4Corners Images of China

China is changing fast, and many young people are leaving the countryside to find prosperity in the cities. As a consequence, ancient traditions and distinctions between ethnic groups are endangered or dying out, swept aside in the inexorable march of progress.

China, Guizhou, Miao woman dressed in traditional costume, wearing a hat that weighs 5 kgs ©Tim Mannakee/4Corners Images

Tim Mannakee travelled to China’s southwestern provinces of Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan to photograph the spectacular landscapes, but was captivated by the warm welcome from the ethnic Miao peoples of the region, especially the Changjiao, or Long Horn Miao, whose elaborate headdresses are traditionally woven around buffalo horns held in place by the ladies’ real hair.

See a selection of Tim Mannakee’s images of Guizhou in a slideshow or browse all of 4Corners images of China.