China, the third largest nation in the world and the largest in population, offers a virtually limitless range of photographic opportunities. I made my first visit to China in June and July of 2004 experiencing many of its greatest cities and most historic sights.

I have organized nearly 200 of my China images into four separate articles. This is the first of them, concentrating on Beijing and Xian, the two great imperial cities of China's North. Xian, now a city of nearly eight million, was once the largest city in the world. ... (more)