street, in open markets, on buses, in airports or at the malls. Here are just a few unforgettable faces.
This little boy was sitting at the very front of a double decker bus, so full of wonder at the sights below that he kept jumping up and down with glee, despite his mother's attempts to restrain him.
A patient little fellow, waiting for his mother to close up her stall at the huge open "antiques" market called Panjiayuan. He had probably spent the entire day at her side while she tended to customers eager to buy Qin Dynasty replicas of ceramic statuary or porcelain bowls. Most parents are extremely attentive and hold their children, passing them back and forth to friends, and constantly feeding them "snacks."
I couldn't keep my eyes off this enchanting child who seemed equally intrigued by my daughter Mei-Ling and me during a long bus trip from Beijing to Tianjin. Her mother clearly felt that she was being rude and tried to interest her in reading a colorful book or drawing with crayons, but she shook her off and alternately smiled, made funny faces or just tried to make sense of the funny noises coming out of our mouths.
One of the best ways to stay cool in the suffocating summer heat of Beijing. I felt somewhat uncomfortable when I snapped this shot as the mother was looking a tad wary, but I couldn't resist. I did ask for permission first.
Two pinked-cheeked friends, bundled up in multiple layers to withstand the winter chill and biting winds that sweep across the Capital in late January.
A telling sign of contemporary China: echoes of the past and influence of modern dress code. The parents were eager to have me photograph their son and took turns holding him with evident pride.
Safe way to learn how to walk, even if on wobbly legs, and example of the famed split pants which allow babies to avoid diapers and be potty-trained at a very early age. A crowd of friends eventually gathered around the parents, encouraging the little one to take one step after another, accompanied by laughter and cheering.
