Magnum photographer Bruno Barbey first discovered China when he accompanied President Pompidou of France on an official visit there in 1973. It was a country in transition, although still under the influence of the Cultural Revolution. Most of the population still wore Mao suits and walls were covered in colourful slogans. Some years later, Barbey returned and saw the effects of Deng Xiaoping’s invitation to the people to ‘Get Rich’. Nanjing, Suzhou, Macao, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai … Barbey returned to China many times and noted on each visit, with his photos as evidence, the profound changes that were transforming the country. This book comprises a selection of the photographs he has taken over the past 40 years. It is a portrait of a country on the move – from postrevolutionary state to world economic superpower.
