Attendees at a photo exhibition at the Guangming Culture and Art Center. 

People say “a picture is worth a thousand words,” which aptly sums up the response of many visitors to an exhibition at Guangming Culture and Art Center.

Housed in Hall C on the fifth floor of the art gallery at the center, the exhibition presented 142 photos in three sectors.

Selected from nearly 300 entries submitted by members of non-CPC political parties in Shenzhen, the photos on display were categorized according to three themes: historical images of old Shenzhen as a fishing town by the South China Sea, portraits of scientists, educators, artists, and migrant workers in their work environments who have contributed to the miraculous growth of the Chinese economy, and the natural sceneries and cityscapes of Shenzhen as a modern metropolis, where citizens chase their individual dreams while living a comfortable life surrounded by lush greenery and with easy access to parks, the sea, and mountains.

Zuo Qianqian, director of the art gallery, said the photos testify to a glorious history and resonate deeply with many visitors, who have been part of the city's urbanization process.

“From bungalows to high-rise buildings, from muddy paths to eight-lane boulevards packed with traffic, Shenzhen's transformation from a border town into a modern metropolis is a miracle brought about by millions of ordinary people, who migrated here and then called it home,” she said.

“We revisit that history through these images, get inspired by those people who have come before us, and also teach our children about the daredevil courage and perseverance of Shenzheners in the 1980s and 1990s.”

Co-organized by the Guangming District authorities and the local branch of the China Zhi Gong Party, the exhibition took more than three months to curate.

The exhibition is meant as an ode to ordinary people and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.