It would take at least one million pictures, and/or one billion words, to commence cataloguing the characteristics, changes and concerns that encapsulate bygone and contemporary China.
But The Idiot is ready to take on the task.
Here are the first ten of his one million photographs following a riveting odyssey from Beijing to Tibet and back to Shanghai.
Throughout the country, solar energy keeps the kettles boiling.
Buddhas, like this one painted on a rock above a swaying suspension bridge on the Yellow River, abound.
Forget the past emphasis on having a son, girls are back in vogue.
Skins and furs are still sold on Main Street in central China.
Colorful thangkas are always considered a good bet against evil spirits.
Outdoor pool halls are the rage.
Monks loudly and physically practice debate in Lhasa, Tibet.
Some people are eager to get up close and personal with The Idiot to discuss contemporary China.
It’s never too cold or windy for Buddhist prayer flags.
A yak butter lamp keeps things looking bright in Tibet.
Text and Photos: Joel Stratte-McClure
About Joel
Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."
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