Gu Cailian, 26,with a family of 4 and two acres of land. She earns 100 yuan a year by weaving bamboo baskets, Shanxin village, Yunnan, Nov. 2001 [China.org.cn]

Yu Quanxing has traveled thousands of miles across 11 provinces to interview about 420 mothers living in poverty. His black-and-white pictures of them drew attention to the destitution in the west of China. Yu said he felt their determination and hope for a better life beneath the tears. (Curator: Zeng Huang)