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00:00:43Oh, my goodness.
00:00:47This has been an ambition of mine all my life to come here.
00:00:53The Great Wall of China.
00:00:56One of the great wonders of the world.
00:01:00Stretching for more than 13,000 miles,
00:01:03the Great Wall is a staggering testament to human ambition.
00:01:08Started 2,500 years ago to safeguard an ancient empire,
00:01:13it 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,
00:01:27but also to keep the empire and its people within.
00:01:31For some, it's created a boundary that's left an enigma,
00:01:37a mysterious country that many people still struggle to understand.
00:01:44As 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 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?
00:02:22Hey!
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 started 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 have been made.
00:03:08I immerse myself in the rhythms of daily life.
00:03:12The 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.
00:03:22Yeah.
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...
00:03:36...is shaping China...
00:03:38Are you ready for the changes?
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.
00:04:36Hello.
00:04:38Hello.
00:04:39Mr. Cheng.
00:04:40Hello.
00:04:41Hello.
00:04:42Hello.
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?
00:05:02Um-hm.
00:05:13Iona-
00:05:15reflecting from the edge of the Gobi Desert in the west, to the Yellow Sea in the east.
00:05:20The Great Wall was a military installation built by a succession of China's imperial rulers
00:05:26to keep out nomadic invaders from the north.
00:05:43So what are you working on today?
00:05:46You and me?
00:05:47OK.
00:05:49You want to get me to work? Of course.
00:05:52Mr. Chung 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, this is a rare privilege.
00:06:08Wow, look at this.
00:06:14Mr. Chung, 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.
00:06:32Of course. If you trust me.
00:06:36Reusing original 500-year-old bricks and traditional building techniques,
00:06:43Mr. Chung's painstaking reconstruction is faithful to the wall's original design.
00:06:52No, I've done a few bricks in my garden. I've never fixed a 13,000-mile wall.
00:07:01OK.
00:07:05I think it's straight. What do you think?
00:07:08Oh, that's wrong.
00:07:12Take it out.
00:07:14Take it out.
00:07:15Take it out.
00:07:15This out.
00:07:16Put back. This back?
00:07:17Yeah.
00:07:19You're a hard taskmaster.
00:07:20You're a hard taskmaster.
00:07:21You just have to do it with me.
00:07:22If you don't do it, I won't let you eat.
00:07:26If you don't do it with me, I won't let you eat.
00:07:27You're a hard taskmaster.
00:07:29You're a hard taskmaster.
00:07:29Yes, sir.
00:07:30I'll work harder.
00:07:37So like that, yes?
00:07:38You're happy?
00:07:39This is good.
00:07:41This is good.
00:07:41This is good.
00:07:44This is good.
00:07:46This is good.
00:07:47That 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, but also with someone who has such a deep
00:08:22connection to the wall.
00:08:23It feels like a real honor.
00:08:27See ya, see ya.
00:08:30The Great Wall once kept the world at a distance.
00:08:34Now as China gradually opens up to the west, I'm setting out across this immense country to explore how its
00:08:42history continues to influence its present.
00:08:46See you in the city.
00:08:53I'm leaving Mr. Chung and his team behind and heading 60 miles south to the capital, Beijing.
00:09:04For more than eight centuries, Beijing has been the heart of power in China.
00:09:10The seat of emperors, revolutionaries, and modern leaders alike.
00:09:14And what a city.
00:09:16I'm in the central business district, so there's huge buildings, people everywhere.
00:09:22To truly understand the modern face of this ancient country, I'm going to need some insider knowledge.
00:09:31Chang?
00:09:31Hey!
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.
00:10:00You know, Beijingers are very famous in China.
00:10:03We're very warm.
00:10:04We're funny.
00:10:06We want to make friends with anyone.
00:10:09Hello?
00:10:10See?
00:10:12In the 21st century, Beijing has been transformed.
00:10:17Many of its ancient streets replaced by soaring skyscrapers.
00:10:23But amid the high-rises, the city's parks still play a vital role as places to congregate.
00:10:30There's nowhere better to understand the real Beijing.
00:10:34A real hive of activity here, isn't it?
00:10:37Yeah.
00:10:37Everyone seems to be doing something.
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.
00:11:02I 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.
00:11:17I'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.
00:11:32That's a lovely sight.
00:11:34Yes.
00:11:44Are these professionals?
00:11:46No, they just retire old grandmas.
