!

Already - 33% complaints so far. ;-) Must be doing something right Alan.

Cheers from Slovakia :)

These photos are interesting an really good quality. It almost looks like China is perfect in every way. However I suspect that thats what one get from china anyway - they wont allow you to go and take photos in villages and poor regions.

Genius

Cool

Number 38 is fabulous!! Elizabeth Dalziel captures moments beautifully. The person that posted comment #4 obviously has bigger problems in life worrying about magnum or ng level photography.

@ 5

the kid looks hungry :D

Is it that china that we are afraid off !!! I think not .. Thanx for good Snaps as before.

China or a very strange mix of modernity, traditionalism and communism…

Picture 9 confirms that very little has changed.

@12
please don judge or "think" china with your mind which is inclined by the western media
you can travel freely in the poor regions and villages

i am not saying anything about human right, freedom, or anything related.
just trying to tell the truth

good representation of china, loved them all. well done Elizabeth!
i've had similar experiences in my trips to China

#31 ---> The Shining

Great photos, but I found the captions even more interesting...

Duude, and I thought what the women in #23 do is normally a boys thing… :D

The woman in #33 looks so skinny!

#31... I'm having a Kubrick flashback.

#7, they all look so happy

Pic 33: She sure must be hungry ;)

love nr 13...

I really appreciate these stories. Especially when I get to see another view of what this country is really like.

Very good work.

Excellent. Better than BBC, CNN and other news channels.

As a Chinese, I would like to provide some background on pic7:
Leaders in so called "Nan Jie Cun" (South Street Vlillage), where those kids live, are viewed as lunatics by mainstream Chinese.

nice shot

Yes, the pictures are good.

But the author seems dose NOT understand China very well. Everything in the pictures dose NOT tell any meaningful story. Let people feel very very strange, and could NOT understand what is the feeling to be expressed, I got confused.

Wonderful depiction of life in China. We must look with open eyes and not judge it by our standards. There is a lot we can learn from one another, let's do that.

desde chile agradecemos este pedazo de mundo que muestran en sus fotografías

I spent 5 weeks in china and there is a lot these pics aren't showing. This is just window dressing.

I suggest a new caption for picture #34:

My New Fighting Technique Is Unstoppable!

@19
actually nan jie cun is a very strange place....local leaders try to (make people) believe that socialism/communism actually works, at least locally...actually they are kind of rich, but in a creepy way.

Wow~ good photos!

lindas fotos, interesante puntos señalas con ellas
estaremos al pendiente, desde GDL, de más de tu trabajo

Living in Shanghai and recognizing a lot of elements. China is a fantastic country to photograph!

@Bojangler > Good to see childhood obesity is not just an American problem

It is.

# 2
oh my god!
someone give that girl a bucket of chicken wings!

great photos.

Howsoever hard I try, I cannot forget China as a massive exporter of very cheap quality of anything and everything under the sun! :( the quality has gone with the wind.
I also see people, loads of them...and adulterated baby food(milk powder et al) :( :(

The pic with turbines is classical. Rest, avg.

Just don't forget that this is an extremely large country... Just because things are a certain way in one place does not guarantee that they are the same every where here.

However, these are beautiful photographs. A visually stunning look into life in the north.

I love the girl in the pink rubber ring... she's so cute!

"Everything in the pictures dose NOT tell any meaningful story." ---by Benjamin October 12, 09 11:03 PM
"The woman in #33 looks so skinny!
kids look angry in pic 7." ---Posted by Vengeance October 12, 09 01:35 PM
This is a typical example of how some people out there are innately biased, isn't it?

Most Asian women are known for their slim figure, and that's regarded as another form of beauty. At least we think so. What is wrong if you dine when you are hungary?

great pics.

pic #7 . how sad, nobody smiling...

Referring to comment #31:
Perhaps that's because China isn't really a communist country anymore! ;)

#7 is proof that teenagers are the same everywhere around the world

#7 They're sooooo happy ! ...

