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#video #China with Ben Fogle S01E01 Episode 1 Engsub #drama2026 #movie2026 #hotmovie
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00:00:00I
00:00:43Oh my goodness, this has been an ambition of mine all my life to come here, the Great
00:00:54Wall of China, one of the great wonders of the world.
00:01:00Stretching for more than 13,000 miles, the Great Wall is a staggering testament to human
00:01:06ambition.
00:01:08Started 2,500 years ago to safeguard an ancient empire, it now reflects China's enduring legacy.
00:01:17But how has this symbol of China's past helped forge the country we see today?
00:01:24The Wall was built as a show of strength to keep the enemies out, but also to keep the
00:01:29empire and its people within.
00:01:31For some, it's created a boundary that's left an enigma, a mysterious country that many
00:01:40people still struggle to understand.
00:01:43And as a traveller, I want to get to know the real China.
00:01:53China, a land of natural wonders and an economic superpower.
00:01:59We are the innovation capital of the world.
00:02:02I'm embarking on an amazing 5,000-mile journey across this magnificent country.
00:02:08I mean, look at that!
00:02:11Experiencing its breathtaking landscapes.
00:02:13If you saw this in a film, you'd think it was CGI.
00:02:17Its rich and historic culture.
00:02:19I want a big fish, like this size.
00:02:23And its explosive drive for world-changing innovation.
00:02:27The city of the future.
00:02:30I'm on a mission to look beyond the stereotypes.
00:02:33Of all the things I expected to find, this is one of the most unlikely.
00:02:38Discover the role of China in our fast-changing world.
00:02:42Is this a little glimpse of the future?
00:02:44Yes!
00:02:44Because Trump's not a trade war, you guys all have to work.
00:02:49And learn what its rise means for us all.
00:02:52There's a lot of people that are fearful that we will be replaced.
00:02:57In this first part of my journey, I travelled to Beijing and Shanghai,
00:03:02two of China's vast, vibrant cities.
00:03:05This is a city where dreams are made.
00:03:08I immerse myself in the rhythms of daily life.
00:03:11The older generation doing Tai Chi and there's a really happy feel here.
00:03:17And confront the legacy of China's recent controversial history.
00:03:21That's Tiananmen Square back.
00:03:23Yeah.
00:03:23Hundreds of police.
00:03:25That is the first time I felt really on edge.
00:03:29And I ask how the past.
00:03:31You're saying that the sociability here is because of communism.
00:03:36Is shaping China.
00:03:38Are you ready for the changes?
00:03:40Yes.
00:03:41In the 21st century.
00:03:45What a way to get to see a city, eh?
00:04:02I'm starting my journey here at the Great Wall.
00:04:07For millennia, it's been a powerful symbol of China's civilisation and unity.
00:04:16This section was built around the 16th century and has fallen into ruin.
00:04:27It's strictly off limits to tourists, but I've been granted access to a project restoring this part of the wall
00:04:34to its former glory.
00:04:37Hello.
00:04:38Hello.
00:04:39Hello.
00:04:39Mr. Cheng.
00:04:40Hello.
00:04:41Hello.
00:04:43Mr. Cheng leads a team of skilled artisans employed by the Chinese government.
00:04:48This is an absolutely spectacular landscape.
00:04:54What part of the wall are you responsible for?
00:04:58Mr. Cheng, this is a great wall.
00:05:03Mr. Cheng, you're doing what happened.
00:05:09Mr. Cheng, yes, dear.
00:05:09His show tonight is burned.
00:05:14Mr. Cheng, yes, the job.
00:05:20Mr. Cheng, yes, is burning.
00:05:22Mr. Cheng, yes, you're making a painting.
00:05:24Mr. Cheng, yes.
00:05:27Mr. Cheng.
00:05:27keep out nomadic invaders from the north.
00:05:43So, what are you working on today?
00:05:47You want to get me to work, of course.
00:05:52Mr Cheung has invited me to join his team for the day.
00:05:57I need to put this on.
00:05:59Oh, yes, love a hard hat.
00:06:01As a foreigner, yeah, good.
00:06:04This is a rare privilege.
00:06:09Wow, look at this.
00:06:14Mr Cheung, good? Walk across, yeah?
00:06:17I don't want to leave my footprints on the Great Wall of China.
00:06:21Maybe I do.
00:06:27I want to let you, a teacher,
00:06:30send you to my children.
00:06:32Of course, if you trust me.
00:06:37Reusing original 500-year-old bricks
00:06:40and traditional building techniques,
00:06:43Mr Cheung's painstaking reconstruction
00:06:45is faithful to the wall's original design.
00:06:50Have you done this work?
00:06:53No, I've done a few bricks in my garden.
00:06:55I've never fixed a 13,000-mile wall.
00:07:01OK.
00:07:05I think it's straight.
00:07:07What do you think?
00:07:08Oh, that's wrong.
00:07:12Take it out.
00:07:13Take it out.
00:07:14Take it out.
00:07:15This out?
00:07:16Put back, this back?
00:07:17Yeah.
00:07:19You're a hard task, master.
00:07:21You just have to go with me.
00:07:22If you don't do it, I won't let you eat.
00:07:26As my grandfather, you just have to do it.
00:07:29Yes, sir.
00:07:30I'll work harder.
00:07:34Yeah.
00:07:37So like that, yes?
00:07:38You're happy?
00:07:44That looks pretty good.
00:07:50What does it mean to the wider population?
00:07:53What does the wall mean to the Chinese?
00:08:13I feel incredibly privileged to be working on the great wall,
00:08:18but also with someone who has such a deep connection to the wall.
00:08:23It feels like a real honor.
00:08:27See ya, see ya.
00:08:31The great wall once kept the world at a distance.
00:08:34Now, as China gradually opens up to the west,
00:08:37I'm setting out across this immense country
00:08:40to explore how its history continues to influence its present.
00:08:46See you in the city.
