1930s China through American eyes

Contrasts on a modern street in Canton

Here we have a street scene in Canton, a city with a million Chinese inhabitants, and one of the most interesting cities in southern China. Wide, well-paved streets, bordered with tall buildings are not typically Chinese, for the typical Chinese building is usually a low, one-story affair. More like an arcaded street in Spain or Italy is this Canton street, the sidewalks are built under the upper stories and the arched facades and balconies look like those generally found in subtropical countries.

In most of the cities automobiles can be operated on only a few of the streets because the streets of the old Chinese cities are too narrow to allow even the entrance of one car.

[Photo provided to China Daily/Keystone View Company]