#6 oh how adorable... XD
brought a smile to my face

# 23 is proof that Chinese women are all natural. LoLz!!!

@11
Bruce just because someone has a different opinion doesn’t necessarily mean that they are complaining!

Where's the bad news...We only like bad news from China and cheap products. You're are straying away and not in lock step with the Mainstream Media. China Sucks. The west is the best. Thats all we need to know.

7.
Good to see childhood obesity is not just an American problem
Posted by Bojangler October 12, 09 12:22 PM
-------------------------

And why exactly is that good? Could you explain that yank logic to me?

Sorry, Just so so...

AGAIN WE STILL SEE PROBLEMS.....THIS IS NOT A HAPPY COUNTRY

I miss China

There's an aura of uneasiness behind the faces in these photos. 1984 comes to mind.

the comments from everyone are very funny.. esp the ones from people who are trying to maintain their viewpoint that there is something inherently very very wrong with china...
china has plenty of problems, as does the rest of the world, and america.
skinniness/anorexia is ubiquitous in the fashion/modeling industry and in dancers esp ballet.
i would say that these pictures are good because they show a lot of different aspects of china, in a somewhat unbiased way. although yes the poor and destitute are left out for the most part on these pictures, but the photographer is based in beijing. but how often do you see pictures of homeless destitute detroit people? maybe we should take action to give the people of detroit healthcare first before we start criticizing others.

Maybe next time they can show the prisons where Christians, minorities, and dissidents are held. But I guess that would be asking too much of the liberal press in this state.

斯大林 FTW!

Number 6 tells it all for me too. Slurp it up and make a lot of noise!
After living and working in China for 10 years, I feel I know these images well yet they are uniquely photographed and beautiful in the range of topics and intensity. Thanks you! South China ,where I work, is slightly different -- the light is softer, the people incredibly thin --or, at least next to my medium American frame:) The Chinese Communist Party would want us to make believe that the country is only 60 years old -- that the "reset" button they pushed ushering in a new era is the only truth.
Its also that is why the words happy, communist, socialist, and democracy don't mean that much in the face of so much cultural time. Can we expect something different from China in the next 60 years?

Brilliant Photography !!!!

"Its also that is why the words happy, communist, socialist, and democracy don't mean that much in the face of so much cultural time. Can we expect something different from China in the next 60 years?"

Tell that to the Falun Gong..

Nice photos, although its making you feel like looking at another planet.

I doubt how far has this photographer pointed out that the rural area is not all the same as she continuously showed in the first 1/3 of this series of photos. Actually, the Nan Jie Cun, or Nan Jie Village is actually a very unique and debating kingdom of communism life style, economically and politically. Actually, the last one, but here,you might thought that, this is how Chinese countryside looks like... No.

In 99.9% of the villages in China, if you travel around, you will only see more poverty diversity, unfair, freedom, capitalism, rich, richness, etc, etc, the only thing you can't see is communism, no statues of Mao, not mention Stalin, he is a name to be avoid in most of occasions...

I am sure she has token more rural area then showing here, but I wonder why AP and other journalism agents only showing these ones.

In summary, good photos, but I agree with Mr. while.

I wonder what type of camera/ lens Ms. Dalziel uses. Looks like she uses a incredibly large aperture, as she is using the no flash at night time.

I would guess a f/1.8 or 2.8 at the very most.

China is a great country with great culture, tradition and a growing world power as well. But they would do well if they stop exporting Maoism, terrorism and weapon technology to the its friendly rogue nations - N Korea and Pakistan

You can take pictures anywhere in china, city or village.

It's amazing how completely China has embraced the West and Western customs - whether it's ballet, white wedding gowns or McDonalds. Do they have no sense of pride in their nation's customs?
Living in the US, I was amazed at the speed at which Chinese students changed their names, religions and food habits compared to people from countries more at ease with their place in this new world.

