♪
Narrator: CHINA, IT’S A COUNTRY STEEPED IN TRADITION
AND HURTLING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE.
IN THIS AERIAL JOURNEY,
WE’LL SEE THE SPRAWLING NATION FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE.
THIS IS A PLACE WHERE PIONEERS BRAVE THE UNKNOWN,
AND MONUMENTS TO THE SPIRITS STILL STAND.
HERE THE LANDSCAPES ARE AS DIVERSE AS THE PEOPLE,
WHERE CITIES FEATURE MAGNIFICENT SKYLINES,
AND INDUSTRIES HAVE TRANSFORMED THE COUNTRY
INTO A GLOBAL LEADER.
♪
AFTER CENTURIES IN SECLUSION, CREATIVITY THRIVES.
IN A GENERATION, CHINA HAS SPRUNG FROM ITS ANCIENT PAST,
INSPIRED BY BOLD IDEAS, AND RISEN TO NEW HEIGHTS.
(FIREWORKS EXPLODING)
IT’S BLENDED INNOVATION WITH TRADITION,
TAKING AIM AT THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
THAT LIE AHEAD IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
THIS IS CHINA FROM ABOVE.
♪
DEEP WITHIN CHINA’S WESTERN MOUNTAINS
ARE THE HEADWATERS OF ASIA’S LONGEST RIVERS,
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
THE YELLOW AND YANGTZE.
FROM THERE, THEY FLOW THROUGH CHINA’S VAST INTERIOR,
ALL THE WAY TO THE EASTERN COAST.
THESE RIVERS ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF CENTRAL CHINA,
THE NATION’S TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL HEARTLAND,
WHERE MILLIONS OF CITIZENS MAINTAIN
A STRONG CONNECTION TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
♪
IN THE PAST, THE COUNTRY’S AGRICULTURAL REGIONS
EXISTED APART FROM THE INDUSTRIALIZED COAST,
BUT TODAY THEY’RE NOW MORE CONNECTED.
EVEN THE REMOTE INDEPENDENT REGION OF TIBET
NOW HAS A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING CAPITAL CITY.
(ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE)
LHASA, MEANING "PLACE OF THE GODS,"
HAS BEEN THE CENTER OF THE TIBETAN BUDDHIST WORLD
FOR OVER A MILLENNIUM.
♪
BUILT ON THE CITY’S MARPORI MOUNTAIN IS POTALA PALACE.
(BIRD SCREECHING)
RESTORED IN 1645, IT’S 13 STORIES HIGH,
WITH OVER A THOUSAND ROOMS.
IT IS STILL AN IMPORTANT BUDDHIST SITE,
WITH CLOSE TO A MILLION PILGRIMS VISITING EACH YEAR.
TODAY, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE REGION ARE PREPARING
FOR ONE OF THEIR MOST IMPORTANT BUDDHIST FESTIVALS.
(ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE)
♪
IN THE VILLAGE OF LA MU, A FEW MILES FROM LHASA,
DAWA AND HIS FAMILY ARE GETTING READY FOR TOMORROW’S EVENTS.
(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(ANIMAL BLEATING)
IT’S THE CELEBRATION COMMEMORATING BUDDHA’S DESCENT
FROM HEAVEN BACK TO EARTH.
THE FESTIVAL KICKS OFF WITH TIBETANS
PAINTING THEIR HOMES WITH A UNIQUE WHITEWASH.
Narrator: THE PAINT TURNS WHITE AS IT DRIES,
SIGNIFYING PURITY AND KINDNESS.
(PAINT SPLASHING AND DRIPPING)
AT OVER 1,300 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL,
IT’S ALSO THE MOST PRACTICAL CHOICE
FOR RESISTING THE HARSH UV RADIATION.
PAINTING HOMES AND TEMPLES IS INTENDED TO DRAW BUDDHA
FROM HEAVEN BACK TO EARTH.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(ROOSTER CROWING)
THE NEXT MORNING, DAWA’S GRANDMOTHER IS UP EARLY.
