China counts 56 ethnic groups within its borders. The descendants of Manchu soldiers, Silk Road traders and Lao hill tribes have their own cuisines, languages, and customs. American photographer Tom Carter spent two years on the road in China. Traveling by the cheapest transport and sleeping in two-dollar guesthouses, he lived side by side with the ordinary but incredibly diverse people of the PRC. The images he collected break all stereotypes of the Chinese.