Top: File photo taken in 1982 shows officers and soldiers of former railway corps of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) working at the construction site of a water diversion project to send water from the Luanhe River into north China's Tianjin. Bottom: Photo taken on May 25, 2019 shows staff members of China Railway 18th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., whose predecessor was the 8th Division of Railway Corps of the PLA, working at the Dajianshan tunnel of Yuxi-Mohan railway in southwest China's Yunnan Province. In 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Chinese people faced a devastated country that needed to be rebuilt from scratch after decades of warfare and chaos. After decades of unremitting endeavors and dedication by the Chinese people, China has grown to be the world's second largest economy. In 1952, China's GDP was 30 billion U.S. dollars, while in 2018, its GDP reached 13.61 trillion U.S. dollars, an increase of 452.6 times. A group of combo photos give you a glimpse of what Chinese people did decades ago and what they do right now. Undoubtedly, people from all walks of life in China with hard work and wisdom have made contributions to the country's development. (Xinhua/Yang Zongyou)