Narrator: THE VILLAGERS THEN GO ON A SHORT PILGRIMAGE.
INCENSE WAS ONCE BURNED TO WARD OFF BAD LUCK
AFTER A HUNT OR A BATTLE.
IT’S NOW USED AS AN OFFERING TO BUDDHA.
(VILLAGERS CHANTING)
CHANTING AND PRAYING DOMINATE THE DAY.
Narrator: THE PROCESSION TAKES THEM OVER HILLS
AND AROUND TEMPLES, BEFORE ENDING AT THE LOCAL MONASTERY.
♪
Narrator: NEW INFRASTRUCTURE MEANS THAT LHASA
IS NO LONGER THE ISOLATED CITY IT ONCE WAS.
A 4.2 BILLION DOLLAR RAILWAY NOW CONNECTS
TIBET TO THE REST OF CHINA,
CROSSING 1,200 MILES OF HIGH ALTITUDE PLATEAU,
OVER A QUARTER OF IT BUILT ON PERMAFROST.
ONE CITY ON THE UPPER YANGTZE RIVER
IS GROWING AT BREAKNECK SPEED,
AND IS PRACTICALLY UNKNOWN TO THE WESTERN WORLD, CHONGQING.
(ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE)
LOCATED IN THE CENTRAL SOUTHWEST,
THIS CITY IS THE LARGEST MUNICIPALITY IN CHINA.
AND IT’S STILL GROWING, ADDING 45 ACRES OF LIVING SPACE
EACH DAY TO HOUSE OVER 34 MILLION PEOPLE.
♪
THIS ANCIENT CITY HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME
BY ADAPTING TO ITS CHALLENGING GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING.
ITS MOUNTAINOUS LOCATION REQUIRES
AN ARRAY OF VERTICAL TRANSPORT OPTIONS
TO MOVE EVERYONE AROUND THE CITY.
ROADS HAD TO BE ELEVATED TO ALLEVIATE
TRAFFIC CONGESTION AT GROUND LEVEL.
AND IT’S NOT ONLY ROADS THAT HAVE GONE SKYWARD.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
WANG NIAN HAS BEEN A DRIVER FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS
ON THE WORLD’S LARGEST MONORAIL SYSTEM.
Narrator: ITS 61-MILE STRETCH OF SINGLE RAIL
WEAVES AROUND THE CITY,
EVEN THREADING THROUGH SOME BUILDINGS.
NIAN DRIVES ROUTE TWO, KNOWN AS THE SCENIC LINE.
Narrator: CHONGQING IS A MAJOR MANUFACTURING CITY
AND TRANSPORT HUB.
MANY GLOBAL BRANDS ARE MOVING HERE, WHERE HIGH SPEED RAIL
MAKES THEM JUST AS EFFICIENT AS THEIR COASTAL COUNTERPARTS.
THE CITY IS NOW CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO GERMANY
BY CHINA RAILWAY EXPRESS.
IT’S A 7,000-MILE JOURNEY THROUGH FIVE COUNTRIES,
BUT IT’S TWICE AS FAST AS SHIPPING BY SEA
AND A QUARTER THE COST OF AIR TRANSPORT.
CHONGQING’S PORT IS STILL VITAL
TO THE MOVEMENT OF GOODS WITHIN CHINA.
IT’S LINKED TO THE EAST COAST BY THE YANGTZE RIVER,
A ROUTE THAT PASSES THROUGH ANOTHER
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING RIVER CITY, WUHAN.
♪
HERE, ONE DAY A YEAR, SHIP TRAFFIC IS HALTED,
AS THE CITY CELEBRATES ITS RIVER HERITAGE
WITH A SPECTACULAR EVENT.
WUHAN IS AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC HUB OF CHINA’S INTERIOR,
AND ITS 10 MILLION PEOPLE ARE TIED TO THE RIVER
THAT RUNS THROUGH IT.
