Everyday items from 1911 take on rich new meaning

Images depicting the downfall of the Qing dynasty 100 years ago would probably have been left to rot in a dark attic had it not been for the keen eye of photographer William Cho Hung-fook.

Now 70, Cho was shown a bundle of 50 black-and-white photographs from China's 1911 revolution by an American friend two decades ago. They were taken by his friend's father, who worked as a news photographer. The son had no idea where the photos were taken. But Cho recognised the setting as Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, where the revolution began.

In 1911, a bomb made by revolutionaries exploded by accident in the town of Wuchang. Local police investigated, leading the revolutionaries - many of them Han people serving under the Qing imperial forces - to stage a coup on October 10.

Their success prompted those in the towns of Hanyang and Hankou to declare independence from the Qing government. And in a matter of weeks, 14 provinces had seceded, sealing the fate of the Qing dynasty and leading to the birth of the republic.

Wuchang, Hanyang and Hankou were merged in 1927 to form Wuhan.

The photos show fierce fighting in the province. One depicts a fire in Hankou that was started by cannonballs. Others feature French and Japanese soldiers in their countries' concessions - the territories occupied by foreign powers in China.