00:11:49They come to here, you know, do the morning exercise, meet with all their friends, dancing their favourite song.
00:11:59These women are part of a remarkable social phenomenon, a vast army of so-called dancing grannies, who gather in
00:12:07parks 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 to China?
00:12:20You want me to come, of 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.
00:12:36But the communist government has long used the culture of group exercise to reinforce ideals of unity and discipline.
00:12:43I can't believe you can do this.
00:12:56You must learn this dance in the UK.
00:13:00Oh, thank you.
00:13:05Can I ask, do they do it for happiness, for health, for fitness, for friendship?
00:13:10For health.
00:13:11For health.
00:13:14For health.
00:13:14For health.
00:13:15For health.
00:13:16For health.
00:13:17For health.
00:13:18For health.
00:13:18For health.
00:13:20Many elderly people back in the UK actually feel very lonely.
00:13:25Yeah.
00:13:25There's a loneliness epidemic.
00:13:26I'm wondering whether they ever feel lonely.
00:13:29No.
00:13:31That's emphatic.
00:13:32You understand what they say.
00:13:35Thank 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.
00:13:53China became a single party communist state, with life organised along collective principles.
00:14:08Everywhere I look, something's happening.
00:14:10They ballroom dancing.
00:14:12Yeah, 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, join communism.
00:14:26They do everything like a bigger group together.
00:14:30So, you're saying that perhaps the sociability here is because of that very intense period of communism.
00:14:39Yeah.
00:14:40They had something that would bond them together.
00:14:42Yeah.
00:14:48That's so interesting.
00:14:49Do you think that's beginning to change a little bit?
00:14:51Yes.
00:14:52Definitely change.
00:14:52Like, 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.
00:15:27And the gym over here?
00:15:28Yes.
00:15:35Very good.
00:15:37This is great.
00:15:38You 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, community.
00:15:50But here it seems to be everywhere.
00:15:53The fact that 81-year-olds are coming out using gym equipment, playing games, dancing, singing, there's something really beautiful
00:16:02about that.
00:16:07The 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.
00:16:23Look, I can't 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 from food, no.
00:16:57Because the house, all free, government gifts here.
00:17:00Yes.
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.
00:17:17Because, you know, competition, you don't think anyone else richer than you.
00:17:20Anyone go holiday, you can't afford it, right?
00:17:22Just, same.
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.
00:17:48So, Han, just explain in more detail. This says, welcome to Prince Kung's palace.
00:17:54This is the emperor's brother's house. All the Chinese government, they use this palace as office.
00:18:02So, my dad working for the government. So, they give us one room.
00:18:09This is me and found Kong palace. We have a beautiful garden, bamboo, and so beautiful.
00:18:17Five thousand people all move in.
00:18:20Wow.
00:18:20Five thousand people lived in here with you.
00:18:22Probably more.
00:18:26It'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.
00:18:48Yeah, 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. This is me, 15 years old. This show you China opened.
00:19:18Well, you've got posters of Western women on the wall.
00:19:22Yeah, Brooke Shields.
00:19:23Brooke Shields.
00:19:24Brooke Shields.
00:19:24I just think she's so beautiful. So, I think, okay, I'm going to write her lighter. So, with my book
00:19:30in English, I said, hello, Brooke Shields. My name's Chang. I'm from Beijing. I like you so much.
00:19:38Three months later, she sent me a lighter vibe. No. Yes. See, that's the photograph. She said, dear Chang, hope
00:19:49you have good luck in school. Love you. Brooke Shields.
00:19:52You know, no one said love me in my whole entire life. Because our culture, we don't say love to
00:19:58each other. So, I literally cry for three days.
00:20:01Oh, my goodness. That is an amazing story. Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:07Oh, my goodness.
00:20:08Chang's life mirrors China's transformation from the restrictions of communism to its opening up to the West. But democratic freedoms
00:20:18remain tightly controlled. And 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
00:20:52War II. A striking display of national pride and power.
00:21:01I picked up this paper from a few days ago. The whole place was in lockdown. My trip got postponed.
00:21:08But this, that is what was happening here.
00:21:14I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the scale. This is China. They do things large. But 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.
00:21:31In 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.
00:21:57With hundreds, even thousands reported killed.
00:22:05Ever since, security in Tiananmen Square has been strictly enforced.
