Left: File photo taken in 1963 by Wu Chunzhan shows people maintaining a karez well, or subterranean canals, in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Bottom: Photo taken on July 7, 2019 by Hu Huhu shows the construction site of a pipe irrigation project in Tajik Autonomous County of Taxkorgan in Xinjiang. The Karez irrigation system has a history of about 2,000 years. Currently, people in Xinjiang have more accesses to water supply. 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)
