The Chinese

After two hundred years of relative decline, China is about to regain its geopolitical importance and is one of the fastest developing countries in the world. The Chinese society is in an unparalleled upheaval. But the effects of the incredible economical boom aren’t felt the same way throughout the country. While urban centers like Shanghai and Hong Kong aren’t much different from big Western metropolis anymore, there are still a lot of small towns in the countryside that seem to come out of a different age.

In June we travelled to Beijing, to start from there an epic road trip through 30 of Chinas 33 provinces, independent cities and autonomous regions. We were on the road for more than seven months, travelled over 30000 kilometer and visited many remote and untouched areas. On this trip, we shot portraits of people from the most different social backgrounds, in all areas of this vast country. From the mighty industrialist Ying Ming Shan in Chongqing to the poor coal miner Su Zhenglin in Shanxi province. From the prostitute Xia Lan in Shenzhen to Yao Dongmei, the project manager of the prestigious CCTV tower construction in Beijing. The people were always shot in their natural environment.

These portraits tell much about China today. A fascinating place full of contradictions.

Images: Mathias Braschler & Monika Fischer