The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of the Burning CCTV Building. On 9 February, fire raged through the studios of China Central Television shortly before the new building was opened. The blaze had been started by huge fireworks, set off without the requisite government permission, by a squad allegedly hired illegally by CCTV officials.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of the Death at Yunnan Prison. On 12 February, prisoner Li Qiaoming died from a brain injury sustained at a detention center in the province of Yunnan. Police claimed he was injured while playing a game of hide-and-seek with fellow prisoners.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of the Wenzhou City Resettlement Office. On 7 April, a blog revealed that the best apartments of those designated for families relocated due to development in Wenzhou City went at significantly discounted prices to 49 Resettlement Office staff and 94 local government officials.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Deng Yujiao Case. On 10 May, at a hotel in Hubei province, pedicurist Deng Yujiao tried to fend off the advances of a local official, stabbing and killing him in the process. She was charged with murder, but claimed self-defense. Deng became a national hero for resisting official abuse of power. Her charge was later reduced to the lesser offense of 'intentional assault'.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of an Occupational Disease in Zenghzou. On 25 May, migrant worker Zhang Haichao was diagnosed with tuberculosis at an occupational disease center in Zhengzhou city. He had struggled to get the diagnosis and his employers had been uncooperative. Later, he underwent a thoracotomy to prove he had an occupational disease caused by dust in the workplace, not TB.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Shishou Case in Hubei Province. On 17 June, chef Tu Yuangao died at Yonglong Hotel, Shishou, which some locals claimed was a center of drug activity. His family refused to accept the hotel management's explanation that he had committed suicide by jumping out of a window. Thousands protested in support of the family. Riots broke out and the hotel was set alight.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of the Fight at Xuri Toy Company in Guangdong. On 25 June, a brawl broke out between local Han Chinese and men of the Uighur Muslim minority group at a southern Chinese toy factory. An anonymous internet posting had claimed that six Uighur men had raped two Han women. A four-hour clash left two Uighur dead and 120 people injured. Weeks of inter-ethnic rioting followed.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of the Collapsed Residential Building in Shanghai. On 27 June, a 13-story apartment block collapsed, killing a construction worker. The building fell over as workers were excavating an underground car park for the complex. The construction company's license to build had expired in 2004.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of Violence at the Tonghua Iron and Steel Company. On 24 June, workers at the Tonghua Iron and Steel Company in northeastern China staged a protest against a threat of massive job-cuts as their state-owned company was set for privatization. The protest became violent and a manager from the company that was due to take over the steelworks was killed.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of Entrapment in Shanghai On 14 October, Sun Zhongjie, new in Shanghai, was stopped while driving an errand for his boss. A man begged a lift, saying he was sick. Minutes later, as traffic policemen stopped Sun, the man threw money at him and fled. Sun was accused of being an illegal taxi driver. Traffic police have been accused of using private agents to entrap drivers.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of Three Drowned Heroes On 24 October, three students from the Yangtze University in Jingzhou City drowned while trying to rescue two boys from the Yangtze River. More than ten students had formed a human chain to help save the children, but one lost his grip and the three 19-year-old students were swept away in the torrent.

The photographer does pushups at a place of topical significance. The Moment: The Case of the Trash Incinerator in Guangzhou, Guangdong. In late September, residents of Panyu district in the city of Guangzhou began protesting against the planned construction of a trash-burning power station in their district. They were concerned with health issues and the effect on property value. Officials insisted the incinerator would not pose a health threat.

Nature,3rd prize