BEHIND THE SCENES OF CHINA:
People - Place - Culture - History

The photography for China: People, Place, Culture, History took many months of planning, overcoming language barriers and obtaining strict photography permissions. The DK editorial team worked with DK’s Beijing office to find a suitable researcher and "fixer" – someone who could locate interviewees out of China’s 1.3 billion residents. The team eventually found Zhou XingPing, who was born in Fujian province, in the south of China, and now lives in Beijing. Having researched for and worked with a BBC film documentary crew for two years, Zhou had a broad knowledge of the country and experience finding fascinating interviews. With Zhou, the team set out to showcase a wide spectrum of people and buildings from around the country, with the goal of giving a cross-section of China's population – old and young, urban and rural, male and female.

The photography took place over three months. Christopher Pillitz, a world-renowned reportage photographer, and Chester Ong, an architecture photographer, traveled with Zhou as far as Kashgar in the west, Beijing in the north and Yunnan in the south. They took over 30 flights, 20 train journeys and countless local buses and boats to reach each far-flung place. Because local police in China are often suspicious of photographers and reporters, Zhou and Christopher spent much time talking to officials about the project and obtaining permissions to achieve the amazing photography they did. It wasn't always easy – they both came back several pounds lighter – but the results are spectacular. The photographs in the book reveal a beautiful and often surprising picture of China.

Contributors:

Alison Bailey is Director of the Centre of Chinese Research, Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia. She lived and worked in Beijing for three years and returns frequently.

Ronald G. Knapp is SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus at The State University of New York, and lectures on the geography and architecture of China. He is author and editor of more than a dozen books on Chinese vernacular architecture.

Peter Neville-Hadley is a travel writer and author of many publications on Chinese culture, history, and politics. He studied Mandarin in London and Beijing and runs The Oriental-List website for travelers in China.

J.A.G. Roberts is a historian who teaches at the University of Huddersfield and has written many books on China’s history.

Nancy S. Steinhardt is professor in the department of Asian and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and curator of Chinese art at the University’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Christopher Pillitz is a world-renowned photographer born in Buenos Aires and based in London. He has exhibited in the UK, Italy and Spain and has photographed for books and publications including The Sunday Times, Time, Life, Newsweek and Le Figaro.