This German immigrant traveled to San Francisco during the 1800s and immediately fell in love with China Town. He decided to capture the essence of the cultural hub by snapping away with his small camera. Luckily, he kept his photos in a bank vault sparing them the chaos of the quake.

The photos resurfaced in his photo book “Pictures of Old China Town.”

Besides photography skills, Genthe also had a knack for poetically describing his surroundings taking readers on a trip through time.

“The smell of the place—it was a mixture of the scent of sandalwood and exotic herbs from the drugstores, the sickly sweetness of opium smoke, the fumes of incense and roast pork … And in the air there was always the sound of temple gongs, the clashing of cymbals and the shrill notes of an orchestra. It was something for me to write home about,” he explains in his book.

San Francisco’s China Town materialized after Chinese citizens turned to the West during the mid-1800s.

Many fled the country’s turbulent conflicts at the time. Others sought to test their luck during the California Gold Rush. Still, others decided to chase the American dream as job opportunities opened up on the Transcontinental Railroad.

San Francisco has since rebuilt its China Town. But, many say it’s simply not the same anymore..

Zhou is remembered in Chinese history as one of Chairman Mao Zedong’s most trusted lieutenants, and his right-hand man. He also is recognized for saving lives without being purged during the Cultural Revolution, which coincided with the height of Mao’s paranoia and blood spilling.

During his lifetime, his character was admired by all walks of life in China from peasants to top officials. His leadership and handling of foreign affairs was lauded by leaders from Beijing to Washington.

To celebrate his life, Sina published a photo essay capturing the highlights of Zhou through the eyes of those he met along his 77-year journey into the history books.

One photo depicts a young Zhou with friend Zhang Shenfu, the man who introduced Zhou to the Communist Party and essentially kick-started the legacy Zhou would create.

Zhang remembers Zhou as an energetic revolutionary studying abroad in Paris. Zhou eventually joined the ranks of the nascent CCP in the spring of 1921, months before the Communist Party became official.

The essay also contains photos of Zhou with his wife Deng Yingchao. She recalls marrying her husband with no ceremony because there were no registrars or witnesses at the time they wed in 1925.

As a high-ranking party official, Zhou came into contact with several foreign leaders especially during the three-party talks.

During this time, he captured the respect of many.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China John Leighton Stuart, who also is pictured in the essay among other American officials, said Zhou was a man of “infinite charisma.”

As the collapse of the 3-party talks came closer, U.S. General George Marshall expressed that the Nationalists under Chiang Kaishek did not give Zhou “the respect that a man of his caliber deserved.”

The essay features photographs of Zhou with former President Richard Nixon and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Nixon described Zhou as a calm man who always “spoke directly and succinctly.”

Kissinger praised Zhou as “scholarly, patient, intelligent, adroit and agile. When discussing international affairs, he easily and quickly got to the heart of the matter, and it seemed that there was no affair he was not prepared to discuss.”

Nonetheless, Zhou resonated as much with the top of society as he did with the bottom.

One photo taken in 1950 depicts Zhou with Sun Yatsen’s wife, Soong Ching-ling.

She spoke highly of Zhou’s ties to peasants.

“Whatever the peasants ate, he ate too,” Soong said. “His clothes were often worn thin and covered in patches. He would often eat his meals with his driver, and would dine together with the wait staff during flights.”

Zhou’s life, however, began to deteriorate when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 1972 at the height of Mao’s ill-fated Cultural Revolution.

At the time, high-ranking officials needed approval from Mao before they could undergo surgery. Possibly due to Mao’s paranoia of party members conspiring against him and as his purge continued, Mao ordered Zhou’s diagnoses to be kept secret from him. By the time Zhou finally was operated on in 1974, the cancer already had spread. He died on January 8, 1976.

Deng Xiaoping said the following of Zhou’s role during the turbulent time before his death: “Zhou was placed in a difficult situation during the Cultural Revolution where he was forced to act and speak against his own will. Regardless, he deserves the forgiveness of the people. Because it was not truly him who did those things, nor was it truly him who spoke, and had he not, he would have forfeited the life of a great man. In working from behind the scenes, Zhou was able to save a great many people during the turmoil.”

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The 37-metre-high statue is painted gold and it sits on farmland in Tongxu county, Henan Province. The project was made possible by local businessmen who paid nearly 3 million Yuan or $460,000.

Despite its sensitive location, The People’s Daily newspaper reports that some local villagers also donated money to fund its construction, which is ongoing.

Still, the statue drew much criticism online for its location and the large sum of money used to construct it.

Only a crane used to build the statue towers over Mao as he looks upon the countryside, while in a sitting position.

Mao’s leadership is seen by many as a bloody and repressive era in Chinese history. His policies such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution saw the deaths of millions through famine and political purges.

