American journalist documenting China’s Reform and Opening up

Amazed at China's opening to the outside world, he decided to record this extraordinary change in video when he came to China more than 30 years ago. Today, recalling the past, his eyes glistened with tears.

He is Leonard Pratt, a senior expert with The International Channel Shanghai (ICS). This veteran journalist is very humble and polite. When being invited to accept this interview to talk about China's Reform and Opening up, he modestly stated that he was "not an expert".

Record China’s dramatic changes in video

He began by saying that he first came to China in 1981, when he lived in Hong Kong. At that time he often came to three mainland cities-- Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

When asked about the contrast between the society at that time and the present one, he smiled and described it as "two completely different societies". "At that time, everyone was well- dressed but certainly not richly or finely. The food in street restaurants was standardized and very basic, there was no great variety and it was very different from now," he frankly said.

Leonard Pratt at work