China might be the most populous country in the world, and heir to the oldest civilization we know of. However, it remains an unfathomable mystery and arguably will forever be such to Western eyes, at least. Any culture, country is in a sense a code that needs to be deciphered. Some are easier to decode than others, but the culture of China is so vast and impenetrable, and yet cannot be ignored. It’s not some remote island in the middle of nowhere – indeed the Chinese themselves refer to their own country as the "Middle Kingdom”, or the centre of the world. Equally, it is inaccurate to simply say China or the Chinese in that to do so is a gross simplification. It is made up of a myriad languages, customs and ethnicities, yet while people speak different languages (Cantonese, Fukienese etc) the writing system is the same throughout the expanse of China. This is the genius of the land we refer to as China or "Cathay” as at was called at one stage of history. 

     What Günther Komnick has done in this volume is to acknowledge and embrace this richness through images, of seeking the essential behind the images – the moods, the characters of the people. We see a joyfulness, and the sharing of laughter and enjoyment, along with images of moods and pensiveness. Much of this enjoyment is centred around food, unsurprisingly. While the Confucian foundation of the culture is ever-present - a view of life which eschews rampant individualism, placing the common good and social harmony above all else – the quirkiness and eccentricity of individuals shines through the images. The scale and various forms of civil cohabitation and activity are well illustrated by the "spontaneously crafted” visual responses to the urban environment: people selling their wares, carrying loads on their shoulders and the interaction between the young and old and everyone in between. Komnick spurs us on to ponder the kaleidoscope that is China, that is indeed the world. 

Dr Wilhelm Snyman, Auckland, New Zealand