IT’S BEEN POPULAR WITH SWIMMERS SINCE THE SONG DYNASTY,
A THOUSAND YEARS AGO.
THE ANNUAL WUHAN RIVER CROSSING FESTIVAL IS A SWIMMING EVENT
THAT DRAWS IN CROWDS FROM ALL OVER CHINA AND BEYOND.
(CROWD BUZZING)
♪
FORMER CHINESE LEADER, CHAIRMAN MAO,
SWAM HERE IN 1966 AT THE AGE OF 73.
THIS UNIQUE FESTIVAL IS HELD IN HIS HONOR.
(CROWD CHEERING)
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENT IS THE TEAM CROSSING,
WHERE GROUPS OF UP TO 100 PEOPLE NAVIGATE THE SWIFT CURRENT.
THIS YEAR THERE ARE OVER 5,000 ENTRIES AND 51 TEAMS.
(CROWD BUZZING)
61-YEAR-OLD DING AIZHEN FIRST TOOK PART IN 1977
AND HAS COMPETED SEVEN TIMES SINCE THEN.
Narrator: THIS YEAR IS SIGNIFICANT,
AS IT’S THE FIRST TIME THAT SHE’LL COMPETE
WITH HER HUSBAND, BO.
Narrator: THERE ARE NO WINNERS IN THIS EVENT.
THE GOAL IS FOR SWIMMERS LIKE DING AND BO
TO COMPLETE THE CROSSING TOGETHER.
BUT SWIMMING ON A RIVER THIS POWERFUL IS NOT EASY.
IT’S A NEARLY FOUR-MILE ROUTE,
MADE HARDER AND LONGER BY THE STRONG CURRENTS.
♪
(WATER SPLASHING)
EVENTUALLY DING AND BO FINISH TOGETHER.
Narrator: THE ANNUAL WUHAN SPORTING CHALLENGE
DATES BACK OVER 80 YEARS, TO 1934.
IN ONE TIBETAN VILLAGE, A FAR OLDER SPORTING EVENT
IS STILL CENTRAL TO COMMUNITY LIFE,
(ARROW SCREAMING)
ARCHERY.
♪
THE EVENT TAKES PLACE IN THE VALLEY OF THE GONGBO PEOPLE
NEAR THE LARGEST PRIMITIVE FOREST IN CHINA.
(ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE)
THE GONGBO PEOPLE DIFFER FROM THOSE LIVING
IN OTHER PARTS OF THE TIBETAN REGION.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN DIALECT, TRADITIONS AND PASTIMES.
AS AUTUMN SETS IN, THE GONGBO COMMUNITY
PREPARES TO CELEBRATE WITH A FAVORITE SPORT.
♪
KICKAK HAS BEEN AN ARCHER FOR 36 YEARS.
TODAY HIS VILLAGE TEAM IS TAKING PART IN A LOCAL TOURNAMENT.
(VILLAGERS SINGING AND LAUGHING)
Narrator: IT’S BOTH A SOCIAL OCCASION
AND A CHANCE TO SHOW OFF SOME ARCHERY SKILLS.
THE MEN COME WELL PREPARED FOR THE EVENT.
THIS ANCIENT SPORT HAS BEEN UPDATED FOR MODERN TIMES.
THE COMPETITION HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE GONGBO EQUIPMENT,
OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE SCREAMING ARROW.
(ARROW SCREAMING)
THE ARROW IS A WOODEN SHAFT WITH FOUR SMALL HOLES IN IT,
(ARROW SCREAMING)
WHICH CREATES A WHISTLING SOUND AS IT FLIES THROUGH THE AIR.
♪
A TRADITIONAL FABRIC BULL’S EYE HANGS 100 FEET AWAY.
(ARROWS SCREAMING) (VILLAGERS CHEERING)
KICKAK’S VILLAGE IS PERFORMING WELL.
