CRI听力：Chinese Photo Exhibition Held in Vienna

A photo exhibition entitled "Chinese People's Life Through the Lens" has been inaugurated this week in the hall of the Vienna International Centre in Austria. It is the first time that China and the United Nations have jointly held an exhibition of its kind.

During the week-long exhibition, Western visitors will have a vivid view of ordinary Chinese people's daily lives and the immense changes which have occurred over almost three decades.

Our reporter Yixiu takes us there.

Reporter:

At the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition, visitors are all immersing themselves in Chinese Tibetan traditional folk music.

The exhibition displays some 150 photos, focusing on ordinary people's lives in China to reflect the tremendous changes in their material and spiritual lives.

These photos can bring to life the real conditions of Chinese people in terms of their clothing, diet, residence, transportation, leisure activities and entertainment, as well as education, health treatment and religious faith.

Western visitors can also learn about lives of China's ethnic minorities, such as in Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions.

Since China implemented its reform and opening up policy in 1978, there has been rapid development across the country, drawing increasing investment and attention from the rest of the world. But, due to the huge gap between cultures and language barriers, the knowledge about China around the world is still limited, and vice versa.

Li Yanfeng, Vice Director of the State Council Information Office, says China is trying to show itself through a series of cultural exchange activities, such as exhibitions, performances, publications and Culture Weeks. She says the photos were chosen from all walks of life across the country, and many were taken by amateur photographers.

"We hope to boost the understanding on China from other countries, through this exhibition and constant culture exchanges."

Franz Baumann, deputy director general of the UN Office at Vienna, is a fascinated China fan. Although he hasn't been to China, he has already collected a rich collection of Chinese books, calendars and photos over 20 years. Baumann is convinced that the exhibition will create a wave of China-craze in Vienna.

"This exhibition will give westerners an opportunity to learn about the daily life of ordinary Chinese people. I believe more and more people would like to visit China to see it with their own eyes."

As the marketing director of the UN Industrial Development Organization, Andrey Lazykin worked in China for 9 years. The rapid development of the country has impressed him greatly. He is excited to see the photos at the exhibition.

"It shows traditional China, shows modern China. It shows China how it is. You can see different China here, different places, different people, different traditions, (and) different history."

Among all the photos exhibited, a large number were taken by foreign photographers. Therefore, organizers hope the exhibition can not only be an opportunity for China to show itself to the world, but also an opportunity for foreigners to show the image of China through their lens.