00:08:53I'm leaving Mr. Chung and his team behind,
00:08:56and heading 60 miles south to the capital, Beijing.
00:09:04For more than eight centuries,
00:09:07Beijing has been the heart of power in China.
00:09:10The seat of emperors, revolutionaries, and modern leaders alike.
00:09:15And what a city.
00:09:16I mean, the central business district,
00:09:18so there's huge buildings, people everywhere.
00:09:23To truly understand the modern face of this ancient country,
00:09:27I'm going to need some insider knowledge.
00:09:31Chang?
00:09:32Hey!
00:09:32Hey!
00:09:33How are you?
00:09:34How are you?
00:09:34How do we say hello?
00:09:36Is it formal...?
00:09:37With no kiss on the cheek?
00:09:38No, no, no.
00:09:39Very conservative here.
00:09:40Yeah, no.
00:09:41I have a husband.
00:09:43Well, thank you for showing me around Beijing.
00:09:46Very excited.
00:09:47You're very welcome.
00:09:47Welcome to my city.
00:09:52Chen Chang was born and raised here in Beijing.
00:09:56I wonder what distinctive characteristics Beijingers have.
00:10:01You know, Beijingers are very famous in China.
00:10:03We're very warm, we're funny,
00:10:06we want to make friends with anyone.
00:10:09Hello.
00:10:09I see.
00:10:13In the 21st century,
00:10:15Beijing has been transformed.
00:10:17Many of its ancient streets replaced by soaring skyscrapers.
00:10:23But amid the high rises,
00:10:25the city's parks still play a vital role as places to congregate.
00:10:30There's nowhere better to understand the real Beijing.
00:10:34It's a real hive of activity here, isn't it?
00:10:37Everyone seems to be doing something.
00:10:39Yep.
00:10:40You know, in Beijing, park life is very important in our life.
00:10:45What's going on down here?
00:10:47Look how colourful that is.
00:11:03I always think parks are a good way to get to know a city.
00:11:08I'm travelling across China to discover how its ancient culture coexists with its fast-moving modern economy.
00:11:16I've come to the capital, Beijing.
00:11:20Chang, born and bred here, has taken me to one of the city's many parks.
00:11:24What's going on down here?
00:11:26Look how colourful that is.
00:11:32Yes.
00:11:33That's a lovely sight.
00:11:34Yes.
00:11:44Are these professionals?
00:11:45No, they just retire old grandmas.
00:11:49They come to here, you know, do the morning excise, meet with all their friends, dancing their favourite song.
00:11:59These women are part of a remarkable social phenomenon,
00:12:03a vast army of so-called dancing grannies,
00:12:06who gather in parks and public squares across China.
00:12:14That's beautiful.
00:12:18What's she saying?
00:12:18She said, do you want to come on the trail?
00:12:20You want me to come on the trail?
00:12:22Of course.
00:12:22Let's go.
00:12:23Yeah.
00:12:23I'm just going to try and copy.
00:12:25I think I'm a bit out of my depth here.
00:12:30Communal dancing has been a part of Chinese life for centuries.
00:12:35But the communist government has long used the culture of group exercise
00:12:39to reinforce ideals of unity and discipline.
00:12:52I can't believe you can do this.
00:12:56You must learn this dance in the UK.
00:13:00Oh, thank you.
00:13:02Oh, my God.
00:13:05Can I ask, do they do it for happiness, for health, for fitness, for friendship?
00:13:20Many elderly people back in the UK actually feel very lonely.
00:13:25There's a loneliness epidemic.
00:13:26I'm wondering whether they ever feel lonely.
00:13:28No.
00:13:30That's emphatic.
00:13:32You understand what they say.
00:13:34Thank you so much.
00:13:40The legacy of the communist era lives on in the generation who grew up in the aftermath of Mao Zedong's
00:13:471949 revolution.
00:13:52China became a single-party communist state, with life organised along collective principles.
00:14:08Everywhere I look, something's happening. Are they ballroom dancing?
00:14:10Yeah, very popular.
00:14:13It feels like there isn't a great deal of shyness here.
00:14:18Chinese people, especially this generation, they're not shy at all, because they all grown up during communism.
00:14:26They do everything like a big group together.
00:14:29So you're saying that perhaps the sociability here is because of that very intense period of communism.
00:14:39They had something that would bond them together.
00:14:42Yeah.
00:14:48That's so interesting. Do you think that's beginning to change a little bit?
00:14:51Yeah, definitely change. Like, my daughter's generation.
00:14:55In school, they study, study, study.
00:14:58Then come home, have lots, lots of homework.
00:15:01They don't have time to play, you know, so they don't have time to make a friend.
00:15:09Over the past 50 years, sweeping economic reforms have transformed China.
00:15:17Some worry the old spirit of community is under threat.
00:15:21But here in the park, at least, it's alive and well.
00:15:26And the gym over here?
00:15:28Yes.
00:15:35Very good. This is great. You want me to get on here?
00:15:39Shall I come on here?
00:15:42You know, this is one of the things that we don't really do very well in the UK.
00:15:48Community.
00:15:50But here it seems to be everywhere.
00:15:53And the fact that 81-year-olds are coming out, using gym equipment, playing games, dancing,
00:15:59singing, there's something really beautiful about that.
00:16:06The communist revolution touched the lives of everyone in China, including Chang's family.
00:16:14They lived in Beijing when she was born in the early 1970s.
00:16:20This is our old taxi 80 years ago.
00:16:23I can even keep myself...
00:16:25Oh, that's nice.
00:16:34So many tourists.
00:16:38So is this quieter in your childhood around here?
00:16:41Yes.
00:16:42Because the whole China, no one travel, no one can afford to travel, so no tourists.
00:16:47Everyone earned the same salary?
00:16:49Yes.
00:16:50Three pounds per month.
00:16:52Per month.
00:16:53So it really wasn't much.
00:16:54But was there much to buy?
00:16:56Apart for food, no.