(ARROW SCREAMING)
(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(VILLAGERS SINGING)
EVENTUALLY, THE COMPETITION COMES DOWN TO THE WIRE.
♪
(ARROW SCREAMING)
IN THIS CENTURIES-OLD SPORT,
MANY ARCHERS HAVE FACED TENSION-FILLED MOMENTS
WHERE EVERYTHING IS ON THE LINE.
(ARROW SCREAMING)
KICKAK’S FINAL SHOT SEALS THE DEAL.
HIS TEAM WINS THE COMPETITION.
(VILLAGERS CHEERING)
(VILLAGERS SINGING)
Narrator: 500 MILES SOUTHEAST,
ON CHINA’S SOUTHERN BORDER,
LIES THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS PEAK, EVEREST,
WHERE A MORE EXTREME SPORT, MOUNTAINEERING,
ATTRACTS PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE.
♪
THE HIMALAYAS IS A SYSTEM OF OVER 110 MOUNTAINS
CROSSING FIVE COUNTRIES, INCLUDING CHINA.
CLIMBERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD ATTEMPT TO SUMMIT
ITS HIGHEST POINT, AT 29,000 FEET.
(BIRD SCREECHING)
IT’S NEAR THE ALTITUDE OF A CRUISING JETLINER,
WHERE THE OXYGEN IS ONLY A THIRD
OF WHAT WE BREATHE AT SEA LEVEL.
HISTORICALLY, MOST CLIMBERS ASCEND
VIA THE SOUTH FACE ROUTE IN NEPAL.
BUT LATELY, MORE ARE CHOOSING TO TACKLE
THE NORTH FACE OF EVEREST,
AS CHINA OPENS UP THIS TIBETAN ROUTE.
IT’S NOW POSSIBLE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO BASE CAMP.
THIS YEAR’S MAIN CLIMBING SEASON IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE,
BUT A SELECT GROUP REMAINS AT TIBET’S NORTHERN BASE CAMP.
PEMA TINLEY IS AN EVEREST VETERAN.
HE’S PREPARING FOR ONE OF MOST IMPORTANT CLIMBS
OF THE SEASON, OPERATION CLEAN UP.
Narrator: BUT THE JOB IS TOO BIG TO MANAGE ALONE.
THE TEAM NEEDS SOME EXTRA MUSCLE POWER FROM LOCAL SHERPAS
AND THEIR MOST REVERED BEAST OF BURDEN, THE YAK.
♪
THE YAK’S RED BLOOD CELLS HAVE EVOLVED
TO EXTRACT MORE OXYGEN FROM THE DEPLETED AIR.
TOGETHER THE MEN AND THEIR ANIMALS
WILL FOLLOW THE ROUTE TO ADVANCED BASE CAMP,
COLLECTING RUBBISH AND EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND.
AS THE NORTH FACE GAINS POPULARITY,
MORE ITEMS ARE DISCARDED ALONG THE WAY.
EVEN DISCARDED FOOD CAN’T BREAK DOWN IN TEMPERATURES
THAT REACH AS LOW AS MINUS 31 FAHRENHEIT.
Narrator: THIS ANNUAL CLEAN-UP EVENT
IS ON A LARGER SCALE THAN EVER BEFORE,
WITH A TEAM OF 150 YAKS, EACH CARRYING 100 POUNDS.
OVER SEVERAL DAYS, FIVE TONS OF WASTE IS COLLECTED,
MORE THAN ANY OTHER YEAR.
Narrator: THE CLEAN-UP IS IN KEEPING WITH
THE TIBETAN PHILOSOPHY OF LIVING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE.
AT FAR LOWER ALTITUDES,
A CHINESE TEAM IS EXPLORING A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD,
AN ANCIENT CITY HIDDEN UNDER WATER,
CHINA’S ATLANTIS. ♪
IN THE EASTERN REACHES OF ZHEJIANG PROVINCE
IS A LAKE CONTAINING OVER A THOUSAND ISLANDS.
