"There were even South Korean businessmen who intended to invest in Hefei but decided to invest in Shanghai and Nanjing instead, as they found the two cities to be more developed," she added

It detailed how one particular photograph in the series depicted the daughter of the famous Chinese statesman, Zeng Guofan

"The success of the show reflected the increasing global interest in China's people and culture, as well as the interest of the people of China in preserving and studying their own history," said Loewentheil, who's Historical Photography of China Collection is the largest holding of late Qing dynasty photographs of China in private hands

The country, which gained independence from the United Kingdom in April 1961, remains one of the least developed in the world

China needs to teach other countries how to do this