Top: File photo taken in 1981 by Gao Meiji shows women embroidering in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. Bottom: Photo taken on June 11, 2019 by Li Xiang shows Yao Huifen (L) and her younger sister Yao Huiqin exchanging Suzhou embroidery stitching techniques in Suzhou of Jiangsu. Suzhou embroidery is one of the four famous embroideries in China. Born in a family with a long history of embroidery in Suzhou, Yao Huifen created a new method of embroidery called "Simple Stitch", and incorporated traditional Chinese paintings and portraits into her works. 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)