00:16:57Because the house, all free, government gives you.
00:17:01So interesting, because for a lot of people, that sounds like a great hardship, to have such limited options.
00:17:08And yet, the way you speak about it is quite nostalgic.
00:17:11It's almost like you miss it.
00:17:13Yeah, because I think people have a lot of stress back to them because, you know, competition, you don't think
00:17:18anyone else richer than you, anyone go holiday, you can't afford it, right?
00:17:22Just them.
00:17:32In the aftermath of the communist revolution, the estates of the former aristocracy were broken up for use by ordinary
00:17:40workers.
00:17:44I want to show you this is my old house.
00:17:47So Han, just explain in more detail.
00:17:50This says, welcome to Prince Kung's palace.
00:17:54This is the emperor's brother's house.
00:17:58All the Chinese government, they use this palace as office.
00:18:02So my dad working for the government.
00:18:06So they give us one room.
00:18:08This is me in front, Kung Palace.
00:18:11We have a beautiful garden, bamboo, and so beautiful.
00:18:175,000 people all move in.
00:18:205,000 people lived in here with you.
00:18:22Probably more.
00:18:25It's astonishing to think that this former palace was divided up into homes for hundreds of families.
00:18:34That would be a little like in the UK if we had a socialist communist government in wanting to turn
00:18:41over all our palaces, Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace to social housing and hundreds of people move in and they each
00:18:47get a room.
00:18:47Yeah, I think that's fair.
00:18:52And then in the 1980s, Chang's world changed forever.
00:19:00China's economy began to open up and the country experienced Western pop culture for the first time.
00:19:11I have this photo I want to show you.
00:19:14This is me, 15 years old.
00:19:16This show you China opened.
00:19:18You've got posters of Western women on the wall.
00:19:21Yeah, Brooke Shields.
00:19:23Brooke Shields!
00:19:23I just think she's so beautiful.
00:19:26So I think, okay, I'm going to write her letter.
00:19:29So with my book in English, I said, hello, Brooke Shields.
00:19:33My name's Chang.
00:19:35I'm from Beijing.
00:19:36I like you so much.
00:19:39Three months later, she sent me a letter back.
00:19:41No.
00:19:42Yes.
00:19:43See, that's the photograph.
00:19:46She said, dear Chang, hope you have good luck in school.
00:19:51Love you, Brooke Shields.
00:19:52You know, no one said love me in my whole entire life.
00:19:56Because our culture, we don't say love to each other.
00:19:59So I literally cried for three days.
00:20:01Oh, my goodness.
00:20:02That is an amazing story.
00:20:08Chang's life mirrors China's transformation from the restrictions of communism to its opening up to the West.
00:20:16But democratic freedoms remain tightly controlled.
00:20:19And human rights face constant pressure.
00:20:29The Communist Party's authority is reinforced by its vast military.
00:20:42In September 2025, a huge parade was held in Beijing to mark 80 years since victory over Japan in World
00:20:51War II.
00:20:52A striking display of national pride and power.
00:21:01I picked up this paper from a few days ago.
00:21:04The whole place was in lockdown.
00:21:06My trip got postponed.
00:21:07But this...
00:21:09That is what was happening here.
00:21:14I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the scale.
00:21:17This is China.
00:21:18They do things large.
00:21:20But it is astonishing.
00:21:22The show of strength and power.
00:21:26And all this happened not far from here in Tiananmen Square in a place of huge significance.
00:21:32In 1949, Mao Zedong declared the foundation of the People's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square.
00:21:4140 years later, it was occupied by hundreds of thousands of student protesters calling for greater political freedoms.
00:21:52When the army moved in to disperse them, troops opened fire.
00:21:58With hundreds, even thousands reported killed.
00:22:06Ever since, security in Tiananmen Square has been strictly enforced.
00:22:11As a journalist, you're not allowed to go and visit officially.
00:22:15So if I want to see this really, really important part of China's history, I have to be creative.
00:22:32Shall we go now?
00:22:33Yep, we're good to go now.
00:22:34And I am heading out.
00:22:38As foreign journalists, wherever we travel in China, we can only film with the approval of our government minders.
00:22:47So we're renting tourist bikes and recording ourselves on our phones.
00:22:52We can ride.
00:22:54OK.
00:22:58So we're heading down towards Tiananmen Square.
00:23:02Lots of police, lots of cameras.
00:23:12What are they doing?
00:23:14Passports.
00:23:16Oh.
00:23:26One member of our crew arouses suspicion.
00:23:30OK, they want to check your bag.
00:23:32As they search his bag, I worry about the microphone clipped to my shirt.
00:23:38If they find this microphone on me, I mean, holy shit, we're out, we're, that's it.
00:23:54We've been stopped at the entrance to Tiananmen Square, one of the most heavily policed places in China.
00:24:01They talk to someone for pizza.
00:24:05One of our crew is being searched by police officers at a checkpoint.
00:24:09Was he not allowed in?
00:24:11Everyone else is fine, right? They didn't check the visa.
00:24:14Mm-hmm.
00:24:16I'm worried the guards could find the microphone on my shirt.
00:24:19I think we keep going because too many of us went.
00:24:24Yeah, yeah, I agree.
00:24:26He got stopped at the entrance.
00:24:30Dozens, hundreds of police.
00:24:33It definitely feels edgier here, I think, is the best way to describe it.
00:24:40Another police stop coming, so I'm going to put you away as we go through.
