Top: File photo taken in 1979 by Zhang Shenming shows staff members sorting books for children at Wuhan Children's Library in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. Bottom: Photo taken on June 21, 2019 by Xiong Qi shows He Jing, a staff member of Hubei Provincial Library, inspecting the library in Wuhan. "When I started to work in the library, my colleagues had to label each book with a card, by which readers could find books they wanted. By contrast, readers now can check books via self-service facilities," said He. The development of digital library not only simplifies staff's working procedures, but also facilitates readers' borrowing and reading experience. 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)
