China is quickly overtaking the United States and Europe in so many ways that it’s hard to keep track. It’s not crazy to imagine China as the world’s sole superpower a decade or two down the line — but that wasn’t always the case. Most people forget that China has been enduring constant change since the 1800s, which continues today.
Looking at pictures of sprawling cities and huge factories, it’s easy to forget that China used to be a largely agrarian society. These vintage pictures of China and the island of Hong Kong by Scottish photographer John Thomson show what that life was like between 1886 and 1872, long before China became the economic superpower it is today.
(via: Vintage Everyday)
I can barely imagine what modern life is like in China, let alone how it must have been in the late 1800s. I don’t think anyone in these photos could have predicted the kind of powerhouse their country would become a few centuries later.
