China 1980: Pictures From Another Era - Paperbackby Mike Emery (Author) A photographer on an American cruise ship visited ports along China's coast in 1980 when the country was still largely stuck in Maoist isolation, and instead of photographing the passengers, he chose to take pictures of the locals he met instead. The result is a unique and precious window into a China that has been swept away in the development and modernization which has transformed its society and people in the decades since.