00:24:49Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
00:24:50oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
00:24:50oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
00:24:51oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
00:24:52oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
00:24:55oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
00:25:07coming up inside is a forbidden city that's Tiananmen Square that yeah yeah
00:25:15so Tiananmen Square see it all done flags flying now we're close to the
00:25:22heart of the square security is even tighter remnants of the parade just a
00:25:28few days ago are still visible so here we are Chiang and me okay
00:25:38let's go on
00:25:46I think we should try and get away from here just get out of here
00:26:01that is the first time I felt really on edge hundreds of police thousands of cameras multiple
00:26:10checkpoints there's two sides to China and I've just seen one that they don't really want anyone
00:26:20to see the government's tight control on Tiananmen Square and how its story is told reaches into
00:26:30almost every corner of Chinese life so I'm going to do a little experiment now I'm testing out the
00:26:40Chinese equivalent of chat GPT tell me a little bit about Tiananmen Square I wouldn't ask anyone on the
00:26:52street that send okay it's thinking okay instant result sorry that's beyond my current scope let's talk
00:27:06about something else the thing you must remember is that the app that I've just used has been
00:27:15produced for worldwide consumption so in some ways it is AI with built-in ideology China's system of
00:27:28government control is highly visible here in Beijing but to understand the country's changing
00:27:35identity I need to look beyond the capital
00:27:45here we are in Beijing station there's all our crew all our luggage
00:27:57right the train to Shanghai 1200 kilometers high speed train one of the fastest in the world
00:28:05Shanghai here we come from Beijing it's a five-hour journey south to Shanghai
00:28:23this is one of their bullet trains the high-speed rail network has exploded in this country there's
00:28:30actually a saying here in China to jump on the train which is sort of a metaphor for jumping on
00:28:35the
00:28:37economy jumping on the prosperity train people have flocked from rural areas all across China's these mega
00:28:46cities
00:28:59welcome to Shanghai that has to be up there with some of the most iconic skylines in the world this
00:29:08is a city of
00:29:09nearly 25 million and a real melting pot of different cultures this British influence this French influence German influence American
00:29:19influence and
00:29:20and for many years Shanghai really was the city of dreams
00:29:32a former colonial trading post Shanghai has long been China's gateway to the world
00:29:41what kind of dog have you got I don't know it's like a street dog I'm being shown around by
00:29:47Shanghai local John
00:29:51I think the perception that the Western world has of China is of conformity that everyone kind of is almost
00:30:00a cookie cutter
00:30:01shape but I'm wondering whether you can be your unique self
00:30:08I think it's it's okay to be yourself in the city and people don't even care about who you are
00:30:15like they don't have time to bother
00:30:17who you are because they have their own life everyone want to be themselves so they have a clear boundary
00:30:24like this is my thing this is your thing
00:30:26I can not like you that way but I'm not judging you so I think it's quite free to be
00:30:32who you are
00:30:34this city is built by everyone in the city we are all the contributors of this culture
00:30:43Where are we going now somewhere maybe unexpected yes I think so okay
00:30:50John's brought me to a backstreet club popular with Shanghai's Gen Z's
00:30:57something music
00:31:01here freedom of expression and Western influence collide in dramatic fashion
00:31:13this is voting
00:31:20originating in the queer ballrooms of New York the dance style gained global fame in
00:31:251990 with Madonna's hit though today it's gained a new following here in Shanghai's lgbtq plus community
00:31:38I'm feeling very uncool
00:31:43it's loud proud and a world apart from the traditional dancers I saw in Beijing
00:31:50wow wow that was cool
00:31:52hi Shirley that was amazing thank you thank you so I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that
00:32:00you just let the music get inside you and you just let go whatever you want to do
00:32:06everybody like just have fun yeah and everyone has the different types of dancing there and the energy is different
00:32:16someone soft someone's really sassy yes you can see like everyone's character like so individual just it felt really joyous
00:32:24I'm wondering how you feel just having watched that
00:32:26I feel so I feel so like new energy come to me and I see the individualism is bringing out
00:32:33on the stage
00:32:33it's all about being fully happy of about who you are and being fully confident of who you are
00:32:41and so yeah so living in the city like Shanghai you are free to do whatever you want getting on
00:32:48the street wearing like this going out nothing will ever happen to me like nobody even glanced me at twice
00:32:56they probably glanced me because I look good
00:33:03for these young people voguing is more than a dance it's a safe space to celebrate individuality
00:33:10in a country often defined by rules and restraint their bravery has even inspired me to forget my inhibitions
00:33:23strike a pose and give voguing a go
00:33:50Shanghai's liberal values and booming economy have made it a magnet for the young and ambitious
00:33:57but has this rush for progress come at a price the loss of the country's old ways and traditions
00:34:07I've left the city center and come to one of Shanghai's less glamorous neighborhoods
00:34:14this is very different to the glitzier side of Shanghai this is very much a blue-collar working neighborhood
00:34:22I'm meeting a woman who's fighting to preserve an ancient Chinese art form cherished by the older
00:34:29generation this is her nice to meet you Miss Jo is an opera singer like many in the neighborhood she's
00:34:44originally from Jiangsu province 300 miles north so what kind of opera is this
00:35:14even in this neighborhood the city's rapid modernization is being felt
00:35:20up to you the troops beloved opera house was recently demolished to make way for new development
00:35:27okay is this us so now they rent a space on the sixth floor of an office block
00:35:34a little tee each other woman to talk about some high school day of the day from my mom
00:35:38going to a hand over there we make that the child who's going to my eyes out of each and
00:35:42call each and go guanjozuy do you'll the songs a door but so be happy to say we make
00:35:51ching you a woman's such a shout the challenge this is so woman and so no guanjoz
00:35:57Hello, Ni hao, Ni hao, Ni hao, Ni hao, how are you, how are you, you're very smiley.
00:36:04I'm 80 years old, I'm 80 years old.
00:36:09Shall I come in?
00:36:11Look at this, this is cool.
00:36:16Hello, Ni hao, Ni hao.
00:36:20Oh wow.
00:36:22I'm about to get a rare, behind the scenes look at one of China's most revered,
00:36:27ancient art forms, and meet the last generation keeping it alive.
00:36:43Look at this.
00:36:44Hello.
00:36:45Hello, Ni hao, Ni hao.
00:36:51Here in Shanghai, I'm stepping behind the curtain with an opera troupe fighting to keep one of
00:36:56China's oldest art forms alive.
