In the past 12 months, China's lunar mission achieved great success, extreme poverty was tamed, and COVID-19 cast its shadow

2020 was no ordinary year.

Over the past 12 months, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc around the world. China was hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak, but it was successfully brought under control after painstaking efforts by local authorities, health workers and the people, which were steered by the government.

The country also reached a major landmark this year, when the last 52 impoverished counties managed to shake off extreme poverty, a historic moment in China's efforts to build a moderately prosperous society in an all-around way.

Mother Nature unleashed her wrath. Floods caused by heavy rain hit many areas in eastern, southern and southwestern China in June. However, coordinated disaster relief efforts helped keep the loss of lives and property at a minimum.

Marking another important success in the country's moon exploration program, the Chang'e 5 spacecraft brought lunar samples back to Earth, only the third country to achieve the feat and the first in 44 years.

It was a year of major difficulties that tested the nation's resolve, but also one of many glorious moments. The ebb and flow of the year was recorded by our photographers.

Since 2012, China Daily has published "annual photos of international communication" at the end of each year, chosen from tens of thousands of photos used by this media organization. By compiling this "photo essay of the year", we hope to offer our readers a keepsake of the remarkable events of 2020.