Martin Parr made his name photographing the wind-lashed, rain sodden seaside resorts of England. So when he travelled to the Far East, it perhaps no surprise that he found himself strangely drawn to the wind and rain of China's Brighton and Blackpool counterparts: Beidaihe and Qingdao.

“I am fascinated by China and its growing role within the global perspective. The sheer number of people is difficult to grasp and I wanted to visit Chinese beaches to witness the big crowds that inhabit them during summer.

“The weather was very poor in mid August, but despite this they still sit on the beach,...