This collection documents
ordinary, every day, life in
China in the late 1980s
before economic reform
changed the face of the country
for good. Mao suits and, in rural
areas, coolie hats were a common
sight and the ubiquitous black
bicycle ruled the road. The
two-tiered monetary system,
renminbi (peoples money) for
locals and Foreign exchange
certificates for foreigners,
coupled with the existence of
'Friendship Stores' which sold
luxury items such as electrical
goods and foreign cigarettes
which could only be purchased
with hard currency, led to a
burgeoning black market. The
money-changers were always
furtively there outside the
bank quietly hissing "Change
money, change money".