New book launch: China’s Children

In the Spring of 1980, Photographer Mike Emery was on board one of the first ever American passenger cruise ships sailing the China coast. No one on board had been to China, in fact, it was a seldom visited country for Westerners. Mike found himself arriving at a time of rapid change and excitement, with economic, political and cultural reforms sweeping the country. With his bright clothes, fair hair and Nikon camera, Mike stood out in the streets of the cities he visited in China. Local people were intrigued. Having never seen a camera before, people didn’t know how to react. Mike played the clown to gauge reactions. He’d pull faces, poke out his tongue, even lay in the middle of the street to get noticed. Sometimes he’d get crowds of up to 50 people, wanting to speak English or just satisfy their curiosity about this strange westerner. As a result, Mike was able to capture the essence of the time, found both in people’s faces and the unique urban landscapes they inhabited.

38 years later, and Mike has collected his finest images and memories into a uniquely beautiful coffee table book. China’s Children is not solely a collection of works featuring children, rather it captures a time over which a generation grew up. It captures everyday people in their lives with a freshness and reality rarely seen.

www.chinaschildren1980.com