In the 1920s, China was a new republic facing great economic, political, and social challenges. The North China famine of the early 1920s was one of the most devastating. Millions of people in this densely populated region of China were affected by this crisis. Famine in northern China was triggered by a severe drought, which destroyed crops and devastated the livelihood of farmers. Many fled; others sold their children into slavery, and upwards of half a million people died. Warlords governed most of the decimated areas, further aggravating the situation because they exploited the crisis for their own political and economic gain.
These stunning found photos were bought at a flea market in Cannes, France, in 1982. A French speaker took these photographs during a trip to China (Shanghai, Suzhou, and Beijing) in October 1921.
