Combo photo taken by Li Hanchao shows a view of the Lixiang Hotel (up) in 1989 and a view of a commercial building built on the site of the Lixiang Hotel in 2006, in Korla, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 45 years ago, Li Hanchao bought a Chinese Seagull brand camera with an amount of his two months' salary, by which he started recording the change of his hometown of Korla. Li has walked to the furthest reaches of the city to shoot his most desirable photographs and the prints have slightly yellowed as years passed. "Korla changes greatly. Photos can freeze moments, and recall your memory. That may be the charming of photography", 81-year-old Li Hanchao said. As the years went by, cameras used by Li have gone through upgrades from the Seagull, Ricoh, Canon EOS5 to Canon EOS5D2. Though advanced in age, Li Hanchao now still keeps his passion on photography. (Xinhua)