00:22:11As a journalist, you're not allowed to go and visit officially. So if I want to see this really, really
00:22:21important part of China's history, I have to be creative.
00:22:32Shall we go now?
00:22:33Yeah, we're good to go now. And 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.
00:22:54Okay.
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.
00:23:16Ah.
00:23:26One member of our crew arouses suspicion.
00:23:29Hey, 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, 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 peace.
00:24:04One 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?
00:24:13They didn't check the visa.
00:24:14Mm-hmm.
00:24:16I'm worried the guards could find the microphone on my shirt.
00:24:20I think that 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.
00:24:36Yeah, I think is the best way to describe it.
00:24:40Another police stop coming.
00:24:42So I'm going to put you away as we go through.
00:24:54God, this is so intense.
00:24:57I've never experienced this.
00:25:04Got images of Chairman Mao coming up.
00:25:09The inside is a forbidden city.
00:25:13That's Tiananmen Square there?
00:25:14Yeah.
00:25:15Yeah.
00:25:15So Tiananmen Square.
00:25:17See it all done.
00:25:18Flags flying.
00:25:20Now we're close to the heart of the square.
00:25:24Security's even tighter.
00:25:27Remnants of the parade just a few days ago are still visible.
00:25:34So here we are.
00:25:36Chang and me.
00:25:38Okay, let's go on.
00:25:46I think we should try and get away from here.
00:25:49Just get out of here.
00:25:51Just get out of here.
00:26:01That is the first time I felt really on edge.
00:26:06Hundreds of police.
00:26:08Thousands of cameras.
00:26:10Multiple checkpoints.
00:26:13There's two sides to China.
00:26:15And I've just seen one that they don't really want anyone to see.
00:26:23The government's tight control on Tiananmen Square, and how its story is told, reaches into
00:26:30almost every corner of Chinese life.
00:26:36So I'm going to do a little experiment now.
00:26:39I'm testing out the Chinese equivalent of chat GPT.
00:26:44Tell me a little bit about Tiananmen Square.
00:26:51I wouldn't ask anyone on the street that.
00:26:53Send.
00:26:55Okay.
00:26:56It's thinking.
00:26:58Okay.
00:26:59Instant result.
00:27:02Sorry.
00:27:03That's beyond my current scope.
00:27:05Let's talk about something else.
00:27:10The thing you must remember is that the app that I've just used has been produced for worldwide
00:27:17consumption.
00:27:20I suppose in some ways it is AI with built-in ideology.
00:27:27China's system of government control is highly visible here in Beijing.
00:27:33But to understand the country's changing identity, I need to look beyond the capital.
00:27:46We are in Beijing Station.
00:27:48There's all our crew, all our luggage.
00:27:57Right.
00:27:58The train to Shanghai.
00:28:001,200 kilometers.
00:28:02High-speed train.
00:28:03One of the fastest in the world.
00:28:06Shanghai, here we come.
00:28:12From Beijing, it's a five-hour journey south to Shanghai.
00:28:23This is one of the bullet trains.
00:28:25The high-speed rail network has exploded in this country.
00:28:29There's actually a saying here in China, to jump on the train, which is sort of a metaphor
00:28:34for jumping on the economy, jumping on the prosperity train.
00:28:39People have flocked from rural areas all across China to these mega cities.
00:28:59Welcome to Shanghai.
00:29:01That has to be up there with some of the most iconic skylines in the world.
00:29:07This is a city of nearly 25 million and a real melting pot of different cultures.
00:29:15There's British influence, there's French influence, German influence, American influence.
00:29:19And for many years, Shanghai really was the city of dreams.
00:29:33A former colonial trading post, Shanghai has long been China's gateway to the world.
00:29:42What kind of dog have you got?
00:29:43I don't know.
00:29:44It's like a street dog.
00:29:46I'm being shown around by Shanghai local John.
00:29:51I think the perception that the Western world has of China is of conformity.
00:29:59That everyone kind of is almost a cookie cutter shape.
00:30:02But I'm wondering whether you can be your unique self.
00:30:08I think it's okay to be yourself in the city.
00:30:13And people don't even care about who you are.
00:30:15Like they don't have time to bother who you are because they have their own life.
00:30:20Everyone wants to be themselves.
00:30:22So they have a clear boundary like this is my thing.
00:30:25This is your thing.
00:30:26I can not like you that way, but I'm not judging you.
00:30:30So I think it's quite free to be who you are.
