China

Twenty years ago the streets of China's cities were crowded with bicycles. Military music echoed through the squares and people gathered in the teahouse for green tea and a game of cards. Today the bicycles are still there but the roar of cars and buses drowns out the bicycle bells. Shiny office blocks tower above the dust and fumes, and the smell of coffee spills on to the streets. Meet the people of China and discover the diversity of their lives, from a taxi driver in Shanghai to a grain farmer in Shaanxi. Includes maps and graphic panels showing statistics and fact boxes about size, flag, population, religion, currency, language.