Top: Photo taken in 1979 by Tang Yunli shows a tour guide from Shanghai Travel Agency briefing tourists about the Taihu Lake in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province. Bottom: Photo taken on June 29, 2019 by Liu Ying shows Yan Ziqian from Shanghai Jin Jiang Travel serving Colombian tourists during a guided tour in Yuyuan Garden in east China's Shanghai. As an increasing number of foreigners come to China for travel, tour guides now serve as cultural ambassadors to spread time-honored Chinese culture and folk customs among international tourists. In 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Chinese people faced a devastated country that needed to be rebuilt from scratch after decades of warfare and chaos. After decades of unremitting endeavors and dedication by the Chinese people, China has grown to be the world's second largest economy. In 1952, China's GDP was 30 billion U.S. dollars, while in 2018, its GDP reached 13.61 trillion U.S. dollars, an increase of 452.6 times. A group of combo photos give you a glimpse of what Chinese people did decades ago and what they do right now. Undoubtedly, people from all walks of life in China with hard work and wisdom have made contributions to the country's development. (Xinhua)