BUT THIS IS A MAN-MADE WONDER.
THE LAKE IS ONLY 60 YEARS OLD
AND WAS CREATED DURING CONSTRUCTION
OF ONE OF CHINA’S EARLY HYDROPOWER PLANTS.
IT REPRESENTED A VITAL FIRST STEP
IN THE COUNTRY’S RAPID ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
♪
THESE ISLANDS ARE ACTUALLY THE TOP OF HILLS,
A CLUE TO WHAT LIES SUBMERGED BELOW.
LOU SHANLIANG WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE
TO VENTURE INTO THIS UNIQUE UNDERWATER WORLD.
Narrator: TODAY HE HAS TEAMED UP WITH CAMERAMAN WU LIXIN
TO USE 3D SCANNING TECHNOLOGY TO RESURRECT AN ANCIENT CITY.
(ENGINE CHUGGING)
♪
DIVING TO THE DEPTHS OF THIS LAKE COMES WITH CHALLENGES.
Narrator: AT LAST, AFTER DESCENDING OVER 130 FEET,
THEY FIND WHAT THEY’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR,
THE 1,000-YEAR-OLD SHI CHENG OR LION CITY.
THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME
IT’S BEEN CAPTURED THREE DIMENSIONALLY.
(CAMERA FLASH ZAPPING)
Narrator: COMPUTER SOFTWARE CONVERTS THESE PHOTOS
INTO A 3D IMAGE.
♪
ONCE AN OPULENT CITY
AND THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC HUB FOR EASTERN CHINA,
IT NOW LAYS REMARKABLY WELL-PRESERVED IN
THE FRESH WATER.
♪
Narrator: CHINA HAS A LONG HISTORY
OF HARNESSING ITS WATERWAYS.
FURTHER TO THE NORTH,
SOME UNUSUAL METHODS ARE USED TO MONITOR
ONE OF THE PLANET’S MOST VOLATILE AND DANGEROUS RIVERS.
(WATER CRASHING)
♪
THE YELLOW RIVER IS VITAL FOR LIFE IN THE ARID NORTH.
ONE OF THE CRADLES OF CHINA’S EARLIEST CIVILIZATION,
IT NOW PROVIDES WATER TO 155 MILLION PEOPLE.
IT IRRIGATES OVER 50 MILLION ACRES OF FARMLAND.
BUT THIS IS A RIVER WITH A REPUTATION,
AND PRONE TO DEVASTATING FLOODS.
NEW ARRIVAL JIN JINGPO IS LEARNING THE ROPES
AT THIS ISOLATED YELLOW RIVER MONITORING STATION.
(ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE)
THE HYDROLOGIST’S ROLE HERE
IS TO PROVIDE DAILY UPDATES TO HYDROPOWER STATIONS AND DAMS
FURTHER DOWN THE YELLOW RIVER,
NAMED FOR THE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF GOLDEN SEDIMENT
CARRIED IN ITS FLOW.
BUT COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION REQUIRES NERVES OF STEEL,
AND A TIME-TESTED CABLE CAR.
♪
ONE OF JINGPO’S MAIN TASKS IS TO DETERMINE
HOW MUCH SAND AND SILT IS CARRIED IN THE RIVER.
Narrator: THIS METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
SOMETIMES MUST TAKE PLACE AT NIGHT,
OR DURING SEVERE WEATHER,
POSING A STEEP LEARNING CURVE FOR THE NEW RECRUIT.
THE RESEARCH FACILITIES AND LIVING QUARTERS
ARE PERCHED ON A CLIFF.
THEIR CABLE CAR IS THE ONLY LINK TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD,
SOMETHING JINGPO IS COMING TO TERMS WITH.
Narrator: THIS RIVER MAKES LIFE
IN NORTHERN CHINA POSSIBLE,
ALLOWING ITS PEOPLE TO GROW CROPS IN A PLACE
THAT RECEIVES LITTLE RAIN.
