Pearl River. Contemplating the New Chinabr/Guangzhou, (Canton) China, 1984, on the banks of the Zhujiang (Pearl river), a local resident reflects upon the uneasy tranquility of the river, his changing environment and the future developments to come. In the background, the White Swan Hotel (1983) on Shamian island (formerly a foreign concession), has opened its doors to international tourists, a symbol of the promised economic growth to come. As a resident of Guangzhou in 1983-1984, I witnessed the boom first hand with my camera and published in1987 my photography book ldquo;Cantonrdquo;. Guangzhou is now part of what has come to be known as the ldquo;Worldrsquo;s Largest Megacityrdquo;, the ldquo;Pearl River Deltardquo;.