Tuesday September 21, 2004, Beijing, China

Champion sports school

Training in Shichahai Sport School. Founded by Beijing municipality in 1958. The younger students are 5 years old, the older 19. The school offers 9 disciplines. In the last Olympic Games, 5 students won gold medals: ping pong, TaekWondo, volleyball, pommel horse, gymnastic.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday October 22, 2004, Daqing, Heilongjiang, China

Daqing oil wells

The Daqing oil region (northeast of China) is the largest oil region in China and the Petrochina's largest oil and gas producing property; it covers an area of approximately one million acres. The crude output from Daqing oil field will continue to slide in 2004, falling 4.3% to 46.3 million metric tons, after hitting a 27-year low last year. Some attribute the fall in output to "the natural decline of recoverable oil reserves" after 40 years of intensive production. Other sources express that the oil field is faced with increased costs because of higher water content, thus needing to adopt advanced technologies to enhance production efficiency. A new hope to fulfill China's demand for oil was expected to come from the Yukos Russian oil company which considered selling its Siberian oil to China via a pipeline to Daqing. But Japan is offering financial incentives to the Russian pipeline and it appears that Japan will outbid China and benefit from the Siberian oil.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday October 22, 2004, Daqing, Heilongjiang, China

Daqing oil wells

The Daqing oil region (northeast of China) is the largest oil region in China and the Petrochina's largest oil and gas producing property; it covers an area of approximately one million acres. The crude output from Daqing oil field will continue to slide in 2004, falling 4.3% to 46.3 million metric tons, after hitting a 27-year low last year. Some attribute the fall in output to "the natural decline of recoverable oil reserves" after 40 years of intensive production. Other sources express that the oil field is faced with increased costs because of higher water content, thus needing to adopt advanced technologies to enhance production efficiency. A new hope to fulfill China's demand for oil was expected to come from the Yukos Russian oil company which considered selling its Siberian oil to China via a pipeline to Daqing. But Japan is offering financial incentives to the Russian pipeline and it appears that Japan will outbid China and benefit from the Siberian oil.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Sunday October 10, 2004, Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Shanghai ruins: the price of the development

The fast developments of the city leave temporary traces that disappear just as quickly to make room for new skyscrapers. Lujianzui area, in the financial center of Pudong, is no more than 15 years old, but already show signs of age. The land value is attracting something more than just two story restaurants.

A worker.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday October 8, 2004, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China

Ningbo: the second cargo harbour of China.

The Ningbo port, handling more than 180 milions tons of cargo, is the second port of China. There are more than 90 regular shipping lines for container between Ningbo port and other main ports all over the world.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Thursday July 8, 2004, Guiyu, Shantou, Guangdong, China

E-Waste: Computer garbage

In Chaoyang county in southern Guangdong province - China's richest - whole farming families have turned into scavengers over the last decade for extra cash. For years, so called "e-waste" from richer countries has found its way to China, where armies of rural poor rummage through computer monitors, central processing units, printers, toner cartridges and other high-tech trash to sell what they can to recyclers. Plastics, metals and other recyclable materials lay in heaps everywhere, waiting to be trucked to smelters. Electronic waste can contain 1,000 different substances including lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury - heavy metals which are highly toxic. Unwanted electronic junk is seen in open rice fields everywhere, on riverbanks and in ponds, and some families in the area have stopped drinking well water because it has taken on a yellow hue. In April 2000, China specifically outlawed e-waste importation. But occasional crackdowns have done little to curtail recycling, which thrives on corruption and strong market demand.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Monday June 21, 2004, Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, China

Chinese coal mines

China, the world's biggest coal producer (more than a billion tons of coal a year, accounting for 60 percent of world trade), is beginning to wield its influence as a major coal-exporter to secure a dominant position in the sector and control world prices. China's economic boom has been built on the back of coal. Under the actual conditions in China, coal fired power generation is generally the most practical and economical way of power generation in this country. The 80% of power generated in China comes from coal; nuclear power will account for less than 1% and hydropower less than 20%. It is expected that coal fired power generation has long been and will continue to be the main source of electricity of this country in the past, present and in the next 50 years in the future. The first half of this year has seen successive coal mine accidents. Statistics show that from April 1 to May 16, 62 accidents occurred in coalmines, causing casualties of 503 people. Often the pits may be as much as 260 meters below the surface and their condition is also unknown. These small coal mines, which are usually run by enterprises to gain profit for themselves, have no basic safety guarantee and their management paid less attention to government regulations on safety working and operation.

Miners ready to go down into the small coal mines in Wuhai area.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Monday May 10, 2004, Abu Grahib, Baghdad, Iraq

Relatives waiting for the news about prisioner

To visit their relatives in the prison, the Iraqi have to get a number in the green zone. With this number they have to wait between one day and three day to know in which prison the relatives are and to date, finally, the visit.

