This photo is included in Bertien van Manen’s book 'East Wind West Wind' (2001). Fascinated by the cultural changes in contemporary China, Bertien van Manen travelled to China many times between 1997 and 2000. Her images subtly reveal how traditional Chinese life is influenced by Western culture. Because these changes are most visible among youth, Van Manen focused largely on them. Her work offers an unparalleled insight into domestic life in China. Without being voyeuristic, we get to know people in big cities like Shanghai or Beijing, but also in remote little villages: artists, multi-generation families, sometimes outcasts. The intimacy one feels with the people and situations portrayed is amazing. East Wind West Wind is a personal portrait of China, which offers us an insight into how the country is struggling with its own history and its position in relation to the West.