A Girl of Upper-class, by Zhuang Xueben, between 1934-1937. [Photo provided to China Daily]

More than 1,200 photos and videos are on show at Xibei, a photography exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan, in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, which shows the changes in the imagery of Northwest China since the late 19th century. The bulk of the images on show are for public viewing for the first time.

The exhibition begins with a section to show photos taken between 1870 and 1949, largely by Western missionaries, explorers, journalists and photographers who visited Northwest China for various purposes. The first part features works of Zhuang Xueben, one of China's first ethnographic photographers who extensively traveled and documented the country's hinterland mainly during the 1930s and '40s; Walter Bosshard, the Swiss photographer known internationally for his coverage of Asia; and German female photographer Hedda Morrison, whose documentary photos of Chinese cities are of historic significance.

Shadow Play, Xining, by Walter Bosshard, in 1933. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The second part shows photos taken after the founding of New China until the early 1980s. At the time, a group of photographers hailing from Northwest China, such as Hou Dengke, enthralled the world with their distinctive approaches to documentary photography. Their snapshots diversified people's impressions of the region.

Works by contemporary artists, such as Zhuang Hui and Zhao Zhao, present an avant-garde perspective to address social issues.

The exhibition has a special section, A Journey into the Light, which gathers vintage photos of Yan'an, in Shaanxi province, to provide a glimpse of the revolutionary course led by the Communist Party of China.

Ritual Performance, by Hedda Morrison, in 1935. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Cut Wheat, by Hou Dengke. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A Groom, by Hu Wugong. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Peasants Portraits, by Wu Pingguan. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Yan'an, the Aftermath of Japanese Bombings, by Wu Yinxian. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Mao Zedong at a Speech, by Xu Xiaobing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Xibei shows a changing imagery of Northwest China since the late 19th century. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Xibei shows a changing imagery of Northwest China since the late 19th century. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Xibei shows a changing imagery of Northwest China since the late 19th century. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Xibei shows a changing imagery of Northwest China since the late 19th century. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Xibei shows a changing imagery of Northwest China since the late 19th century. [Photo provided to China Daily]