♪
ON THE FRINGES OF THE GOBI DESERT,
A GREEN OASIS STRETCHES FOR MILES,
PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR GRAPE GROWING.
(ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE)
CHINA’S NINGXIA PROVINCE IS NOW
THE SECOND LARGEST WINE PRODUCING REGION IN THE WORLD.
100,000 ACRES OF VINES ARE TAKING OVER
THE ONCE DRY LANDSCAPE. ♪
SILVER HEIGHTS WINERY IS ONE OF THE CHINESE PIONEERS
IN A REGION NOW MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF INTERNATIONALLY.
HARVESTING IS UNDERWAY,
A CRUCIAL TIME FOR CHINESE WINEMAKER EMMA GAO.
Narrator: AFTER STUDYING WINEMAKING IN BORDEAUX, FRANCE,
SHE PLANTED HER FIRST WINERY IN YINCHUAN CITY
WITH THE HELP OF HER FAMILY.
Narrator: HER BELIEF IN THESE DESERT SOILS WAS INSPIRED
BY HER FATHER WHO GREW TABLE GRAPES IN THIS REGION.
Narrator: 10 YEARS LATER, EMMA’S WINERY
HAS EXPANDED FROM ITS CITY BASE
AND IS NOW PRODUCING 63,000 BOTTLES OF WINE A YEAR.
WINEMAKING IS STILL AN EMERGING INDUSTRY,
BUT FARMING ARID LAND IN CHINA’S NORTH IS NOTHING NEW.
REMINDERS OF THE REGION’S ANCIENT CIVILIZATION
ARE EVIDENT BY 110,000 BUDDHIST STATUES.
♪
ALONG BOTH SIDES OF CHINA’S YI RIVER
ARE LIMESTONE CAVES, CALLED GROTTOES,
CONTAINING MANY THOUSANDS OF STATUES
CARVED OVER HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
THESE ARE SOME OF CHINA’S EARLIEST BUDDHIST TEMPLES,
LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF LUOYANG.
WITHIN THE 2,345 CAVES ARE ALMOST 110,000 STATUES,
RANGING FROM UNDER AN INCH TO 56 FEET IN HEIGHT.
HOU YUKE IS PART OF THE RESTORATION TEAM.
Narrator: YUKE’S TEAM IS WORKING ON ONE
OF THE MANY STATUES THAT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED,
AND 21ST CENTURY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS
BEING USED TO HELP.
♪
USING A DIGITAL SCANNER,
THEY WILL CREATE A THREE-DIMENSIONAL COPY.
Narrator: THIS TECHNIQUE CAN PINPOINT VULNERABLE AREAS
IN NEED OF RESTORATION,
AND IT CAN EVEN HELP TO FILL IN MISSING PIECES.
MODERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY BRINGS TO LIFE
A UNIQUE PIECE OF CHINA’S HISTORY
FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO ENJOY.
MANY OF THE STATUES WOULD BE DESTROYED,
AND A PORTION OF THE PAST WOULD BE LOST.
IN CHINA’S SUBTROPICAL SOUTH,
THERE ARE REMAINS BEING RESTORED
THAT PRE-DATE CHINA’S ANCIENT CIVILIZATION.
♪
YUNNAN PROVINCE IN CHINA’S SOUTHWEST
IS HOME TO MORE TYPES OF FORESTS THAN ANY OTHER,
INCLUDING ONE WITHOUT ANY TREES.
(ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE)
YUANMOU EARTH FOREST IS MADE UP OF SPIRES OF CLAY
SCULPTED FROM SANDSTONE OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS.
PERHAPS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING ABOUT THE ROCKS HERE
IS WHAT THEY CONTAIN,
CLUES ABOUT THE PREHISTORIC CREATURES THAT ONCE LIVED HERE.
AND YUNNAN PROVINCE IS LOADED WITH DINOSAUR REMAINS.
