Seventy-five years after the founding of the People’s Republic, China stands as one of the most striking examples of national transformation in modern history. From a largely agrarian economy in 1949, it has evolved into the world’s second-largest, marked by dynamic cities, technological innovation and expanding global influence.
Its infrastructure reflects this progress. High-speed rail links, vast motorway networks and state-of-the-art airports have redrawn the map of travel, while a digital revolution has placed China at the forefront of mobile communications and e-commerce. Industry, once dominated by heavy manufacturing, now encompasses advanced technologies, renewable energy and global brands. Education reforms have reshaped opportunity, producing a generation of highly skilled professionals, while everyday life has changed just as profoundly. Traditional dress and customs now coexist with international fashion, café culture and vibrant urban lifestyles, creating a society that is at once rooted and forward-looking.
This feature explores China’s remarkable journey – not simply a record of economic achievement, but a portrait of a nation reshaping its identity on the world stage. -PHOTOS AFP/REUTERS

Vehicles on Three Ring Road and Jianwai Street during the evening rush hour in central Beijing.

Drivers talk on a steam locomotive at the Yongdingmen railway station in Beijing in 1981.

China’s newly launched CR450 high-speed train is redefining rail travel. Clocking in at 400 kilometers per hour -- making it the fastest train globally.

People perform Arhat exercise, a form of traditional Chinese fitness, at a park in Beijing in 1988.

A child sitting on a roadside snooker pool plays with her mother in Beijing in 1983.

Locals dance during a morning exercise session at the Temple of Heaven park in Beijing.

A general view shows Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour in 1865.

Residents hold tape recorders to record folk songs during a singing contest in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in 1988.

Black-and-white TV sets are displayed at a department store in Xidan, one of the three traditional shopping streets, in Beijing in 1981.

Customers at an internet cafe in Hefei, Anhui province.

Villagers attend a rally in Longxian County, Shaanxi province in 1990.

People offer sewing services at an open market in Quanzhou, Fujian province, in 1982.

A production line of a garment factory in Huaibei, Anhui province .

A girl celebrates the golden week national holiday with her dad in October 2018

A family enjoy tea in a park in Guangzhou, 1978

A girl runs with a child standing a scooter past red lanterns ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year at a park in Beijing on 24 January 2019. 

Skating into prosperity -- people ice skate on a frozen river in Beijing, 21 January 2017. 

A general view of the Hong Kong skyline.

People enjoy sunset boat rides in the Yuyuantan park in Beijing, 24 March 2019.