00:36:59Is this the theatre?
00:37:12Ni hao, Ni hao, Ni hao, Ni hao, Ni hao, Ni hao.
00:37:1590 years old.
00:37:17Who's the youngest in the room?
00:37:22Julio Ohhh, thank you very much for watching.
00:37:37Can I see behind backstage?
00:37:40Uh huh.
00:37:43Can I see behind backstage?
00:37:43So it's all quite intimate.
00:37:44So stage, audience.
00:37:47Oh wow, oh wow.
00:37:49This is a proper backstage.
00:37:52Who does the make-up?
00:37:57Yeah, I'm gonna leave you to put your make-up on.
00:37:59I'll go and set up some chairs.
00:38:03There's not much space here.
00:38:11It's so much more than just the performing.
00:38:13It's about the community, the people,
00:38:18the shared cigarettes.
00:38:20There's a lot of that.
00:38:22And I think they take great pride
00:38:24in kind of carrying on the legacy.
00:38:34What a transformation.
00:38:36Miss Jo, oh, look!
00:38:38Amazing.
00:38:39It looks to me like you love acting.
00:38:42What does opera mean to you?
00:38:49Can you ever imagine a life without acting?
00:38:54But I like to sing.
00:38:56Sometimes I don't sing,
00:38:57but I don't have any kind of talent.
00:39:03We just sing until we can't sing.
00:39:08We can't sing until we can sing.
00:39:10Well, Miss Jo, you look beautiful,
00:39:12and I can't wait to watch the opera.
00:39:16Good luck.
00:39:17Good luck.
00:39:17Good luck.
00:39:20This evening, Miss Jo and her troupe
00:39:23will be performing a farce
00:39:24in which a humble cobbler seeks a wife.
00:39:30It's an old favourite of theirs,
00:39:32but tonight the cast might outnumber the audience.
00:39:55If this traditional opera is to survive,
00:39:58it needs to pay the rent.
00:40:00So the audience are encouraged to tip the actors.
00:40:03Mid-performance.
00:40:47Wow.
00:40:49That was really beautiful.
00:40:52There's something very magical about an opera
00:40:55in such a tiny, intimate space.
00:40:59And for me, it was symbolic of so many things.
00:41:02Dying arts, lost traditions, ageing populations.
00:41:07Things have changed beyond all recognition
00:41:09for the older generation.
00:41:12But there was a period where they worked together,
00:41:15where they lived together, and that's being lost.
00:41:19Albeit ambition and opportunity,
00:41:22because the China dream is very much alive.
00:41:27But it comes at a cost.
00:41:39The United States
00:41:40Shanghai's rapid development
00:41:41means poorer migrant communities like Miss Zhou's
00:41:44are in danger of being pushed out of the city.
00:41:49However, some traditional rituals
00:41:51are finding a new, younger audience.
00:41:54I'm meeting John again.
00:41:57So, is this a favourite of yours?
00:41:58Thank you very much.
00:42:00Well, my favourite in the town.
00:42:02He wants to show me how an ancient tradition
00:42:04is gaining popularity with the young hipsters of Shanghai.
00:42:12That is amazing.
00:42:14Wow.
00:42:15That's like a magic trick.
00:42:16That's nice.
00:42:17It's nice.
00:42:18The explosive drinks are not this bar's main attraction.
00:42:23It's a fortune-telling bar.
00:42:25A fortune-telling bar.
00:42:26So, do people come here specifically?
00:42:28Drink and tell the future.
00:42:31How accurate is the fortune-telling in here?
00:42:33I think 99% rise.
00:42:37So, why is fortune-telling coming back here in China?
00:42:39Fortune-telling is telling you the certainty
00:42:42in the uncertain world and Gen Z is so rebellious.
00:42:46So, they are not listening to anyone,
00:42:48but the universe tells them,
00:42:50okay, I'll take a note.
00:42:53In China, fortune-telling is traditionally used
00:42:56to guide major life decisions.
00:43:06My fortune-telling uses bamboo sticks
00:43:08to help answer a burning question
00:43:10that's been on my mind since I arrived in the country.
00:43:15Stop.
00:43:16Pick one.
00:43:20So, what's the question again?
00:43:21I wanted to know if I'm going to be
00:43:23a big deal here in China.
00:43:25Let's see.
00:43:28Okay.
00:43:33Oh.
00:43:34You are at your turning point
00:43:36from bad luck to good luck.
00:43:47The success is measured by your reputation,
00:43:51the adorableness, by the audience.
00:43:56So, you are popular in your life, man.
00:44:00I'll take that.
00:44:01Whether I believe in it or not,
00:44:03it's made my evening,
00:44:04and that's what a bar should do, shouldn't it?
00:44:06Cheers to your success in China.
00:44:08Yeah, thank you.
00:44:16As young Chinese turn to ancient customs
00:44:19in search of answers to modern dilemmas,
00:44:22these age-old beliefs continue to hold meaning,
00:44:25even as the country undergoes
00:44:27a remarkable transformation
00:44:29into a 21st-century consumer economy.
00:44:36I've come to the high-tech, automated nerve centre
00:44:39of one of China's largest delivery companies.
00:44:43Oh, my goodness.
00:44:45This is like mission control.
00:44:48Online shopping is one of the main engines
00:44:51of China's economic miracle.
00:44:53A little bit quiet right now,
00:44:55but this is like...
00:44:58This is just extraordinary.
00:45:00And the most amazing figure is up in the corner there.
00:45:03I can see the number of parcels
00:45:05this single company has.
00:45:07It's currently at 83 million parcels for today,
00:45:12and it's going up 1,000 per second.
00:45:19China's parcel delivery market
00:45:21is the largest in the world.
00:45:24Astonishingly,
00:45:25around half a billion parcels
00:45:27are dispatched every day.
00:45:31The scale of this place
00:45:33is absolutely astonishing.
00:45:40China's delivery industry
00:45:41relies on a huge army of workers,
00:45:44mostly young men,
00:45:45who've migrated to the city.
