Beijing (CNN)For more than a decade, Chinese photographer Ma Hongjie has asked dozens of families across the country to empty their homes and pose in front of everything they own.
His goal is to tell the stories of those who have been bypassed by China's economic boom -- the people living on the bottom rung of society that haven't enjoyed the fruits of the country's transformation.
"The possessions are not even wealth. It's just their lives -- showing how the grassroots try to make a living," said Ma, a photo editor at Chinese National Geography magazine.
While the mesmerizing images show a variety of landscapes, lifestyles and cultures, what's most striking is their similarity -- the neatly lined up possessions are mostly daily essentials and tools of trade. Their owners appear proud yet humble.
Almost all of Ma's subjects are rural families. He has asked richer families living in cities to participate, but they weren't willing to take part in the project, he said.
They possess a lot more, and were afraid of the repercussions of showcasing their wealth, Ma explained.
"Yet grassroots were fully at ease showing me whatever they have," he said. "They'd first feel wary about my request, but when I showed the samples they thought it was interesting."
Although China now is the second largest economy after the United States, it is also home to the second largest number of poor people in the world, according to the World Bank.
Almost 100 million people lived below the national poverty line of $1 a day in 2012.