A old woman gets a permit for a half hour visit with one of her four brothers who is a prisoner.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Tuesday May 4, 2004, Baghdad, Iraq

Life goes on in Baghdad in spite of Unrest and Violence

The husband lives in Sweden, she lives in Baghdad. After the honey moon they will move to Sweden.

A newly married couple leave the wedding ceremony in their car.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Saturday May 1, 2004, Baghdad, Iraq

Truck drivers in Iraq

One of the biggest transport companies (their name witheld by request) in Baghdad has Two hundred trucks and more than two hundred drivers. They travel all around Iraq. Neither the owner or the driver will tell anybody they work for an American company. The owner didn't say with wich American company he work as well. The truck drivers earns around 350 American Dollars per month.

An American truck which was attacked.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Wednesday April 28, 2004, Falluja, Baghdad, Iraq

Falluja check point

The check to entry in Falluja takes several hours of queue and it's not always possible for the Iraqi people to get home. Just 75 families were allowed to come back to their home by the Colaition Army today.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Monday April 26, 2004, Baghdad, Iraq

Catholics in Iraq

Christians represent between 3% and 4% of the population in Iraq, approximately eight hundred thousand people. Most of them, around five hundred thousand, are Chaldean.

Woman in nun's habit studies at the Babylon Chaldean College Library.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Monday April 26, 2004, Baghdad, Iraq

Life goes on in Baghdad in spite of Unrest and Violence

Boys washing car close to the Martyr Monument.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday April 23, 2004, Kufah, Iraq

Moqtada Al Sadr spech in Al Kufah Mosque on friday

Moqtada Al Sadr gave a speech in Al Kufah Mosque.

A boy holds up a picture of Moqtada Al Sadr.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday March 19, 2004, Ruili, Yunnan, China

Yunnan Drug

Heroin addicts on a side street off Jiegang road.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Sunday March 7, 2004, Chongqing, China

Chongqing The rising West

Jiangbei is now destroying to clear land and build the new government area.

Man at work in Jiangbei district.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Wednesday October 15, 2003, Hanoi, Viet Nam

Vietnam daily life

People take a picture near the Ho Chi Min mausoleum.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Wednesday October 1, 2003, Beijing, China

Beijing Artists

Rong Rong exhibition.

"798 Space Art & Culture".

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Thursday June 19, 2003, Mitzpheh Yitzar, Israel

Protest against Evacuation of Jewish Settlements

Settlement dismission.

A settler uses a bullhorn to instigate rebellion against the Israeli Army.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Wednesday June 18, 2003, Abu Dis, Israel

Walls in Israel

Women, man and child waiting at a check point to step over the wall.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Thursday November 11, 2004, Beijing, Beijing, China

Beijing ruins: the price of the development

In the Beijing General City Plan ratified by the State Council in 1993, it is clearly stated that a modern central business district with multi-functions of finance, insurance, trade, information, commerce, culture, entertainment and business office should be built in Beijing. The extent of central business district in Chaoyang District around the China World Hotel Towers, namely, is an approximately 3.99-sq km. area. The development in the heart of the city's central business district features a 330m tower, which will be the tallest building in Beijing, and the CCTV's amazing new 553,000-square-meter headquarters. The building is 230 meters tall; it is not a traditional tower, but a continuous loop of horizontal and vertical sections that establish an urban site rather than point to the sky. The irregular grid on the building's facades is an expression of the forces traveling throughout its structure. As usual the previous existing buildings on the construction sites will be destroyed, as most of them already are, and the people will be relocated somewhere else.

A Building ready to be destroyed.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Sunday May 18, 2003, Yarkand, Xinjiang, China

The Silent Islam

Uygur man with a rose in his mouth.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday May 16, 2003, Kashgar, Xinjiang, China

The Silent Islam

Muslim women walk near Mao Tze Dong statue in People's square.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Thursday March 6, 2003, Beijing, China

Migrant workers in Beijing

East Beijing Chaoyang yard.

Workers wearing hardhats during the change of shifts.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Monday March 3, 2003, Shanghai, China

Shanghai Artists

Zhou Tiehai in his studio.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Thursday December 5, 2002, Alang, Gujarat, India

Alang shipbreaking

In the early morning the low tide leaves the ships entirely set down on the sand between debris and mud.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday November 15, 2002, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Camel fear

Every November all the Rajasthan camel

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday November 15, 2002, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

Camel fear

Every November all the Rajasthan camel

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Friday July 20, 2001, Genoa, Italy

Protestor killed outside Genoa G8 Summit Meeting

The death of Carlo Giuliani, a protestor killed during clashes with police.

The bloody body of Carlo Giuliani lays on Piazza Alimonda.

Credit: Alessandro Digaetano / Polaris

Alessandro Digaetano

Portrait by Sam Emerson

Personal web site of Alessandro Digaetano