When Beijing Mayor Liu Qi was pictured with both arms raised, beaming from ear to ear, cheering at his city's successful bid to hold the 2008 Olympics, it marked a new era in China.
The Xinhua photograph won many domestic journalistic photography awards for capturing the country's spontaneous personality and the human side of its officials.
In the course of China's reforms since the late 1970s, many traditional practices have fallen by the wayside -- most noticeably the idea that feelings and emotions should not be displayed in public.
That is why many Chinese sportsmen were regarded as boring when they-celebrated success only with well-controlled smiles decades ago.
However, an increasing number of Chinese athletes now choose to give full play to the joy of success with spontaneous displays of rapture.
A three-minute film featuring the smiles of Chinese people from all walks of life, such as elderly chess players, pregnant women and children playing with kites, contributed significantly to Beijing's success in winning the Olympics, insiders say.
The new self-confidence reflects how Chinese society, which had long suffered from poverty until two decades ago, has continuously allowed its citizens more freedoms and financial resources to better arrange their own lives.
Statistics show China's gross domestic product increased by 9.3percent annually from 1989 to 2002. Private bank deposits and the country's foreign exchange reserves in 2002 are 15 and 44 times the levels of 1989 respectively.
Unofficial surveys show that since 2000, an increasing number of people have said they were highly satisfied with the social and economic environments as the Chinese government strove to better care for its elderly and offer the young a promising future.
Thirteen years ago, special coupons were issued by government departments to regulate food and consumer goods purchases due to alack of supply, restricting those items to a lucky few.
However, Li Feng, who entered the prestigious Beijing University in 1990 with food coupons that his family saved over years to support his education, was surprised to see the essential documents become worthless as the market filled with commodities upon his graduation.
At present, less than 40 percent of urban expenditure goes to food. An increasing number of people are attaching great importance to eating well cooked food served in appropriate amounts, a change from the former view that the more people ate, the better their health.
Statistics show that every 200 families in urban areas possess a car in 2000 and now Chinese people can buy their own automobiles with bank loans.
"I have my lifestyle significantly extended and the quality of life improved after buying the car," said new car owner Zhang, who was fresh out of school four years ago.
As many people use fashionably designed mobile phones, and net surfing and gymnasiums have become daily routines for many urban dwellers, an age characterized by a colorful display of choices and opportunities for ordinary people has arrived in China.
As the country continues its fast economic growth, Chinese society grows more relaxed, tolerant and open to different opinions as well as more respectful to individuality.
Karaoke, the popular musical entertainment for amateur singers, became so popular in the 1990s that over five million people registered in the country's first-ever Karaoke competition, demonstrating increasing interest in leisure activities.
Life is becoming increasingly colorful with new phenomena such as bachelordom, buying luxury goods on loan, dinky (double income, no kids) families and job-hopping.
Lu Xueyi, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says, "The substantial changes in Chinese lifestyles and mind-sets are attributable to the modernization of people, which may further promote the modernization of the country as a whole."
While the car carrying a self-chosen number plate of GOD-158 runs on the streets of Beijing, the car owner is satisfactorily smiling at his choice, echoing the laughter of many of his countrymen in enjoying an easier and more confident life.
(People?s Daily September 17, 2002)
