Scenes From 21st-Century China

More images from the very excellent magazine The Atlantic

China, the most populous country and the second-largest economy in the world, is a vast, dynamic nation that continues to grow and evolve in the 21st century. In this, the latest entry in a semi-regular series on China, we find images of tremendous variety, including astronauts, nomadic herders, replica European villages, pole dancers, RV enthusiasts, traditional farmers, and inventors. This collection is only a small view of the people and places in China over the past several weeks

There are nearly 50 images to enjoy, here are just a few to whet your appetite

Liu Yang, China’s first female astronaut, waves during a departure ceremony at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu province, on June 16, 2012. China sent its first woman taikonaut into outer space this week, prompting a surge of national pride as the rising power takes its latest step towards putting a space station in orbit within the decade. Liu, a 33-year-old fighter pilot, joined two other taikonauts aboard the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft when it lifted off from a remote Gobi Desert launch site.(Reuters/Jason Lee)

A woman carries her daughter who is wearing a mask as they make their way along a busy intersection in Wuhan, Hubei province, on June 11, 2012. The Chinese metropolis of Wuhan was blanketed by thick yellowish cloud, raising fears of pollution among its nine million inhabitants, as air pollution is increasingly acute in major Chinese cities and authorities are frequently accused of underestimating the severity of the problem in urban areas, especially in Beijing. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Farmers herd a flock of ducks along a street towards a pond as residents drive next to them in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, on June 17, 2012. (Reuters/China Daily)

A rainbow arches over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, on June 19, 2012. (Reuters/Bobby Yip)

A laborer works on a residential building under construction in Aksu, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, on June 17, 2012. China’s annual real estate investment growth slowed to the lowest pace since the global financial crisis, official data showed recently, stoking expectations that curbs on the property market may be eased. (Reuters/Stringer)

See more images of China here

May Day Pictures from around the world

From the pages of The Atlantic come these 40 images of the world on May 1st

“In cities all around the world yesterday, people took to the streets for May Day demonstrations, protests, and rallies. Members of the Occupy movement, leftists, labor groups, students and more made their voices heard from Jakarta to Berlin, and from Lagos to Seattle. Frustration with financial institutions, sluggish economies, and harsh austerity measures were aired, and some rallies became violent, resulting in a number of arrests. Collected here are scenes from yesterday, May Day, as it happened cross the globe.”

Occupy Wall Street activists, one wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, rest on a sidewalk during a May Day demonstration in New York, on May 1, 2012. (Reuters/Allison Joyce)

Riot police use tear gas against demonstrators during a May Day rally in central Ankara, Turkey, on May 1, 2012. (Reuters/Umit Bektas)

Activists, maids and workers rally during a May Day protest in Hong Kong on May 1, 2012. About 5,000 workers, domestic helpers and activists held a noisy procession and marched through the city center to call for better working conditions and a raise of the minimum wage which was implemented in 2011. (Laurent Fievet/AFP/GettyImages)

Protestors sit with red flags during a May Day rally in central Istanbul, on May 1, 2012. Tens of thousands of workers gathered at Taksim square in the heart of Turkey’s biggest city Istanbul to celebrate May Day. (Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images) #

Militants and labour union members gather around a burning the effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino in Manila on May 1, 2012 as part of the May Day protests demanding higher wages and policies that would make it harder to fire workers. Aquino has said he is trying to help labour but has warned that giving too many benefits will make the country less competitive, costing more jobs. (Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images) #

See more here on The Atlantic site

Pollution in China

From the excellent Denver Post pblogs comes these images that at the start of a new year offer little hope.

Beijing authorities cancelled hundreds of flights and shut highways as thick smog descended on the Chinese capital on December 4 and 5, reducing visibility at one of the world’s busiest airports. Air quality in Beijing reached “hazardous” levels on December 5, according to the US embassy, which conducts its own measurements, while China’s state Xinhua news agency said pollution was likely to reach “dangerous” levels.

Take a look at pollution across China from the past year.

A woman wears a mask as she makes her way along a street in thick smog in Beijing on February 21, 2011. Beijing went “beyond” measurable pollution levels, the US embassy said, as a Chinese official warned people to stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities. Air pollution in Beijing has been consistently listed as among the worst in the world by international organizations such as the United Nations. (GOH CHAI HIN/AFP/Getty Images

Photo taken on January 19, 2011 shows heavy smoke after an explosion ripped through an oil refinery in Fushun, northeast China’s Liaoning province. The blast shattered the windows of buildings 100 meters away and ignited a blaze later brought under control by firefighters, which left more than 30 people injured. No deaths were reported at the facility owned by a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Sunshine is filtered through particularist, as seen from Kowloon Peak, hanging over Hong Kong on February 6, 2011. According to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) the pollution in Hong Kong ranged from medium to very high, with the pollutants such as respirable suspended particulates, nitrogen dioxide and ozone affecting the air quality. (ANTONY DICKSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese children swim along the algae-filled coastline of Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province on July 17, 2011. Green algae continues to spread in waters off China’s east coastline and although not poisonous, it can hinder the fishing industry and tourism in affected areas. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)