CHINA is the most populous country in the world - and you can see the strain it's under when you look at these incredible photos.
With around 1.4 billion inhabitants, China is one of the most densely packed places in the world, and the crowded country has been on the verge of breaking point for decades.
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Incredible scenes, such as this shot of a Chinese New Year celebration in Shanghai, point to an extremely crowded countryCredit: Getty Images
These unbelievable photos highlight the impact overcrowding is having on the day-to-day lives of China's many inhabitants, depicting incredible scenes throughout the country.
The shots, captured over the last 16 years, show how China's unstoppable population growth has left the country's cities completely rammed - with space at a premium.
And although China has had a one-child policy since 1978, the population is only just showing signs of stabilising, suggesting that many parents have managed to find ways around the controversial law.
More people live inside of this circle than out of it - highlighting how overpopulated the region isCredit: Getty
Employment-seekers desperately clamour around booths at a job fair in Chongqing municipalityCredit: Reuters
A swimming pool in suining, Sichuan province, is crowded beyond belief as residents try to escape the summer heatCredit: Reuters
A taxi rank outside an airport in Beijing turns into a stationary traffic jam as drivers compete for passengersCredit: Getty
A woman manages to find her bike amongst a mass of cycles locked up outside a subway station in BeijingCredit: Reuters
Students take an open-air exam outside at a high school in Yichuan, Shaanxi province, because there is no room for them indoorsCredit: Reuters
Students dry their washing on the balconies of a sky-high university dorm in Wuhan, Hubei provinceCredit: Reuters
The daily bustle of life in Shanghai is highlighted by this typical scene along one of the city's main roadsCredit: Reuters
Another photo taken in Shanghai shows a rammed road which is crowded with tourists and residents alikeCredit: Reuters
A shopping area in Shanghai is too crowded to navigate during a week-long national holidayCredit: Reuters
Passengers crowd the Shanghai Hongqiao railway station as they wait to catch a ride over the busy Chinese New Year periodCredit: Getty Images
A New Year lantern show Shanghai pulls an enormous crowd and forces viewers to pack themselves in for the eventCredit: Getty Images
Eager guests form a crowd at the entrance to the glass-bottom bridge at Zhangjiajie Grand CanyonCredit: Getty Images
Visitors pack into a holding area as they wait to catch a glimpse of the soaring tide of the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang provinceCredit: Reuters
A swimming pool in Suining, Sichuan province, is packed-out as guests try to cool off despite the crowdsCredit: Reuters
A day at the beach looks anything but relaxing for holidaymakers in Dalian, Liaoning ProvinceCredit: Reuters
The annual water-splashing festival in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, attracts enormous crowds every yearCredit: Reuters
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