00:30:34This city is built by everyone in the city.
00:30:37We are all the contributors of this culture.
00:30:43Where are we going now?
00:30:44Somewhere maybe unexpected.
00:30:47Yes, I think so.
00:30:48Okay.
00:30:50John's brought me to a backstreet club popular with Shanghai's Gen Z's.
00:30:57Thumping music.
00:31:01Here, freedom of expression and Western influence collide in dramatic fashion.
00:31:13This is voguing.
00:31:20Originating in the queer ballrooms of New York, the dance style gained global fame in 1990 with Madonna's hit, Vogue.
00:31:31Today, 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.
00:31:51Wow.
00:31:52Wow.
00:31:52That was cool.
00:31:54Hi, Shirley.
00:31:55That was amazing.
00:31:57So I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that.
00:32:01You just let the music get inside you and you just let go whatever you want to do.
00:32:06Everybody, like, just have fun.
00:32:10Yeah.
00:32:11And everyone has the different types of dancing there and the energy is different.
00:32:16Someone's soft, someone's really sassy.
00:32:19Yes.
00:32:20You can see, like, everyone's character, like, so individual.
00:32:23Just, it felt really joyous.
00:32:24I'm wondering how you feel just having watched that.
00:32:27I feel so, like, new energy come to me and I see the individualism is bringing out on the stage.
00:32:34It's all about being fully happy about who you are and being fully confident of who you are.
00:32:42And, of course, so living in a city like Shanghai, you are free to do whatever you want.
00:32:48Getting on the street wearing like this, going out, nothing will ever happen to me.
00:32:53Like, nobody even glanced me at twice.
00:32:56They probably glanced me because I look good.
00:33:04For these young people, voguing is more than a dance.
00:33:07It's a safe space to celebrate individuality in a country often defined by rules and restraint.
00:33:16Their bravery has even inspired me to forget my inhibitions,
00:33:23and give voguing a go.
00:33:24Strike 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?
00:34:01The loss of the country's old ways and traditions?
00:34:07I've left the city centre and come to one of Shanghai's less glamorous neighbourhoods.
00:34:15This is very different to the glitzier side of Shanghai.
00:34:19This is very much a blue-collar working neighbourhood.
00:34:23I'm meeting a woman who's fighting to preserve an ancient Chinese art form cherished by the older generation.
00:34:30This is her. Ni hao. Miss Zhou?
00:34:33Ni hao. Ni hao.
00:34:35I'm Ben. How are you? Ni hao. Ni hao.
00:34:37Very nice to meet you.
00:34:38Miss Zhou is an opera singer.
00:34:41Like many in the neighbourhood, she's originally from Jiangsu province, 300 miles north.
00:34:49So what kind of opera is this?
00:35:14Even in this neighbourhood, the city's rapid modernisation is being felt.
00:35:20Up to you.
00:35:21The troupe's beloved opera house was recently demolished to make way for new development.
00:35:28OK, is this us?
00:35:30So now, they rent a space on the sixth floor of an office block.
00:35:34No, we justpre chiwek.
00:35:35We are standing one main
00:35:36We have to do this place here, just as free!
00:35:42Here you come, wait!
00:35:44Please run away like it, only...
00:35:44Nobody's got to go to the frozen
00:35:53Wow!
00:35:56Hello!
00:35:57Hello, hello, hello, hello, how are you, how are you very smiley, 80 years old, can I come in, look
00:36:12at this, this is cool, hello, hello, hello, hello, oh wow, I'm about to get a rare behind the scenes
00:36:25look at one of China's most
00:36:26revered ancient art forms and meet the last generation keeping it alive
00:36:42look at this, hello, hello, hello, here in Shanghai, I'm stepping behind the curtain with an opera troupe
00:36:55fighting to keep one of China's oldest art forms alive
00:36:58is this the theater
00:37:1490 years old
00:37:17who's the youngest in the room
00:37:37can I see behind backstage
00:37:43so it's all quite intimate so stage audience
00:37:48oh wow, this is a proper backstage
00:37:52who does the makeup
00:37:58I'm going to leave you to put your makeup on, I'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
00:38:16the people, the shared cigarettes
00:38:19there'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
00:38:35Ms. Jo, oh look
00:38:38amazing
00:38:39it looks to me like you love acting
00:38:42what does opera mean to you
00:38:48can you ever imagine a life without acting
00:38:53can you ever imagine a life without acting
00:38:55can you ever imagine a life without acting
00:39:10well, Ms. Jo, you look beautiful
00:39:12and I can't wait to watch the opera
00:39:15good luck
00:39:16good luck
00:39:20this evening
00:39:21Ms. Jo and her troupe
00:39:23will be performing a farce
00:39:24in which a humble cobbler
00:39:26seeks a wife
00:39:31it's an old favourite of theirs
00:39:32but tonight the cast
00:39:34might outnumber the audience
00:39:55if this traditional opera is to survive
00:39:57it needs to pay the rent
00:40:00so the audience are encouraged to tip the actors
00:40:04mid performance
00:40:05the audience
00:40:47Wow. That was really beautiful.