# 20
Looks like thay used a low resolution picture to paint the tank

I don't understand all this negativity. Wonderful pictures. I thoroughly enjoyed them and have absolutely no complaints or criticism.

brilliant

There are 7 photos are taken from Nan Jie Cun which is really not typical modern Chinese village. People are not happy in Nan Jie Cun. This is last commune in China, very strange place, BBC has a special report in its website. People could argue there are even worser pictures can be taken from China. But for sure it is not the best ones they have taken. All the scenes selected here didn't have real attention to make good pictures out of there anyway. They didn't go far enough to dig out more dirty pictures to depict the poor people in remote mountain area.

For most western media, all they have in mind is to demonize China. In this regard, this article has not done far enough, need more dirty pictures to portrait today's China. By doing so, some of the western people will feel much better, because China is still a undeveloped country, with many problems like human rights violation, world largest polluter, dictatorship, no freedom of speech and no democracy etc. All Chinese cannot even visit this site as example.

Ironically, I am from inside China..........

Am I the only one who sees something vaguely familiar in #20? Tanks, Tiananmen, the angle of the photographer...

what these photos are supposed to be meant?

I think it is just another Western propaganda telling how great and changing the Great China is.

why do we need it? why is China on everywhere, on front of newspapers, photoblogs, in bookshops...?

it is still a represionnist regime and a communist country! do not spoil the undereducated people telling them it is such a great and oriental nation and country.

let's forget about China. talk about Africa! that's where the real problems are.

To #76:

"Am I the only one who sees something vaguely familiar in #20? Tanks, Tiananmen, the angle of the photographer..."

You are not. Yes, 20 years ago tanks ran into Tianmen to crush down the movement. However, if hence you draw conclusion this is an evil empire who use tank on its own people seeking for freedom, you are wrong. OK, "another commie adovocate" you might think. But please, if you really think freedom includes respect of different voice, read on.

During that summer in 1989, these students (me included) were made to believe they were asking for freedom but most people did not have a clear objective of the movement in mind except slogans. After a long time of stand-off the Chinese government made a lot of concession including political reform and a more liberal press. However, the students didn't stop and voice started to surfice about CCP "hand back the power to the people". Then the government was pushed to a corner where they either give up power to people behind these students, or crash down the movement and restore social order with whatever means in hand.

Now the Chinese police force are equipped with water cannons and other non-lethal weapons. But 20 years ago, not like the western countries who were used to handling demostrations and social unrest, the Chinese government had never prepared for such a large scale riot and the police force was not big enough nor properly equipped. So the government made the final choice and sent in the army with tanks. The shooting did not occur at the begining. The government was hoping to peacefully take back the city with the showing of military force, but the mob didn't cave in and blocked all roads. The troops were under sidege for 3 months before the final order came in from Deng : "restore order with all means necessary".

Then people died, soldiers down, the stories you all heard with different version of casualty figures.

For you people from outside, the story makes a perfect example of why communism needs to go hell. But for us who participated and lived in its aftermath since, it is not that simple.

"Where did we want our country to go and how should we have done it in a better way?" I kept asking me this question for the past 20 years when I live in the US. OK, "Overthrow the evil commies of course" you may say. Is it that simple may I ask? Who ensures our future? Who ensures civil war will not break again like old days? More importantly, who ensures we can catch up with the world in terms of economic development?

And today we see the example of many others who took your "advice". Russia who used to be the industrialization teacher of China, is buying high speed train system from, guess who, China. Old eastern europe countries? The living standard is not much better than before if not worse. And look at China today as compare to 20 years ago. Not to mention the amazing economic development, the political system is changing too, though slowly. Now in China we have more freedom than before (yes you can curse the leader on the street and not get imprisoned), laws are more respected than before. More importantly, there's no sign of going back. So we actually achieve or on the way to achieve what we indeed asked for: a better motherland.

Get back to the Tianmen Squre issue. Yes the CCP government had blood on its hand but I, for one, do not think they should be the one to take all the responsibility. I'd rather condemn whoever pushed us (the students and the government) to a point where blood had to be shed. Those who's top priority is to overthrow the CCP and has less interest in helping us other than "freedom".

So, if you really want us to enjoy the same freedom and wealth as you do, please think beyond your hatred towards communism. If all you care is to defeat the evil commies, why bother asking us? Ask your government to nuke them.

