Drying tobacco in Yunnan

In this 2005 photo, local residents in Yunnan Province carry tobacco leaves that are drying in the sun. Yunnan is known for producing tobacco and exports it to many places outside mainland China, such as Europe, the Middle East, Hong Kong, and Macau. While China has done more in recent years to discourage smoking, it is still home to 300 million smokers, more than anywhere else in the world. The Chinese tobacco industry is owned by the state.