New book tells poverty alleviation story through images

China's achievements in lifting more than 10 million people out of abject poverty in each of the seven past years can be told through statistics. But the measure of the accomplishment can be understood more deeply through images of how people's lives have changed.

That's the idea behind the new picture book 100 Photographers Focus on Poverty Alleviation, which was launched on Tuesday at the opening ceremony for an exhibition based on the photographs at the Capital Library of China in Beijing.

The book was jointly published by China Daily, China Pictorial Publishing House, Library Society of China and the Capital Library of China.

The exhibition shows 306 works by 281 photographers, each providing a piece of the overall picture of China's accomplishment in lifting people out of poverty and China's contributions to global poverty reduction.

Guests at the ceremony included Zhou Shuchun, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily; Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Publishing Group; Liu Zhengrong, Party secretary of the All-China Journalists Association; and Li Ge, president of the China Photographers Association.

Zhou said: "President Xi Jinping has stressed that we not only need to complete the poverty-reduction task, but also to tell a good story of it. It requires us to tell a vivid story, show our achievements in an overall way, and thus provide enormous spiritual motivation to this cause.

"The exhibition records changes in the era, especially in people's lives. China Daily will continue to serve as a good recorder and transmitter of China's stories in the new era, and make more contributions to promoting the influence of Chinese culture with various circles of society."

Du said the photographic record "enables readers to be impressed by China's achievements in poverty alleviation, to understand the firm leadership of the Communist Party of China, millions of officials' service to the people and ordinary people's efforts behind the achievements through the unique angle of photography".

Liu offered congratulations for the publication of the book and the opening of the exhibition, saying he approves of the book as a unique gift for China's poverty alleviation cause.

"I hope," Li said, "the photographers and other circles of society will continue to pay attention to poverty alleviation and rural vitalization, and make more quality works. We need to tell a good story of China, show China's insights, spread China's value and stress the advantages of China's system."

Plans call for the exhibition to tour nationally soon, and an online exhibition can also be viewed on the website of China Daily.