1911年的武昌起义是加速清王朝覆灭的关键，促成了亚洲第一个共和国的建立。为纪念辛亥百年，本书将来自全球的大量珍罕历史图片汇集成册，以独特的视角，帮助历史学家反思这一中国近代史上的开创性事件。其中许多照片乃首度披露。
慈禧太后、康有为等保皇派，梁启超等立宪派，孙中山为代表的革命者，袁世凯这类军阀，严复、蔡元培之类的教育家等，对这些历史人物的功过如何认识，不断在海内外学者中引发睿智而激烈的辩论。海峡两岸均在欢庆重要的周年纪念日，但对辛亥革命遗产的解释却不尽相同。抛开派别的分歧，所有中国人都将那段动荡岁月视为“百年忧虑”或“百年屈辱”，其中蕴含的情感至今萦绕在人们心头。
通过历时一年对全球范围内公共展馆和私人藏品的梳理汇编，本书旨在为国人打造一部可信的“集体记忆”。协助美国前总统理查德•尼克松为中美关系铺平道路的亨利•基辛格最近写道，即使最具开放思想的中国国际主义者都认为，中国过去遭受的不公正对待决定了她如何参与世界事务、如何界定在其中所要扮演的角色。
时值辛亥革命100周年，本书将通过所收集的影像，为今天与未来的读者塑造1850—1928年间中国日常生活、历史事件与社会巨变的视觉叙事。它提供了一个历史背景，在这里，我们反思过去，展望未来。

Liu Heung Shing was born in Hong Kong in 1951. Three years later, he returned to China, settling in Fuzhou in the southeastern province of Fujian. There he received his early education, moving back to Hong Kong in 1962 to attend high school. In1971, Liu enrolled at New York City's Hunter College where he studied political science and journalism.
He was first introduced to photography in his final year at the college in a course taught by renowned Life magazine photographer, Gjon Mili. His childhood exposure to drawing and painting enhanced his understanding and enthusiasm for photography, and in 1976, following his graduation from Hunter Colege, he became Mili's apprentice. During this unique experience, Liu was deeply influenced by Mili's editorial and aesthetic ideas.
In 1976, Liu began working for Time magazine on assignments in China, starting with a story on the death of Mao. Five years later, he joined the Associated Press, and now travels extensively through China, writing as well as photographing for AP