IT’S ONE OF CHINA’S, AND THE WORLD’S,
HOTTEST LOCATIONS FOR JURASSIC ERA DISCOVERIES.
ESPECIALLY HERE, IN LUFENG COUNTY,
THE LOCATION OF CHINA’S DINOSAUR GEOPARK.
MR. WANG HAS BEEN WORKING WITH FOSSILS FOR 30 YEARS.
HE’S BEEN BUSY, AS DISCOVERIES ARE UNEARTHED
EVERY FEW WEEKS.
Narrator: THIS FOSSIL BELONGS
TO THE APPROPRIATELY NAMED LUFENGOSAURUS,
FIRST FOUND IN THE LUFENG REGION.
THERE ARE NOW 76 COMPLETE SPECIMENS
OF THIS PLANT-EATING SPECIES.
♪
Narrator: LUFENG IS ALSO HOME TO ITS OWN JURASSIC PARK,
WHERE DISCOVERIES ARE PUT ON DISPLAY FOR CHINESE TOURISTS.
BUILT IN 2008, THIS 110,000-SQUARE-FOOT
EXHIBITION CENTER
RESTORES THE BONES ON SITE.
IT’S NOW ONE OF THE LARGEST DISPLAYS
OF FOSSILS IN THE WORLD,
WITH 70 SETS OF RESTORED AND MOUNTED DINOSAUR SKELETONS.
(TOOLS BUZZING)
Narrator: SINCE 1938, RESEARCHERS IN THE LUFENG REGION
HAVE UNEARTHED MORE THAN A THOUSAND DINOSAUR FOSSILS,
WITH SURELY MORE TO COME.
YUNNAN’S HILLS ARE DISSECTED BY THE YANGTZE RIVER,
THE LONGEST IN ASIA.
IT FLOWS EASTWARD THROUGH CHONGQING AND WUHAN,
EMPTYING INTO THE EAST CHINA SEA,
OVER A THOUSAND MILES AWAY.
THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER IS ALSO THE LOCATION
OF CHINA’S MOST POPULATED CITY, SHANGHAI.
HERE, SHIPS ARRIVE FROM DEEP INLAND
AND FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
NAVIGATING THE HARBOR CAN SOMETIMES BE RISKY,
BUT SHOULD AN ACCIDENT OCCUR,
A DEDICATED EMERGENCY RESCUE TEAM
IS READY TO SPRING INTO ACTION.
♪
SHANGHAI IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S BUSIEST INLAND WATERWAYS
AND THE LARGEST PORT ON THE PLANET.
GIVEN THE VOLUME OF MARITIME TRAFFIC,
SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY.
TO HELP IN EMERGENCIES,
HELICOPTER RESCUE TEAMS ARE ON CALL 24 HOURS A DAY.
♪
THERE ARE ABOUT 90 TRAINED INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNIT.
AMONG THEM ARE 22 PILOTS, INCLUDING WAN QIUWEN,
ONE OF TWO FEMALES IN THIS CRUCIAL ROLE.
Narrator: TODAY’S A TRAINING DRILL FOR THIS TEAM OF FOUR,
WHO PREPARE TO FLY OUT TO THE MOUTH OF THE YANGTZE.
Narrator: CREW MEMBERS DEVOTE MANY HOURS
TO THESE TRAINING EXERCISES,
SO THAT IF AN EMERGENCY OCCURS, EVERYONE IS WELL-PREPARED.
(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING)
Narrator: TRAINING CAN’T PREPARE RESCUERS
FOR EVERY POSSIBILITY,
AND CONDITIONS HERE HAVE A HABIT OF BEING UNPREDICTABLE.
♪
Narrator: IT WILL TAKE 20 MINUTES TO REACH
THE SAFETY BOAT WITH TODAY’S VICTIM.
(WATER SPLASHING)
ALTHOUGH HE’S MADE ENTIRELY OUT OF PLASTIC,
THE PRESSURE IS STILL ON.