00:40:52There's something very magical about an opera in 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 for the older generation.
00:41:12But there was a period where they worked together, where they lived together.
00:41:17And that's being lost.
00:41:19Albeit to ambition and opportunity, because the China dream is very much alive.
00:41:27But it comes at a cost.
00:41:39Shanghai's rapid development means poorer migrant communities like Miss Zhou's are in danger of being pushed out of the city.
00:41:49However, some traditional rituals are finding a new, younger audience.
00:41:54I'm meeting John again.
00:41:57So is this a favourite of yours? Thank you very much.
00:42:00Well, my favourite in the town.
00:42:02He wants to show me how an ancient tradition is gaining popularity with the young hipsters of Shanghai.
00:42:12That's amazing.
00:42:14Wow. That's like a magic trick.
00:42:17That's nice.
00:42:18It'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?
00:42:29Drink and tell the future.
00:42:31How accurate is the fortune-telling in here?
00:42:34I think 99% rise.
00:42:37So why is fortune-telling coming back here in China?
00:42:40Fortune-telling is telling you the certainty in the uncertain world.
00:42:44And Gen Z is so rebellious.
00:42:46So they are not listening to anyone.
00:42:48But the universe tells them, okay, I'll take a note.
00:42:53In China, fortune-telling is traditionally used to guide major life decisions.
00:43:06My fortune-telling uses bamboo sticks to help answer a burning question
00:43:10that's been on my mind since I arrived in the country.
00:43:15Stop. Pick one.
00:43:20So what's the question again?
00:43:21I want to know if I'm going to be a big deal here in China.
00:43:25Let's see.
00:43:26This is a gold medal.
00:43:28Okay.
00:43:29This is a gold medal.
00:43:31This is a gold medal for the gold medal.
00:43:33Oh.
00:43:34You are at your turning point from bad luck to good luck.
00:43:39The success is measured by your reputation,
00:43:51your 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, it'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, thanks.
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,
00:44:26even as the country undergoes a remarkable transformation
00:44:29into a 21st century consumer economy.
00:44:37I've come to the high-tech, automated nerve center
00:44:40of 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...
00:44:57This 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 this 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 is the largest in the world.
00:45:24Astonishingly, around half a billion parcels
00:45:27are dispatched every day.
00:45:31The scale of this place is absolutely astonishing.
00:45:40China's delivery industry relies on a huge army of workers,
00:45:44mostly young men, who've migrated to the city.
00:45:49Aston?
00:45:51Ni hao.
00:45:52I'm meeting delivery rider Aston.
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.
00:46:06Ni nansu kou ma?
00:46:08Yeah?
00:46:08Should we go?
00:46:09I'll follow you.
00:46:10For A-Chung,
00:46:12every day starts at the warehouse,
00:46:13where he loads up his consignment of parcels.
00:46:17It's a lot of parcels, A-Chung.
00:46:20Chila, see ya, khanhan.
00:46:22Okay.
00:46:24Better watch out.
00:46:26Yeah, just twist that.
00:46:27Woo!
00:46:28Oh, yeah.
00:46:29So this is my driving test, is it?
00:46:35Knees up like this, what do you think?
00:46:37Not quite sure.
00:46:38Don't know if this was built for a six-foot tall Brit.
00:46:44Yeah, you're happy?
00:46:45Yeah, you're happy.
00:46:45I'll get two thumbs up.
00:46:48Okay.
00:46:49This is for me.
00:46:52How many parcels will you deliver on an average day?
00:47:06We're racing against the clock now.
00:47:08Wish me luck.
00:47:16Wah!
00:47:18But must remember to drive on the right.
