Capturing the moment

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (from left) Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli arrive to meet the media at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov 15, 2012. Xu Jingxing / China Daily

Deng Xiaoping meets the 19 US journalists for the China Revisited Program at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 25, 1985. Wang Wenlan / China Daily

Then Vice-Premier Li Lanqing plays ping-pong with Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state, on March 18, 2001 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse before a reception in Beijing marking the 30th anniversary of ping-pong diplomacy. Xu Jingxing / China Daily

A stream of bicycles in Shanghai in 1991. Wang Wenlan / China Daily

Deputies to the Fifth Session of the Fifth NPC approve the new Constitution of China on Dec 4, 1982. Guo Jianshe / China Daily

Residents of Kizilsu Kirghiz autonomous prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region blow the bugle to see off the last rays of sunlight of the century at 7:25 pm on Dec 31, 2000. Yang Shizhong / China Daily

Yang Liwei greets the world from the Shenzhou-V spaceship after he completed China's first manned space mission on Oct 16, 2003. Yang spent 21 hours in space, traveling more than 600,000 kilometres. He became the 241st human being in space. Xu Jingxing / China Daily

Liu Xiang bounds to his epic victory equalling the world record time of 12.91 seconds when he won the 110m hurdles at the 2004 Athens Olympics on Aug 27. Liu became the first Chinese athlete to win an Olympic athletics gold medal.  Xu Jingxing / China Daily