China: Portrait of a People [平装]

Despite increased tourism and rampant foreign investment, the cultural distance between China and the West remains as vast as the oceans that separate them.

However photojournalist Tom Carter has sought out to introduce China in its entirety with CHINA: Portrait of a People, the most comprehensive book of photography on modern China ever published by a single author.

Tom Carter of San Francisco spent 2 years traveling 35,000 miles (56,000 kilometers) across the Middle Kingdom to visit over 200 cities and villages, including some of the most remote locations in the country. En route, he discovered and photographed spectacular geographic and ethnic diversity.

'What the photographs herein reveal is that China is not just one place, one people, but 33 distinct regions populated by 56 different ethnicities, each with their own languages, customs and lifestyles,' writes China travel expert Tom Carter in his introduction. 'It is my most sincere hope that this book unites the people immortalized in its pages - from Tibetan pilgrims and Beijing scholars to Uyghur Muslims and Shanghai bankers - in celebration of their glorious cultures.

Publisher Dania Shawwa Abuali of Haven Books remarked: 'There are several books of photography already on the market that focus on China's history or famous sites, but CHINA: Portrait of a People is the first of this scope by a single author devoted to Chinese PEOPLE! Tom Carter has single-handedly photographed almost every aspect of life humanity across the PRC.'

CHINA: Portrait of a People includes a rare forward by celebrated Chinese authoress Anchee Min (Red Azalea, Empress Orchid) who says 'Tom Carter is an extraordinary photographer whose powerful work captures the heart and soul of the Chinese people.

The Beijing Olympics focused the world's eyes on China. But despite increased tourism and rampant foreign investment, the cultural distance between China and the West remains as vast as the oceans that separate them. The Middle Kingdom is still relatively unknown by Westerners.

China is in fact made up of 33 distinct regions populated by 56 ethnic groups - and American photographer Tom Carter visited them all on a two-year road trip. This little book is a visual tribute to the People's Republic of China, with an ardent emphasis on the People.