French master photographer Bruno Barbey of Magnum Photos was one of a handful of foreign journalists allowed into China during the Cultural Revolution -- and one of the only ones to shoot in color. Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

Unlike most photojournalists of the era, who still shot in black-and-white, Barbey was already working with color film. But any kind of photography was a rarity in China, where Chairman Mao Zedong's Red Guards went from house to house destroying cameras and photographs, which were considered a mark of the bourgeoisie. Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

Although Barbey, a Frenchman, was accompanied by a guard on his first visit, he was allowed to capture frank scenes of ordinary life. "I don't think they could hide scenes of poverty and suffering," he told CNN. "Because when you walk in the Shanghai streets, what can you do? They could not censor it." Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

On a whim, the photographer asked to see an army camp and to his surprise, was given access. "They were very, very well-trained people, doing traditional kung-fu," he said. Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

A vivid highlight of the trip was meeting Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, Mao's right-hand man and chief diplomat. "He spoke a little French," recalled Barbey. Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

Barbey also captured this unguarded moment of Zhou. "He's not reading a speech, he's looking at the menu, and you can see on his face he's quite happy about what he's about to have for dinner." Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

This was Mao's wife, Jiang Qing. "At the time she was the only woman dressed in a Western style, that she herself designed," explained Barbey. "Anyone else could not do such a thing." Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

"I just try to photograph things as they are, I don't like to manipulate the situation, I don't like to set up the picture," Barbey told CNN. "You have people who only like to photography ugly things -- I'm more interested in the beauty of life. I try to respect people, and not to be aggressive." Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

At the time, the Red Guards were destroying cultural artifacts and historic sites in China. Barbey was able to snap this man sitting on the foot of an ancient statue Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

The photographer said he dreamed of returning to the 1970s to photograph the scenes again -- with a digital camera. "If I had a digital camera at the time I would've done ten times better. Because you can shoot at night, in low light, there are so many things you can do." Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

Since his first trip in 1973, Barbey has been back to the country countless times to photograph the country as it changed. "In the 1980s, you could see the access to foreign journalists was easier, you could travel to China freely, and tourism was starting in some cities," he said. Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

Barbey also traveled to China's western Xinjiang province, home to many of the country's Uyghur minorities. Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

Today, Barbey continues to photograph in China -- but modernization and pollution have changed the country's visual appearance. "In Shanghai or Beijing, there are some days you nearly cannot see another building through the air," he said. Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

As a witness to China's rise, the photographer says he hopes his old photos can help young Chinese people understand their history. "They should realize that as a whole, they are very lucky. Their parents in certain moment of their lives suffered a lot." Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos

"China has achieved a fantastic improvement," he said. "Some things still could be improved, the world is not perfect, but today the country is a pleasure to look at compared to what I have seen 30 years ago." Courtesy of Bruno Barbey/Magnum Photos