Photos show how it was - and how it has changed

It was freezing and windy yesterday but visitors to the Beijing downtown area did not seem to be seeking the warmth of Wangfujing's famed malls.

Their interest was focused outdoors - on a 200-m long photo exhibition featuring 800 pictures to mark the 30th anniversary of China's reform and opening up.

They had plenty to attract their attention: Images from the last three decades; and were just as keen to photograph the photos, which encapsulate the startling changes in people's lives.