Nonetheless, many still view him as a revered figure including President Xi Jinping.

In the last two years of his presidency, Xi has gained notoriety for ushering in what many analysts are calling one of the biggest suppressions of free speech in recent Chinese history.

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Chinese authorities have barred dissident writer and activist Wang Lixiong from leaving the country on grounds that his exit would “damage national security.”

The 62-year-old was stopped from boarding a plane at Beigjing’s Capital International Airport on Saturday.

He confirmed his detention on Tuesday to Radio Free Asia but declined to elaborate on the matter as he said he had promised to not talk to the press.

Wang had been on his way to Japan to promote the Japanese-language edition of his 1991 book “Yellow Peril.” The book, which is banned in China along with his nine other books, tells the story of a China under collapse as it struggles with economic, cultural and political turmoil.

Wang also openly writes about the Chinese government’s repression in the Uyghur and Xinjiang regions. In 1999, he was arrested and held for 42 days after he led research for an article about the ruling Communist Party’s policies in Xinjiang.

He also covers Tibetan issues including the massive loss of Tibetan culture and identity during Beijing’s state-sponsored Cultural Revolution.

Wang also detailed the mass killings of Tibetan rebels in 1950 during a recent broadcast on RFA’s Mandarin service.

In July 2014, he was placed under house arrest along with his wife Tsering Woeser, who had her passport license rejected.

Travel ban citations have been on the rise in China recently, according to activist Hu Jia.

Since a crackdown on professions emerged in July, dozens of human rights lawyers have been handed travel bans. The same has been done for their families including teenagers seeking permission to study abroad..

Those are the words that renowned humanitarian Elsie Tu lived by up until her death on Dec. 8, 2015 at the age of 102.

This Englishwoman arrived in the colony of Hong Kong in 1951 as Elsie Elliot to support her husband, a missionary named Bill Elliot.

But she soon wanted to do more than just spread the word of God.

At the time, Honk Kong was administered solely by British officials and businessmen for the purpose of exploitation. Elsie came to see the Chinese as victims and grew to view colonialism as something that brought out the worst in the British.

She became dismayed at the sight of Chinese refugees escaping newly-communist China into the cramped, dilapidated huts in the slums of Kai Tak in Kowloon.

She was heartbroken by the children walking into her church on fungus-encrusted feet and with boils from malnutrition.

So, Elsie set up a hospital clinic to treat them.

She saw children with an eagerness to learn holding cheap comics on the street.

So, Elsie founded Mu Kwang Middle school in 1954.

But, she didn’t stop advocating for the needy’s rights through philanthropy. She was also very vocal at criticizing the top.

Soon, Elsie was catching the attention of the Legislative Council, the police, and top British officials.

She got her first taste of Honk Kong’s corrupted underbelly when she began buying land for buildings and exploring the Education Department. She saw triads extorting protection money from hut-dwellers across the land.

She even noticed police involvement in the narcotics trade. Elsie exposed this corruption in her reports and letters to the South China Morning.

Police eventually accused her of inciting violence among demonstrators protesting against a fare hike on the Star Ferry linking Hong Kong island and Kowloon. After she proved the, wrong, she became widely popular.

Those at the top didn’t really know what to make of her. But, Elsie eventually climbed to the ranks of the Legislative Council where she sat from 1988 to 1995.

Through protecting the needy Chinese in Hong Kong, she also found love after having left her demanding, first husband.

In 1985, she married a Chinese patriot from Inner Mongolia named Tu Hsueh-kwei. She came to call him “Andrew” after the apostle who cared for the needy. Elsie adopted “Tu” as her last name.

Together, they founded Elsie’s school and worked toward humanitarianism. Today, that school stands as a seven-storey block with 1,300 students. It started as a 30-desk army tent.

Andrew also boosted her interest in Chinese culture. Through him, she learned the philosophy and poetry of China as well as the Chinese habit of patience.

The marriage served as a contrast to her previous one, where her most important roles including serving refreshments at meetings. With Andrew, it was he who greeted her with tea after she spent a busy day at the Legislative Council.

As Hong Kong moved closer to Communist China’s control, she attacked what she called “disgraceful” reforms belatedly introduced by the British.

In 1995, she lost her seat to a “pro-Democracy” candidate.

She refused to shake his hand..

Sandy Phan-Gillis, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Chinese ethnicity, visited China in March along with a trade delegation that included Houston’s mayor pro-tem Ed Gonzalez and local developer Vincent Chau.

She was detained when the group passed through an immigration-control checkpoint connecting the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai with Macau, a self-administered peninsula beyond the jurisdiction of mainland law enforcement.

“We respectfully request that you personally call on the Chinese government to immediately release Ms. Phan-Gillis and update us on what specific actions the United States government has taken to seek consistent consular access and secure her release,” the chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said in a letter.

