China is changing fast. Seemingly overnight it has become aneconomic and political powerhouse on a global scale. Although it isthe recent rise of China that makes the daily news, the lastcentury saw other large and rapid changes: the fall of the lastimperial dynasty, the failure of the Nationalist government, andthe ascent of Mao Zedong and the new China. How have these changesaffected the land and people of China? Can lessons from the pastgive us insights about the future? For six years, Robert Moseleylived and worked as a conservation scientist in the mountains ofnorthwest Yunnan Province.As part of that work, he set out toanswer these questions and apply the results to the conservation ofnature and culture. Northwest Yunnan provides a compelling backdrop to explore theseissues, with its spectacular mountain environment and diverseethnic cultures that were once remote, but are now confronted withunprecedented rates of change. Following in the footsteps of earlytwentieth century explorer-photographers, Mose
