Poignant China images, 2005 (Part I)

This post is the English translation of a forwarded email from a Chinese colleague of mine. The pictures below were part of the email and according to its title, a collection of some of the most moving images circulating the Chinese blogosphere at the minute. Whether or not they are current photos, and whether or not the captions accompanying the images are accurate and authentic, I think they still reflect a part of China that is not projected to the world enough - a country that is moving forward so quickly that those who are not able to keep up are, often ruthlessly, left behind.

Blood sellers - Children following their parents who have come from afar to sell blood. Their eyes belie their childish innonence. They will not have the chance to see the freshly drawn bags of blood from their parents, nor do they understand the hardship endured by the ordinary man in this society. (Signboard reads "Blood donors proceed to second floor")

A public health centre (hospital?) inPishan County, Xinjiang. Patients bring their own food and blankets to the centre.

A peasant family in Ximengyuesong Village, Yunnan

Destitute Wa Minority child

The rural folks must work very hard just to survive, so much so that a visitor is greeted by a deserted village if he turns up without advance notice. 81 year old man hard at work in Pinglue Village, Tiandong County, Guangxi.

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The New Year has just gone past. This is when the volume of migrant worker movement is at its greatest. You can find them everywhere in the waiting rooms (presumably in train or bus terminals)

Late at night, a cold wind blows. Although the station is full of people, it is difficult to withstand the icy wind that chills to the bone. The people wear everything that they own in order to keep warm.

The masses of workers on the road. Their tide is like the waters of a swollen river. They flag down all vehicles heading south. Mode of transport doesn't matter as long as it is heading south. These migrant workers endure humiliation, hardship and work hard, tenaciously taking root in the crevices of the city.

There is a unique subgroup among the poor of China - impoverished mothers. Many of them live in extreme poverty, suffering from malnutrition and with no source of income. They do not experience cultural education, health, sanitation and other basic social welfare services. They have a low level of education and poor health.

Zhang Jianying, 32 years old from Shangqingshi Village, Kaicheng, Guyuan County, Ningxia. She has a family of 5. She owns 15 mu of hilly soil which yielded 450kg of wheat and a tonne of potatoes last year. The family owns a mule. Her husband's work pays RMB500 which buys grains for the family but that is not enough to send the children to school.

Sheep herding on the saline - alkali soil is an important source of income for many farmers.

Migrant workers loading a truck with sacks of cement mix. They can earn a few dozen kuai each. The foreman constantly yells at them to hurry up.

A family on their way home after a hard day's work(why must they have so many children? Sometimes I think there is no way you can know what they go through unless you are in their life) Italics from original Chinese posting.

This old lady must muster up every last bit of strength she has in her frail body in order to survive.

Exposed to the harsh elements of sun, wind and rain, this is where our children, our future, receive their education.