00:45:49Ahchung?
00:45:51Ni hao?
00:45:52I'm meeting delivery rider Ahchung.
00:45:55So what's going on in here?
00:45:56It looks pretty busy.
00:45:58This is our job.
00:46:00I've been working here for three years.
00:46:03So I'm going to be your apprentice today.
00:46:05I'm going to help you.
00:46:07Yeah?
00:46:08Shall we go?
00:46:08I'll follow you.
00:46:10For Ahchung,
00:46:11every day starts at the warehouse,
00:46:13where he loads up his consignment of parcels.
00:46:17That's a lot of parcels, Ahchung.
00:46:22OK.
00:46:24Better watch out.
00:46:26Yeah, just twist that.
00:46:27Oh, yeah.
00:46:29So this is my driving test, is it?
00:46:35Knees up like this?
00:46:36What do you think?
00:46:37I'm not quite sure.
00:46:38Don't know if this was built
00:46:39for a six-foot tall Brit.
00:46:44Yeah, you're happy?
00:46:45I get two thumbs up.
00:46:47OK.
00:46:49This is for me.
00:46:52How many parcels will you deliver
00:46:54on an average day?
00:47:01OK, we're racing against the clock now.
00:47:09Wish me luck.
00:47:18I must remember to drive on the right.
00:47:25As a member of China's vast gig economy,
00:47:29Ahchung has to work flat out to hit his targets.
00:47:33If he doesn't deliver all his 300 parcels,
00:47:36he won't get his full day's pay.
00:47:38First house.
00:47:41In here.
00:47:42Ni hao.
00:47:43I'm a delivery man.
00:47:45OK, more here.
00:47:48Ni hao.
00:48:04I haven't asked him what happens
00:48:05if it pours with rain.
00:48:09We're going to sit out the rain here.
00:48:15So we need to waterproof everything.
00:48:20OK.
00:48:21I have no protection,
00:48:23but the parcels need protection
00:48:24because they're all in cardboard boxes
00:48:26and will disintegrate.
00:48:27But I don't think we can wait out the rain.
00:48:30I think we're on a strict clock.
00:48:35Of all the things I was anticipating today,
00:48:39I braced myself for traffic,
00:48:41for trucks,
00:48:42fellow drivers,
00:48:43but not for a possible lightning strike.
00:48:48Oh, that's all?
00:48:50Yeah.
00:48:58Scary.
00:49:01It's treacherous work,
00:49:03made worse by the wet roads.
00:49:05Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
00:49:07In Shanghai alone,
00:49:09dozens of delivery drivers
00:49:10are killed or injured
00:49:11in road traffic accidents every year.
00:49:20It's hot.
00:49:22Oh!
00:49:23Ah-chung works for a reputable company,
00:49:26but the pressure to meet their targets
00:49:28means that Chinese employees
00:49:30often rack up long hours.
00:49:347.01.
00:49:38Despite government crackdowns
00:49:40on some employers,
00:49:43the long hours culture
00:49:45remains widespread.
00:49:47Oh, my goodness.
00:49:48I am sweating.
00:49:50Whoa.
00:49:51You work hard,
00:49:52that's for sure.
00:49:54Okay, well,
00:49:54it looks like the rain's stopped,
00:49:56the sun's come out.
00:49:56More parcels to deliver.
00:50:01Ni hao.
00:50:03Crazy dog.
00:50:07Ni hao.
00:50:08This is a man just in his underpants.
00:50:10Better stay there.
00:50:12With spring onions in his hand.
00:50:14It's quite random.
00:50:17Okay, it's another apartment done.
00:50:22We've finally earned a break.
00:50:29I'm curious to know
00:50:31what first drew Ah-chung
00:50:32to leave home
00:50:33and move to Shanghai.
00:50:36Where were you born?
00:50:38I'm from the sea.
00:50:40I'm from the Mississippi.
00:50:41I started toyep your clothes.
00:50:44Mm-hmm.
00:50:44So would you say
00:50:45that there are good opportunities
00:50:47here in Shanghai?
00:51:16What do you see as your future?
00:51:26I wish you all the luck in the future.
00:51:32Sunshine.
00:51:36Ah Chung's story reflects a nation on the move. Some 350 million people, a quarter of China's
00:51:43population have migrated to the cities, chasing a better life. The largest migration in human
00:51:52history.
00:52:04I'm leaving Shanghai and travelling further south to Zhejiang province. For many years,
00:52:12the slogan from the top was for the citizens of China to follow the China dream that anything
00:52:19was achievable. I don't think anything embodies that quite as well as the entertainment industry
00:52:26where dreams are made.
00:52:32This is amazing.
00:52:38I could be in the Forbidden City of Beijing, but I'm not.
00:52:46Sprawling across a huge area of what just 30 years ago was open farmland, Hongdian World
00:52:54Studios is China's answer to Hollywood. This is the largest open air film studio in the
00:53:03world. And this is all one giant set.
00:53:21I'm at Hongdian, the world's largest open air film studio. With dozens of imposing sets, it
00:53:30produces epic blockbusters that don't just entertain. They celebrate China's vision of itself, its
00:53:37history and its culture, whilst challenging Hollywood's global dominance.
00:53:46This is a little bit exciting.
00:53:49Ni hao.
00:53:51Been invited to see behind the scenes. How close can we go? Don't want to crash the scene.
00:54:04I think they're all a bit confused about why I'm here. There's lots of smiling faces like,
00:54:10who the hell is he?
00:54:13Every year, thousands of aspiring actors flock to Hongdian. Most only get work as extras,
00:54:20earning around £10 a day.
00:54:27Right. Had my behind the scenes. Now I'm off to meet a show insider. I've arranged to meet
00:54:33someone who's defied the odds and made it as a professional actor.
00:54:37Daniel.
00:54:38Yeah.
00:54:38Hey, I'm Ben.