Yes,the contry is not happy right now.

#33 - Jesus, eat a sandwich or something sweetheart.

Thanks, Wiz-Be, its the most candid and true words about the incident 1989. As I knew, the so-called Tank Man, is still alive. Lets hope any darkness side in those pictures could shade off gradually. Wish all the people in China bear no more war and poverty, we will be better, no matter how many prejudice and ignorant they have. I bet the westerners indeed also want a better world, but as always, in their way.

Good to see childhood obesity is not just an American problem
Posted by Bojangler October 12, 09 12:22 PM
You don't think so?
That actually is the consequence of Chinese kids being fed on American's junk food, LOL.

Digite seu comentário aqui ...bom trabalho de furografia muito bem guste de ver.

china has existed for 4000-plus years now.
PRC since 1949. China can only survive as a Federation: a federal government. There are too many people. languages, groups who seek self-rule. ONE civilization, many systesms... a free china.

1 Imperial china to Free republic of china.
2. People's republic of china. Free china of free citizens in a free world
3. Federal republic of china. Free republic of china.

USA, russia, brazil, australia: most large nations are federation.
Seperation of party-state.
State cannot be party.
Party cannot be State.
Free citizen, free-vote, free-market, free-trade, free-speech, free citizen in a free-world.
Truth will set china free. Truth will set All free.

Wonderful photos. I think some of the responses here are surprising. So many seem to be surprised that people in China can be smiling and be happy! That is human nature - people can be happy in almost any circumstances, and the while the circumstances in China are in many ways harsh and oppressive they are also improving. In my trips to China I see a great deal of optimism amongst the people there. I think some people are upset when they see things that are different than what they want to see. Keep up the good work, show all sides of China - the good and the bad (there is plenty of both).

The wind farm (#12) is quite a shock. As Paul Krugman, the 2008 Nobel Prize-winning economist said in a recent NYTimes op-ed, China is getting serious about green tech, and will probably win that technological race. Reading about it is one thing, but seeing this picture, wow.

Great foto's, its profi, just that. and a look at this strange land is welcome

About # 7

Hi, guys, i would like to say something about picture 7.

For the student in China, the military drill is necessary, and the basic program as shown in the picture is standing with a standard gesture.

This standing is more than standing! You should keep your legs, arms neck straight, keep silent and without any tiny movement. Maybe you can do it for 5 minutes or 10 minutes, but if more than 60 minutes, you will be very exhausted, and suffer for every second. It's even worse that standing under the strong sunshine.

In the picture, i guess it's the morning time, the tempreture is not so high, sunshine is not so strong. And the standard for the kids is not strict. But it still suffering for them.

So, they are not angry but suffering from the drill. Do you guys also have the same expericence?

Allan Wu from China

anyone who try to "understand" a country bigger than the US with just a few pictures is off to a great start.

Not so much of China in these pictures. No photos of real apartment blocks, factories, streets, etc. This is just a set of postcards.

@12 "they wont allow you to go and take photos in villages and poor regions" - you need not to go to poor regions to feel the difference. Sometimes it is enough to cross the street.

There is very good tea and drinking yogurt ! :-)
Have anybody seen the yogurt in 2 liter bottles? :-)

if you want to find a true China,please go there.

I am a Chinese,I think the photos are beautiful,but I don't know what the photographer want to express as he put the series together.i mean single 9 is 9,single 1 is 1,but you specially put them together into 911,people would think another meaning of it,
Do the photographer want to impress all the reader with 'chirld with no smile','dancers with guns','army with threat','people with no mental freedom'?

China marches on and upholds the banner of Communism!

I love reading comments from howling, bitter capitalists on Big Picture. They know that Communism, guided by scientific Marxism-Leninism, will win.

#71 - This is what makes Chinese people very resilient - we are very adaptable. We have to be - that's why Chinese people are everywhere - you can find Chinese people in any corner of the world.

I am not a fan of the government these people live under, but as a people they deserve our admiration.

Amusing irony in #26.

at my point of view, in these pictures, i saw a China to much related with US.