00:47:25As a member of China's vast gig economy,
00:47:29A-Chung 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.
00:47:39First house.
00:47:41In here.
00:47:42Ni hao.
00:47:43I'm a delivery man.
00:47:44Oh, xie xie ah.
00:47:45Go, go.
00:47:47Okay, more here.
00:47:48Go.
00:47:49Ni hao.
00:47:51See ya, see ya.
00:47:51You have been lost.
00:47:53I'm sorry.
00:48:04I didn't ask him what happens if it pours with rain.
00:48:09We're going to sit out the rain here.
00:48:16So we need to waterproof everything.
00:48:21I have no protection, but the parcels need protection because they're all in cardboard boxes and 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.
00:48:36Of all the things I was anticipating today, I braced myself for traffic, for trucks, fellow drivers, but not for
00:48:44a possible lightning strike.
00:49:01It's treacherous work made worse by the wet roads.
00:49:07In Shanghai alone, dozens of delivery drivers are killed or injured in road traffic accidents every year.
00:49:20It's hot.
00:49:22It's hot.
00:49:23Ah-chung works for a reputable company.
00:49:26But the pressure to meet their targets means that Chinese employees often rack up long hours.
00:49:38Despite government crackdowns on some employers, the long hours culture remains widespread.
00:49:47Oh, my goodness.
00:49:48I am spaghetti.
00:49:50Whoa.
00:49:51You work hard.
00:49:52That's for sure.
00:49:54Okay.
00:49:54Well, it looks like the rain stopped.
00:49:56The sun's come out.
00:49:57More parcels to deliver.
00:50:01Ni hao.
00:50:03Crazy dog.
00:50:07Ni hao.
00:50:09This is a man just in his underpants.
00:50:11Got to stay there.
00:50:12With spring onions in his hands.
00:50:14It's quite random.
00:50:17Okay.
00:50:18It's another apartment done.
00:50:22We've finally earned a break.
00:50:30I'm curious to know what first drew Ah-chung to leave home and move to Shanghai.
00:50:36Where were you born?
00:50:37I'm from the Shanghai.
00:50:41I started to cut hair.
00:50:44So would you say that there are good opportunities here in Shanghai?
00:50:49I feel like I have a lot of money.
00:50:52I have to pay for other jobs.
00:50:56I have to pay for more money.
00:50:58I have to pay for more money.
00:51:00I have to pay for more money.
00:51:01I have to pay for more money.
00:51:06I have to pay for more money.
00:51:16What do you see as your future?
00:51:19What do you see as your future?
00:51:21What do you see as your future?
00:51:24What do you see as your future?
00:51:26What is it, I wish you all the luck in the future.
00:51:32Sunshine.
00:51:33China.
00:51:36Ah Chung's story reflects a nation on the move.
00:51:40Some 350 million people, a quarter of China's population,
00:51:44have migrated to the cities chasing a better life.
00:51:48The largest migration in human history.
00:52:05I'm leaving Shanghai and travelling further south to Zhejiang province.
00:52:11For many years the slogan from the top was for the citizens of China
00:52:16to follow the China dream that anything was achievable.
00:52:21I don't think anything embodies that quite as well
00:52:24as the entertainment industry where dreams are made.
00:52:33This is amazing.
00:52:39I 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,
00:52:53Hongdian World Studios is China's answer to Hollywood.
00:52:59This is the largest open-air film studio in the world.
00:53:04And this is all one giant set.
00:53:22I'm at Hongdian, the world's largest open-air film studio.
00:53:27With dozens of imposing sets, it produces epic blockbusters that don't just entertain.
00:53:33They celebrate China's vision of itself, its history and its culture,
00:53:39whilst challenging Hollywood's global dominance.
00:53:46This is a little bit exciting.
00:53:51Been invited to see behind the scenes.
00:53:54How close can we go?
00:53:56Don't want to crash the scene.
00:54:04I think they're all a bit confused about why I'm here.
00:54:08There's lots of smiling faces like, who the hell is he?
00:54:13Every year, thousands of aspiring actors flock to Hongdian.
00:54:17Most only get work as extras, earning around £10 a day.
00:54:27All right, had my behind the scenes.
00:54:29Now I'm off to meet a show insider.
00:54:32I've arranged to meet someone 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?
00:54:41Okay.
00:54:42So, tell me about this place.
00:54:43I mean, this is astonishing.
