Top: File photo taken in 1962 by Hua Ai shows Kuang Maocai, a chef of Linxiangzhai Restaurant, displaying a dish of sweet and sour fish in Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province. Bottom: Photo taken on June 6, 2019 by Zhan Yan shows Zhang Lan, also chef of Linxiangzhai, making a dish of sweet and sour fish in Taiyuan. Kuang's sweet and sour fish has become a signature dish of the restaurant. His story has been heard so many times by his successor Zhang Lan who tries to make innovation on traditional dishes with more options in ingredients and more advanced cooking facilities. 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)
