Amazing China in 1917 in Color

This splendidly enhanced and colorized footage, drawn from two fragments of Benjamin Brodsky’s ten-reel documentary, transports you to Peking in 1917—a China frozen in time yet teetering on the edge of modernity. Filmed just 16 years after the Boxer Uprising (1899-1901) and six years after the 1911 Revolution toppled the Qing Dynasty, birthing the Republic of China, the scenes reveal a land barely touched by a thousand years of change. Life spills onto bustling streets where artisans hone their crafts, children romp, acrobats dazzle, and processions weave past the Forbidden Palace. From a solemn funeral to vibrant daily trades, this vivid portrait captivates history buffs and anyone awed by China’s timeless allure over a century ago.