Shunde, 1990. In my father’s ancestral village, having a motorcycle meant the ability to seek more opportunities to do business or work on construction sites.

Shunde, 1990. In my father’s ancestral village, having a motorcycle meant the ability to seek more opportunities to do business or work on construction sites.

 Guangxi, 1989.  Ping pong

Guangxi, 1989. Ping pong

 Taishan, 1990.  In the house built and left behind by my mother’s father, my cousin offers food, money and alcohol to the ancestors to let them know I have returned.

Taishan, 1990. In the house built and left behind by my mother’s father, my cousin offers food, money and alcohol to the ancestors to let them know I have returned.

 Shunde, 1990.  Shave at the village barber shop.

Shunde, 1990. Shave at the village barber shop.

 Wanxian, 1993.  On a bank of the Yangtze River, a child waits for their mother to finish washing their clothes.

Wanxian, 1993. On a bank of the Yangtze River, a child waits for their mother to finish washing their clothes.

 Lijiang, 1990.  Naxi minority women sell chickens and other farm items at a bus stop.

Lijiang, 1990. Naxi minority women sell chickens and other farm items at a bus stop.

 Taishan, 1995. Fong Ny Geung, 83, my oldest living relative in China.

Taishan, 1995. Fong Ny Geung, 83, my oldest living relative in China.

 Shenyang, 1998. Initiation ceremony for new traffic patrol members.

Shenyang, 1998. Initiation ceremony for new traffic patrol members.

 Beijing, 1992. Migrant workers, who float from city to city looking for work, sleep in the train station until they can find jobs as construction workers or security guards.

Beijing, 1992. Migrant workers, who float from city to city looking for work, sleep in the train station until they can find jobs as construction workers or security guards.

 Yangshuo, 1989.  Elementary school

Yangshuo, 1989. Elementary school

 Shenyang, 1998. A woman wears a veil to keep coal dust out of her face in one of the world’s most polluted cities.

Shenyang, 1998. A woman wears a veil to keep coal dust out of her face in one of the world’s most polluted cities.

 Beijing, 1998. Losers at the Beijing Welfare Lottery.

Beijing, 1998. Losers at the Beijing Welfare Lottery.

 Shanghai, 1997.  Workers construct pilings for an elevated highway.

Shanghai, 1997. Workers construct pilings for an elevated highway.

 Beijing, 2003. At the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, visitors pay their respects to the dead during the springtime Gravesweeping Festival by cleaning their memorial plaques and decorating them with flowers.

Beijing, 2003. At the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, visitors pay their respects to the dead during the springtime Gravesweeping Festival by cleaning their memorial plaques and decorating them with flowers.

 Nanjing, 2000. Ancient city wall.

Nanjing, 2000. Ancient city wall.

 Shenzhen, 2001. Dang Jianjun, twenty-one, lost both arms in a factory punch press accident on August 13, 1999, at around 2:00 a.m., eight hours into the overnight shift. Thirty-one such accidents a day happened that year in Shenzhen.

Shenzhen, 2001. Dang Jianjun, twenty-one, lost both arms in a factory punch press accident on August 13, 1999, at around 2:00 a.m., eight hours into the overnight shift. Thirty-one such accidents a day happened that year in Shenzhen.

 Beijing, 1997.  Documentary filmmaker Zhao Liang screens one of his experimental videos.

Beijing, 1997. Documentary filmmaker Zhao Liang screens one of his experimental videos.

 Shenyang, 1998.  Pool hall.

Shenyang, 1998. Pool hall.

 Zhejiang, 1997.  Tent peep show

Zhejiang, 1997. Tent peep show

 Beijing, 1998.  Punk bandmates share a puff of hash smoke.

Beijing, 1998. Punk bandmates share a puff of hash smoke.

 Beijing, 1999. A businessman with no knowledge of rollerblading brought a bunch of rural martial arts students to live in a Beijing skate park, giving them equipment and videos of Western bladers in hopes of developing an exhibition team to hire out

Beijing, 1999. A businessman with no knowledge of rollerblading brought a bunch of rural martial arts students to live in a Beijing skate park, giving them equipment and videos of Western bladers in hopes of developing an exhibition team to hire out for promotional events.

 Beijing, 1998. Slackers hang out by a hotel pool, hoping to meet foreign women.

Beijing, 1998. Slackers hang out by a hotel pool, hoping to meet foreign women.

 Beijing, 1992. Plainclothes policeman monitors a show by the metal band Tang Dynasty.

Beijing, 1992. Plainclothes policeman monitors a show by the metal band Tang Dynasty.

 Yunnan, 1998.   A couple in the hard sleeper compartment on a train from Beijing to Kunming.

Yunnan, 1998. A couple in the hard sleeper compartment on a train from Beijing to Kunming.

 Lanzhou, 2002. A drug user breaks open small paper pods of heroin on a crisp 100 yuan note, where he sifts it before smoking .

Lanzhou, 2002. A drug user breaks open small paper pods of heroin on a crisp 100 yuan note, where he sifts it before smoking .

 Beijing, 1996.  A traveling dealmaker shows the gun he carries to protect himself on the road.

Beijing, 1996. A traveling dealmaker shows the gun he carries to protect himself on the road.

 Shenzhen, 1999. A young woman tries on a rented wedding dress at a photo studio. She is already married, but only now has she saved up enough money to have pictures taken.

Shenzhen, 1999. A young woman tries on a rented wedding dress at a photo studio. She is already married, but only now has she saved up enough money to have pictures taken.

 Xinjiang, 2002.  Harrison Liu films his character’s death scene in the action movie Warriors of Heaven and Earth.

Xinjiang, 2002. Harrison Liu films his character’s death scene in the action movie Warriors of Heaven and Earth.