THE TWO CREWMEN IN THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT
MUST PERFORM AS IF THEY’RE RESCUING A HUMAN BEING.
Narrator: WAN QIUWEN NEEDS TO KEEP THE HELICOPTER
IN A STEADY HOVER.
THE LIFEGUARD IS LOWERED ALMOST 100 FEET
ONTO THE RESCUE CRAFT, WHERE THE VICTIM LIES.
Narrator: EACH COMPLETED TRAINING EXERCISE
BUILDS CONFIDENCE AND PREPARES CREW MEMBERS
TO RESPOND TO THE UNEXPECTED, QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
BACK AT THE BASE, THERE’S ALWAYS PLENTY OF WORK TO DO,
WHILE NEARBY, SHIPS PLY
ONE OF THE WORLD’S BUSIEST WATERWAYS.
CONTAINER SHIPS DOMINATE THE SHIPPING LANES,
(SHIP HORN BELLOWS)
AND THE LARGEST OF ALL ARE BUILT RIGHT HERE.
(ELECTRONIC SOUNDSCAPE)
COVERING AN AREA OF 54 MILLION SQUARE FEET IS WAI GAO QIAO,
ONE OF THE BIGGEST SHIPBUILDERS IN THE WORLD.
♪
THIS CHINESE COMPANY, EMPLOYING 8,000 WORKERS,
DESIGNS AND BUILDS A VARIETY OF SHIPS.
THEY’RE NOW FULFILLING ONE OF ITS LARGEST ORDERS TO DATE,
11 OF THE BIGGEST CONTAINER SHIPS IN THE WORLD.
XU JIAN IS ON A TEAM OF OVER 70 DESIGNERS.
Narrator: HU KANGYI IS THE HOISTING MANAGER,
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POSITIONING OF HUGE PIECES OF STEEL
WEIGHING UP TO 860 TONS.
Narrator: TO COMPLETE THE FOUR-MONTH BUILDING SCHEDULE,
THE SHIP IS DESIGNED TO BE ASSEMBLED
LIKE GIANT LEGO BLOCKS.
TWO 600-TON GANTRY CRANES ARE USED OVER 500 TIMES
TO HOIST THESE SECTIONS INTO PLACE.
♪
Narrator: THE FIRST FINISHED VESSEL
IS ALMOST 1,300 FEET LONG, 100 FEET TALL
AND IS CAPABLE OF CARRYING 20,000 STEEL CONTAINERS.
♪
Narrator: IT’S TIME TO MOVE THE SHIP
OUT OF THE DOCK FOR TESTING.
IT TAKES SIX TUGS THREE HOURS TO TRAVEL
HALF A MILE INTO THE MAIN CHANNEL.
HERE IT WILL REMAIN FOR SIX MONTHS,
WHILE ENGINEERS CHECK ALL OF ITS MECHANICAL
AND ELECTRICAL FITTINGS,
BEFORE IT JOINS THE REST OF CHINA’S FLEET
OF OVER 300 CONTAINER SHIPS.
TOGETHER THEY CARRY OVER A MILLION AND A HALF CONTAINERS
ON THE WORLD’S OCEANS,
FUELING THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY ON EARTH.
♪
CHINA, A NATION OF ENORMOUS CONTRAST.
A COUNTRY OVERCOMING GEOGRAPHIC AND CLIMATIC BARRIERS.
FROM ITS FAR FLUNG WESTERN MOUNTAINOUS BORDERLANDS,
TO ITS URBANIZED COASTLINE,
HOME TO ITS MOST POPULOUS CITIES.
IN BETWEEN ARE THE GREAT RIVERS
AND HEARTLANDS OF CENTRAL CHINA,
A REGION OF ANCIENT TRADITIONS
AND EXPLOSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
ULTIMATELY, CHINA’S GREAT CENTER IS A PLACE
WHERE URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
FACE THE CHALLENGES OF A CHANGING WORLD
IN THE 21ST CENTURY.