China's staggering 40 years of change in pictures

Here's the story of how China changed - in pictures.

1. Wheels and more wheels 

This is what Chang'an Avenue - a major street in the capital Beijing - looked like in 1978. 

Four decades on, the street looks pretty different.

Car ownership in China has soared - there are now over 300 million registered vehicles in the country - while bike ownership has dropped.

• Car ownership reaches record high in China

It's a result of China's urbanisation and economic growth - but has also come at a price.

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