Chengdu. Chrysanthemum flower in People's Park.

Wuhan. skull of Homo Erectus discovered in Yunxian, Hubei Province in 1989, collection of the Hubei Provincial Museum. Though distorted by earthly pressure over many millennia, it is regarded as among the most complete Middle Pleistocene hominid crania found in Asia.

Xiangtan, Hunan Province. In preparation for the Dec. 2015 opening of Xiangtan City Museum, a painter details a mural of the ancient civilization of the region. The Chinese government exceeded its goal of 3500 museums by 2015 when 451 were opened in 2012.

Jingzhou, Hubei Province. A docent at Jingzhou Museum points out the unique feature of this Warring States period jade burial mask: it is a carved and incised representation of a face on a single piece of jade. Typically facial features in ancient jade burial masks are faceted and composed of numerous jade pieces.

Zhonglu, Danba County, Sichuan Province. A smaller scale Jiarong Tibetan watchtower exhibits remnants of a previously adjoining structure. While remaining centuries-old watchtowers, which reach heights of up to 60m, are now conserved to promote heritage and tourism, stone from derelict structures is routinely re-purposed into the new construction of the region.

Zhonglu, Danba County, Sichuan Province. Site excavation in process to construct new facilities for local school.

Zigong, Sichuan Province. Market wares line the Futaishan pedestrian tunnel which traverses beneath the ridgeline along the Fuxi River.

Ya’an, Sichuan Province. A woman crosses over the Qingyi River, major tributary to the Lower Yangzi, on the Qiang River Bridge; downriver is the Yazhou Covered Bridge, a pedestrian mall with traditional Chinese architectural features surrounded by vehicular traffic, completed in 2005.

Chongqing. A man takes a call on balcony looking over Liziba Park, along the Jialing River.

Wuhan, Hubei Province. World City Optical Valley Pedestrian Street.

Jingzhou, Hubei Province. The formerly defensive Small North Gate vestibule of the ancient city wall of Jingzhou. City fortification began in the Spring and Autumn period when Ying, present-day Jingzhou, was capital of the Chu state. The wall were last rebuilt in the 17th century.

Jingzhou, Hubei Province. New public works construction within the old city walls of Jingzhou.

Leshan, Sichuan Province. A Saturday morning calligraphy school session.

Leshan, Sichuan Province.

People's Park, Chengdu. Ground calligrapher in front of the Railway Protection Movement Monument.

Wuhan. News of the day posted at a kiosk in Hankou Jiangtan Park.

Chongqing. Children in front of a temporary stage backdrop at People’s Liberation Monument Square.

The Revolution of 1911 Museum, Wuhan. This diorama depicts negotiation of Austria-Hungary, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Russia, Spain, United States and China—Final Protocol for the Settlement of the Disturbances of 1900. Also known as the Boxer Protocol, the reparations agreement for the Eight-Nation Alliance was signed by the Qing imperial court on Sep. 7, 1901 in the Spanish legation of Beijing.

The Revolution of 1911 Museum, Wuhan. A diorama of 13 year-old Sun Yat-sen and his mother, known as Lady Yang, aboard the steamship Grannoch cycles through day and nighttime lighting. After the journey from Macao to Honolulu, Sun stayed with his older brother Sun Mei in Hawaii from 1878-1883 and excelled in English schooling.

The Revolution of 1911 Museum, Wuhan. Qing Emperor Guangxu is represented with Empress Dowager Cixi sitting in shadow behind him.

The Revolution of 1911 Museum, Wuhan. This tableau depicts the unity of Chinese revolutionary groups with the establishment of Tongmenghui in Tokyo, Aug. 20, 1905. The figures gathered around Sun Yat-sen are not identified individually in the museum text, though by approximate appearances it may be Cai Yuanpei, standing left, Song Jiaoren, seated left, Huang Xing, seated right, and, standing right, Toten Miyazaki who has been credited with first usage of Sun’s appellation of 中山, Zhongshan, in Japanese, Nakayama, as a protective pseudonym for hotel registration.

Presidential Palace, Nanjing. Tableau of Chiang Kai-shek, Song Qingling, Soong Meiling, Soong Ailing, and Wang Jingwei.

Shaoshan Mao Memorial Museum, Shaoshan, Hunan Province Museum visitors pose in front of bronze represenation of Mao and Long Marchers.

Shaoshan Mao Memorial Museum, Shaoshan, Hunan Province. Museum Visitors pose before the diorama of Mao Zedong declaring the founding of the Peoples Republic of China, October 1, 1949.