00:54:39Yeah, Ben.
00:54:40How are you?
00:54:42So, tell me about this place. I mean, this is astonishing. I've just been watching a production.
00:54:46Do you know anything about this one?
00:54:47They are making TV drama.
00:54:49This is big production values, though. There's a huge crew.
00:54:52Right.
00:54:53I know everyone always compares things to Hollywood, for example.
00:54:57Hollywood of East.
00:54:58Is that what it is?
00:54:59Exactly, yes. They got a lot of studios here.
00:55:02And you're an actor?
00:55:03I am an actor.
00:55:04Are you a big famous actor? Should I know you? Sorry.
00:55:06Kind of. No, no, no, no, no.
00:55:08You're kind of a big deal is what you're supposed to say. How long have you been an actor for?
00:55:1112 years, I think.
00:55:13And do you perform in...?
00:55:13And the same thing. Yeah.
00:55:15Costume and makeup.
00:55:16Can you show me around a little bit, yeah?
00:55:18Okay, let's go.
00:55:22What's all this?
00:55:22That's the star in this film.
00:55:24His face is on every single drink, every single bun.
00:55:27Right.
00:55:29Today marks the start of shooting on a new film, starring one of China's hottest young actors, Li Lu.
00:55:36His fans are here in force.
00:55:39Have they all bought flowers?
00:55:40Exactly, yeah.
00:55:41All for him.
00:55:43Look, they're queuing up over there as well.
00:55:45Right.
00:55:46Everyone's got cameras set up.
00:55:47Exactly.
00:55:48This must be a pretty exciting moment for everyone.
00:55:50That's crazy.
00:55:50And they're crazy for their hero.
00:55:59Hello, everyone.
00:56:00I'm Li Lu.
00:56:01And I'm really happy to be able to join with so many young teachers.
00:56:05And I hope that this movie can be a big fan. Thank you.
00:56:10This is for all the films.
00:56:13You know, that's a Chinese tradition.
00:56:15Mm-hmm.
00:56:15It's an opening ceremony.
00:56:18Wow.
00:56:18So I think of most films as having a sort of closing ceremony, which is the film launch and everyone
00:56:24walks along the red carpet and fans come along.
00:56:27But it sounds like it's flipped here.
00:56:28Right.
00:56:31This traditional good luck ritual marks the start of every major production.
00:56:38It has its roots in an ancient Chinese custom, offering prayers and gifts to the gods before embarking on any
00:56:45important venture.
00:56:46They're now planting incense.
00:56:48This is all about good luck.
00:56:52I managed to get some incense.
00:56:54I feel like I'm gate-crashing their party, though.
00:56:56A lot of people are making happy in this country, though.
00:57:03Two, one.
00:57:05Two, two.
00:57:06Two, two.
00:57:06Two, three, four!
00:57:07One, two, three.
00:57:16Traditional cinema and TV dramas have long dominated the Chinese entertainment industry.
00:57:23But increasingly, the younger generation
00:57:25are turning to their phones for entertainment.
00:57:32I assume we have to keep our voices down.
00:57:34Yeah, a little bit.
00:57:35Yeah, shoot him there.
00:57:37OK, let me show you.
00:57:41Daniel's introducing me to a new kind of drama
00:57:44that's changing the future of entertainment in China
00:57:46and taking the world by storm.
00:57:50So what are they filming here?
00:57:52That's micro-drama.
00:57:54And what is a micro-drama?
00:57:55It's like kind of vertical stuff.
00:57:57And you just watch on the phone.
00:57:59Upright, like that? Right.
00:58:02Micro-dramas are bite-sized soap operas
00:58:05for the TikTok generation to watch on their phones.
00:58:08And there's a very hot app.
00:58:11Episodes are very short, packed with incident,
00:58:14and usually end on a cliffhanger.
00:58:16To entice paying subscribers back for more.
00:58:20How long does a micro-drama last?
00:58:22It's about one minute to two minutes, one episode.
00:58:25And how many?
00:58:2660 to 100.
00:58:2760 to 100 episodes in a whole series.
00:58:30Right.
00:58:31It's crazy, popular, hot stuff now.
00:58:33So how many people have watched one of these?
00:58:36Maybe five, six billions?
00:58:38Billions?
00:58:38Billions.
00:58:39Wow.
00:58:39So this is a huge industry.
00:58:41Yes.
00:58:42There are six floors.
00:58:44There are six floors.
00:58:44So it's a different set per floor.
00:58:46Per floor, right.
00:58:47Wow.
00:58:47You want to see?
00:58:47Yeah, I'd love to.
00:58:48Okay, let's go second floor.
00:58:52Rather than on huge film sets,
00:58:54it's in this six-storey block
00:58:57that China's reinventing global entertainment.
00:59:02Microdramas are cheap to make,
00:59:03but they're earning their creators huge profits.
00:59:08This way.
00:59:09In 2024,
00:59:11revenue from micro-dramas overtook box office takings
00:59:14at China's cinemas for the first time.
00:59:17This is a smaller apartment.
00:59:19Right.
00:59:20It's like a back time.
00:59:21Going back in time now.
00:59:26While the vertical format of micro-dramas
00:59:29is designed to appeal to the young,
00:59:31the storylines reflect traditional Chinese melodramas.
00:59:35In this scene,
00:59:36a young bride has got cold feet
00:59:38on the morning of her wedding.
00:59:44What makes a great vertical drama?
00:59:46What kind of theme?
00:59:49Oh, like the scene.
00:59:50No, we like the boss.
00:59:52You know, the handsome boss.
00:59:53Are there themes
00:59:55that you can't make dramas about here in China?
00:59:58Politics?
00:59:59Yeah.
00:59:59So you would never touch on politics.
01:00:03Like other forms of entertainment,
01:00:06micro-dramas are expected
01:00:08to reflect Communist Party values.
01:00:11Thousands of episodes have been taken down
01:00:13by the state censors
01:00:14because their content is considered
01:00:16too low-brow or vulgar.
