Top: File photo taken in 1967 by Wang Mingyi shows a film projectionist screening a film in Yudu County, east China's Jiangxi Province. Bottom: Photo taken on July 2, 2019 by Peng Zhaozhi shows Xie Pingguo (1st R, front), a film projectionist who has been devoted in the career for 41 years, screening a film for villagers in Huzhou Village of Ji'an City in Jiangxi. Watching a film used to be a big event in rural areas several decades ago. In the film days, a projectionist had to carry a set of equipments weighing over 50 kilograms including electric generator, projection machine and other devices to villages. With the development of infrastructure and technology, a digitalized film only needs a projection machine and a screen. In some big cities, outdoor films incorporating drive-in theater have become a popular, nostalgic entertainment among people. 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)
