We’ve all heard stories about how much of a strong hold the Chinese government has over its people. They control what they can say, write, or even photograph. Journalists and photographers have been known to disappear for disobeying these laws, and one of the latest disappearances is photographer Lu Guang.

Guang began taking photographs in the 1980s when he was a factory worker in Yongkang County. He went on to become a freelance photographer in 1993 after taking classes at Beijing. He has since pursued a variety of projects all over Mongolia and China that focus on social, environmental, and health issues that those of us outside of China rarely get a glimpse of.

On October 23, Guang flew to Urumqi to attend a photography event. However, after leaving the event, he never made it to his final destination. His wife, Xu Xiaoli, says she hasn’t seen or heard from her husband since November 3.

After investigating, she discovered that her husband and his host had been taken by national security, but she has no further information. Guang has been recognized for his work with a variety of awards.

Check out a selection of his photos below and be sure to share them with your family and friends. It is no wonder that China doesn’t want these pictures to be seen around the world. Warning, some of these photos are extremely hard to look at and not suitable for everyone.

This photo was taken in 2002 of a man who went home from the Spring Celebration event in Beijing to discover that his wife had died. It is part of a series that shows the ravages of HIV on Chinese villages after people were infected when selling blood for a very low price.

The photo below shows two sisters preparing their six-year-old brother for his funeral. He had succumbed to AIDS as did both of his parents and all of his grandparents.

The next photo shows some of the working conditions that people in China and Mongolia face that Western countries rarely see.

Unfortunately, it isn’t just adults that are victims of these conditions. Many children are also exposed to these unhealthy and unsafe conditions.

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Because Chinese factories continue to discharge unprocessed industrial sewage, exhaust gas, and waste materials into the land, the pollution of farms, grass, and drinking water continues to worsen.

It isn’t just the air that is being damaged by China’s pollution. The water supplies are suffering too.

While these photos may be hard to look at, it is important to share them with your family and friends to help Guang bring awareness to how tragic and dire the conditions really are.