01:00:20The boy's crying.
01:00:24The acting was so good,
01:00:25it made the child cry.
01:00:27And should we go?
01:00:28Yeah.
01:00:28Before we get stuck here.
01:00:30I don't want to be made to cry.
01:00:33This scary man.
01:00:37This looks like an English...
01:00:39Yeah, it's British.
01:00:39...
01:00:59Micro-dramas may have been born
01:01:01right here in China,
01:01:02but they're the hottest new trend
01:01:04in online viewing,
01:01:05giving Hollywood a run for its money.
01:01:08Before long,
01:01:09one could be streaming straight to your phone.
01:01:13Modern tastes
01:01:14in how you consume media
01:01:15is changing all around the world.
01:01:17People don't have the concentration,
01:01:19including me.
01:01:20So that was like a single little film
01:01:22you'll watch on your phone,
01:01:23on the tube, on the bus.
01:01:25Suddenly you're in another world
01:01:27with great drama going on around you.
01:01:30And then the next one will drop later in the day
01:01:33or the next day.
01:01:34Very clever way on capitalizing
01:01:36on the changing concentration spans.
01:01:39And this is the future.
01:01:40If I want a future in TV,
01:01:42I'm going to have to embrace this.
01:01:57I'm at Hung Dien World Studios,
01:02:00China's answer to Hollywood.
01:02:02This sprawling complex turns out hundreds of films
01:02:05and TV dramas every year,
01:02:07many steeped in traditional Chinese history and culture.
01:02:11I don't find it!
01:02:13Go!
01:02:14Go!
01:02:15Go!
01:02:15Go!
01:02:16So there's a scene.
01:02:18And you're going to play something.
01:02:20You're going to get me acting?
01:02:21Right.
01:02:22Here at Hung Dien,
01:02:23film fans can pay to be a movie star for the day.
01:02:27But for a foreigner like me,
01:02:29getting into character could be a real challenge.
01:02:33Ni hao.
01:02:34He looks like a director.
01:02:35That's a director.
01:02:36Ni hao.
01:02:39What's going to happen then?
01:02:40What do I need to do?
01:02:42What's going to happen then?
01:02:44What do I need to do?
01:02:46Is it going to be a hero?
01:02:50This is kind of cool.
01:02:52Ni hao.
01:02:55You got a good shape.
01:02:59What do you think?
01:03:00It's cool.
01:03:01Yeah.
01:03:02Two minutes ago,
01:03:03I was just walking through in my cities.
01:03:06Look at me.
01:03:09Yeah.
01:03:11So, Daniel, what part are you playing?
01:03:13I'm baddie.
01:03:15You're the baddie?
01:03:16Right.
01:03:17I'm Gunster.
01:03:19My mother is actually an actress,
01:03:21and I did kind of want to be an actor,
01:03:24so maybe this is the fulfillment of my childhood dream.
01:03:29I'm really worried that he's super-gluing this to my head.
01:03:35Being called on set.
01:03:36They're waiting for us.
01:03:37Okay.
01:03:40From what I can make out,
01:03:42my role is to foil Daniel's baddie and emerge the hero.
01:03:48You've got the girl at this stage.
01:03:50I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I was robbing the girl, right.
01:03:53I-I-I-I- I-I-I-I-I-I-I.
01:03:53You were robbing it.
01:03:54So what am I going to do Daniel now?
01:03:55So you-you're like me…
01:03:56You stay first.
01:03:57I save her?
01:03:58Yeah off the girl.
01:03:59I saved the girl.
01:04:04Leave the girl alone!
01:04:06It's not your business!
01:04:08I said, leave the girl alone!
01:04:11Alright.
01:04:12Bye!
01:04:12Ah, yeah!
01:04:14Ah!
01:04:17Ah!
01:04:18Ah!
01:04:21Ah!
01:04:21Ah!
01:04:22Ah!
01:04:24Ah!
01:04:26So, Ra, how do you think I did?
01:04:28I think it's great.
01:04:30Do you think I have a future as an actor here in China?
01:04:33Sure.
01:04:33For sure.
01:04:33If it doesn't work out for me in the UK.
01:04:35OK.
01:04:36Well done.
01:04:37Well done.
01:04:38I think I might stick to the day job.
01:04:47I think it's fair to say with acting here, you go big or go home.
01:04:53If I went big, then I think I'm being sent home.
01:04:56I'm not going to be getting an Oscar for that.
01:04:59But for countless millions here, the China dream remains alive
01:05:04and fame and fortune beckons for those who really want it.
01:05:20On this first part of my travels through China, I've seen how this endlessly fascinating nation
01:05:27continues to draw inspiration from its rich culture.
01:05:31How its communist revolution still shapes daily life.
01:05:36And how innovation and creativity are combining to define China's vision of its future.
01:05:45Now, I'm leaving Hongdian and embarking on the next leg of my journey deep into the heart of rural China.
01:05:56Next time, I look the part to visit China's ancient bamboo forests.
01:06:02Up that way.
01:06:05In search of the nation's most elusive creature.
01:06:09That's amazing.
01:06:11I feel incredibly privileged.
01:06:13From soaring mountains to shimmering river valleys.
01:06:20Go get it!
01:06:24I explore the country's most cherished rural traditions.
01:06:29Where's our fish?
01:06:31Oh, you go well!
01:06:32And ask whether the timeless ways of the past can endure as China races towards the future.
01:06:44All that with Ben tomorrow and Wednesday at 9 here on 5.
01:06:48Next Monday on 5, a teen on a trip to France suddenly stops answering her messages
01:06:53in a brand new original drama, Missed Call, starting next Monday at 9.
01:06:57What part of the world has Ben Fogel not explored?
01:07:00There's a wealth of new lives in the wild and countries to discover with Ben.
01:07:04Stream now on 5.
01:07:06Next, Police Night Shift 999.
01:07:11Captions by GetTranscribed.com
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