AsanavalofficerwiththeAustro-HungarianNavy,DezsőBozókyfirstdepartedHongKongforCantonin1908,beforetravellingtoFujian,ShanghaiandBeijing,wherehedocumentedthecountrysideandnumerouscitiesalongChina’scoast.TheCityofFlowersbringstogetherBozóky’sdiaryexcerptsandphotographsfromhistravelsthroughCantonandGuangdongprovince.AlloftheimagespresentedhereweredigitisedfromBozóky’shand-colouredglassslideswhichareheldinthepermanentcollectionoftheFerencHoppMuseumofAsiaticArtsinBudapest.WitnesstotheendofChina’sImperialEra,Bozókyrecordedhisimpressionsfromregionsthatwereundergoingphenomenalsocio-economicchange.Hisinterestinnatureandarchitectureand,aboveall,theQingdynastystreetscenesandpeoplehemetalongtheway,continuetotransmittheexcitementandwonderofthisearlyEuropeantravelerinacountryandculturefarfromhisown.