The committee includes Rep. Christopher Smith, (R-N.J.); and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), said in their letter this week.

Days passed before China’s state security agency notified the U.S consulate in Guangzhou that Phan-Gillis was being investigated on suspicion of stealing state secrets and spying. Her detention was kept secret until it was publically revealed in September when she was moved from a form of house arrest to a higher-security detention center in Nanning, Guangxi, and a province along the Vietnam border.

Under Chinese law, Chinese authorities can hold a person for six months while they investigate allegations. The government then has up to 37 days to issue charges or present its case in court. The government can also prolong the delay for another six months if they obtain up to three extensions.  Although the 37-day deadline has passed, it’s currently not clear whether Phan-Gillis has been issued charges, or whether the government has pursued an extension to hold her.

“It seems advisable for the State Department to consider issuing a travel advisory for China, so that Americans, including untold numbers who routinely conduct business in the mainland, are aware of the potential risks,” the commission said in its letter.

In its response to a commission inquiry made in December, the State Department said that 110 American citizens have been detained, imprisoned, or released on bail or probation in China this month. About 40 of those were reportedly held on charges related to their commercial activity. Another 15 are being held in China until business disputes can be resolved..

The state-run Xinhua news agency broadcasted the announcement made by the party’s Central Committee on Thursday.

“I have looked forward to this for so many years — even had dreams about it! I cried every time when I woke up and realized it wasn’t yet true. I thought it was so unfair,” said 36-year-old Su Weihu in an interview with CBC news.

The committee made its decision “to improve the balanced development of population” and to deal with an aging population.

The one-child policy was implemented in 1979 to solve issues brought on by a rapidly-growing population including the diminishing of essential resources.

Since then, China has gradually eased this policy. For example, rural couples eventually got the right to have a second child if the first born was a girl.

Traditionally, Chinese couples prefer boys over girls sometimes resorting to forced abortions. This has upset the population ratio between men and women making it hard for men to find wives. Some officials link this trend to the increase in human trafficking of women into China.

Amendments to the one-child policy haven’t resulted in a balanced sex ratio. Couples generally still prefer boys and the younger generation typically sees a smaller family size as ideal.

The birthrate dip also spiked the average age of the population raising concerns that the young labor pool, sparked by the one-child policy, won’t be able to support the baby boom generation as it retires.

“The good news is, it is here. The bad news is, it is too little too late,” said Cai Yong, a sociology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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One of the five great Chinese scholarly works is considered to be the “Classic of Poetry,” a 3,000-year-old collection of lyrics and verses from the early Zhou Dynasty compiled by Confucius.

Confucius admired the Zhou dynasty for its virtuous governance, upright culture, and emphasis on Chinese ritual known as “Li.”

Li which embodies spirituality, etiquette and music is among the five cardinal virtues taught by Confucius.

Similar to how Western theater developed from ancient Greek festivals held in honor of the gods, Chinese etiquette and music originated from the religious rites meant to maintain bonds between humans and spiritual entities.

Music played a central role in these rites. By the time the Zhou Dynasty came to power, music and the arts were staples of high society. Children of aristocrats were expected to study classical music and dance from an early age.

It was this norm that appealed to Confucius. He believed leaders could create societies that promote harmony and heart while diminishing the need for strict laws and policing if they govern under the principles of Li.

According to the “Classic of Rites and Music,” people succumb to thoughts of greed and cruelty once lured by material wealth and gain. Thus, the kings cultivated music and ritual to regulate the heart. “Through ritual, human nature is preserved, through music, harmony is upheld.”

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During the interview in which Marr probed Liu about China’s human rights record ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to the U.K., the ambassador said Ai is only famous for his criticism of the Chinese government.

Ai’s supporters believe that such criticism landed him in detention within the communist nation’s borders. However, Beijing maintains he was under investigation for tax fraud.

Lui explained there are “many talented Chinese artists” better than “this so-called artist.”.

He was born into a military family and quickly cultivated a reputation as something of a braggart. The family was fortunate enough to have enough income to afford him a good traditional confucian education though he prefered a more sporting life.

Once deemed time to pursue a profession he attempted on more than one occasion to pass the lowest classical exams.He failed every time. This didn’t thwart his ambition though. He went on to purchase a position in the military that would be his initial enabler to allow him to climb in stature and power.

His rise was not one without great turbulence though. At one point he was about to receive a large loan from overseas which was needed due to the empty coffers of the government. The KMT blocked him from doing so. Yuan reacted by murdering the chairman of the party. He managed to hold power for a short time trying to push to make himself the newest emperor of China which finally came to an end in 1916 when we was forced to abolish the title. A few months after this instance he died. .