2008-12-04 16:07:55 - Ancient villages and modern cities a major theme in photojournalist Tom Carter's groundbreaking 640-page illustrated book CHINA: Portrait of a People

1 country, 1.3 billion people, 33 provinces, 56 ethnicities, 2 years, 56,000 kilometers.

The most comprehensive book of photography on modern China ever published by a single author? Decidedly so. But what the title of Tom Carter's new book doesn't suggest is that Chinese architecture also plays a role throughout CHINA: Portrait of a People's 640 pages.

The American photojournalist's critically acclaimed book, recently published in Hong Kong by Blacksmith Books, focuses heavily on Chinese people, life and humanity. However, during the author's 2 year backpacking sojourn across the 33 provinces of China, Carter surveyed China's structural side as well - those ancient villages and modern cities where the people of his eponymous book dwell.

In a recent interview with Rebekah Pothaar of

ChinaTravel.Net, Carter had this to say:

'I was truly surprised to find that every Chinese province has distinct terrain and architecture as well as unique culture. China is like 33 siblings, sharing the same blood yet each with their own personalities and appearance.'

'For a glimpse into ancient China minus the souvenir stands, go backpacking around the Miao-Dong Autonomous Region in East Guizhou, the tulou Hakka earth buildings in southern Fujian, the Tibetan shanties of Langmusi in South Gansu, or the stunning Qing dynasty villages that dot southern Anhui/northern Jiangxi provinces. It's like a living, breathing scroll painting.'

'You need to move fast, though; there's an old Chinese saying I made up that goes 'village China does not commercialize is village China will bulldoze'

Read the entire insightful interview here:

www.chinatravel.net/feature/Tom-Carter-on-Photographing-China-fo ..

For a striking sampling of Tom Carter's China landscape photography, view the exciting new CPOP book trailer on YouTube (below):

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Available online and in all fine Asian bookshops.

www.blacksmithbooks.com/9789889979942.htm

CHINA: Portrait of a People, by Tom Carter
Genre: Travel / Photography / Art / China
ISBN: 9-789889-979942
Size: 15cm x 15cm, soft cover, 640 pages, 800 full color images, with maps of each province
Published: Summer 2008 by Blacksmith Books, Hong Kong, in association with Haven Books

www.tomcarter.org