In July, the Chinese Communist Party will celebrate 100 years since its founding.
Its mission has, in theory, been to lead millions of underprivileged people into a better existence. Yet, in the 50s and 60s, the policies of its leader, Mao Zedong, led to starvation and chaos.
His death ushered in a different era – captured by a new generation of photographers, unafraid to show the real China as it rapidly developed.
The BBC’s China Correspondent Stephen McDonell spoke to one of the most acclaimed about the massive, sweeping changes he’s seen.