Two guards perform an execution in China, one holding the gun, the other holding a mask over the victim's face. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images). Circa 1925

A Chinese worker makes handmade firecrackers in the traditional way on February 1, 2005 in Liuan, Anhui Province, China. Chinese have the tradition of setting off firecrackers to celebrate the lunar New Year. (Photo by Cancan Chu/GettyImages)

Macaque monkeys crowd together in their cage at a monkey farm on February 3, 2016 in Xinye county, Henan province, China. The area boasts a centuries-long and lucrative history of raising and training monkeys for performance. In Xinye, villagers are seeing an increase in business with the lunar calendar's “Year of the Monkey”. Farmers say most of the monkeys are bred and raised for domestic zoos, circuses, and performing groups, but add that some are also sold for medical research in China and the United States. Despite the popularity of the tradition, critics contend the training methods and conditions constitute animal cruelty. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

A golden huddle by Minqiang Lu, China. Two females and a male golden snub-nosed monkey huddle together to keep warm in the extreme cold. Threatened by forest loss and fragmentation, this endangered species is confined to central China. Restricted to living high up in the temperate forests, these monkeys – here in the Qinling mountains in Shaanxi province – feed mostly in the trees, on leaves, bark, buds and lichen. In heavy wind and snow, Minqiang walked up the mountain carrying his equipment. He stayed for half an hour in temperatures of –10C opposite the tree where the group was huddled before achieving this eye-level composition. (Photo by Minqiang Lu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

A woman holds up an umbrella and license plates, one that reads “love”, during violent protests between riot police and demonstrators in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong on October 1, 2019. The city observes the National Day holiday to mark the 70th anniversary of communist China's founding Strife-torn Hong Kong on October 1 marked the 70th anniversary of communist China's founding with defiant “Day of Grief” protests and fresh clashes with police as pro-democracy activists ignored a ban and took to the streets across the city. (Photo by Nicolas Asfouri/AFP Photo)

A Chinese snake charmer performs at a temple fair to mark Chinese New Year February 19, 2007 in Beijing, China. Chinese worldwide are celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Pig. (Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images)

Sorana Cirstea of Romania hits the ball against Jie Zheng if China during the Sony Ericsson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 22, 2011 in Key Biscayne, Florida.