10 Striking Photos Of Identical Twins Show How Time Affects People Differently

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Identical twins are nearly identical at birth, but what happens after birth?

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Chinese photographer Gao Rong Guo recently tried to answer that question, traveling across his hometown province of Shandong in search of identical twin pairs in their 50s and ultimately photographing 12 pairs of twins. These subjects have led different lives from their twins and now look undeniably different.

"He/she used to have the same face, living in the same family, but their lives changed due to various reasons after growing up," Gao told The Huffington Post.

Gao shared some photos with us, and you can check out the rest on his website. We have included information about the pairs from Gao's book, "Identical Twins," which does not appear to be available in the U.S.

Yu Zhe (left) was married to a farmer in her village who has since died. She makes a living by farming and weaving nets by hand. Yu Lan (right) is also married to a farmer. The couple has two daughters and a son and makes a living by farming. Their son has Down Syndrome.
Guo Yao (left) has two sons. One works on a farm with Yao, while the other moved away after graduating from college. Guo Hui (right) has three children: two sons and a daughter, who are all married. Guo Hui and his family are all cotton planters and must work hard all year.
Shou Yi (left) has two daughters, both married, a son, who has divorced twice, and several grandchildren. Shou Li (right) has four daughters, all married, and two granddaughters. Yi's life is more stressful than Li's, according to Gao.
Weiai (left) married a local farmer and has a son and two daughters. The son is a student, while the two daughters run a computer company together. Weijing (right) is married to a peasant in the village. The two live by planting and selling trees.
Hung Lans (left) has a son and two daughters. Hung Ju (right) has two sons, both married. Ju's husband died of cancer last year.
Pei Wen (left) has two sons, who are both married and doing well. Pei Wu has a son and a daughter. His daughter is married, while his son has moved away for work.
King (left) and Yun (right) both married farmers in their village. Yun and her husband are still farmers, while King and her husband run a prosperous fishing net factory.
Lian Wen (left) has a daughter in junior high school. Lian Wu (right) has a son also in junior high school. Wu is the section chief of the marketing department at his company, but it's not clear what Wen does for a living.
Bao Yi (left) broke his neck when he was performing a handstand as a child and has been disabled ever since. He has never married and is a doctor in the village. Bao Ren (right) is a farmer and construction worker. He has a son and daughter, who are also farmers.
Wang Cai (left) is married with a son and a daughter. The daughter died from leukemia, while the son has a family. The family has a successful coal business. Yu Xia (right) is married to a farmer and has two sons, both of whom have married and moved away.
Zhiguo died when he was 35. His wife has remarried. Zhidong is a local appliances dealer and repairman. He has two daughters and a son, and his business has been very successful.

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