00:54:44I've just been watching a production.
00:54:46Do you know anything about this one?
00:54:47They are making a TV drama.
00:54:49This is big production values, though.
00:54:51There's a huge crew.
00:54:53Right.
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.
00:55:00They 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?
00:55:05Should I know you?
00:55:06Sorry.
00:55:06Kind of.
00:55:07No, no, no, no, no.
00:55:08You're kind of a big deal is what you're supposed to say.
00:55:10How long have you been an actor for?
00:55:1212 years.
00:55:1212 years.
00:55:13And do you perform in?
00:55:14The same thing.
00:55:14Yeah.
00:55:15Costume and makeup.
00:55:16Can you show me around a little bit?
00:55:18Okay.
00:55:18Let's go.
00:55:22What's all this?
00:55:23That's the star in this film.
00:55:25His 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,
00:55:35Li Lu.
00:55:36His fans are here in force.
00:55:39Yes.
00:55:39So they all bought flowers?
00:55:41Exactly, 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.
00:55:48Exactly.
00:55:48This must be a pretty exciting moment for everyone, is it?
00:55:51And they're crazy for their hero.
00:56:09This is for all the films.
00:56:13You know?
00:56:13That'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
00:56:24everyone walks along the red carpet and fans come along, but it sounds like it's flipped.
00:56:58Here.
00:56:58Right.
00:56:58Here.
00:56:59Here.
00:57:00Here.
00:57:03Here.
00:57:05Here.
00:57:06Here.
00:57:06Here.
00:57:08Here.
00:57:35Here.
00:57:38Here.
00:57:41달� ideal.
00:57:42Daniel's introducing me to a new kind of drama that's changing the future of entertainment
00:57:46in China and 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?
00:57:56This is like kind of vertical stuff.
00:57:58And you just watch on the phone.
00:57:59Upright.
00:58:00Like that?
00:58:00Right.
00:58:02Micro dramas are bite-sized soap operas for the TikTok generation to watch on their phones.
00:58:08and
00:58:09There's a very hot app
00:58:11Episodes are very short packed with incident and usually end on a cliffhanger
00:58:16To entice paying subscribers back for more
00:58:20How long does a micro drama last? It's about one minute to two minutes one episode and how many?
00:58:2660 to 100
00:58:2760 to 100 episodes in a whole series right?
00:58:31It's crazy popular hot stuff now
00:58:33So how many people will have watched one of these maybe five six billions billions billions Wow
00:58:39Yeah, so this is a huge industry. Yes. There are six floors
00:58:43So it's a different set her floor upper floor, right? You want to see? Yeah, I'd love to okay
00:58:49Let's go second floor
00:58:52Rather than on huge film sets it's in this six-story block that China's reinventing global entertainment
00:59:02Microdramas are cheap to make but they're earning their creators huge profits
00:59:08This way in 2024 revenue from micro dramas overtook box office takings at China's cinemas for the first time
00:59:17This is a smaller apartment, right? It's like a like time going back in time now
00:59:23Let's look at some of I don't know
00:59:25I don't know
00:59:25While the vertical format of micro dramas is designed to appeal to the young
00:59:31the storylines reflect traditional Chinese melodramas in
00:59:36This scene a young bride has got cold feet on the morning of her wedding
00:59:44What makes a great classical drama? What kind of theme?
00:59:49What kind of theme?
00:59:49Oh, we like the theme. No, we like the boss
00:59:51You know, the handsome boss
00:59:53Are there themes that you can't make dramas about here in China?
00:59:59So you would never touch on politics
01:00:03Like other forms of entertainment
01:00:06Microdramas are expected to reflect communist party values
01:00:11Thousands of episodes have been taken down by the state censors because their content is considered too low-brow or
01:00:17vulgar
01:00:21The boys crying
01:00:23The boys crying
01:00:24The acting was so good it made the child cry
01:00:27And should we go before 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
01:00:38Yeah, it's British
01:00:41You don't want me to drink coffee?
01:00:44You're a woman!
01:00:44You're a woman!
01:00:51You're a woman!
01:00:53You're a woman!
01:00:55You're a woman!
01:00:55You're a woman!
01:00:55You're a woman!
01:00:55All the world's stories are more than a woman
01:01:00Microdramas may have been born right here in China
01:01:02But they're the hottest new trend in online viewing
01:01:05Giving Hollywood a run for its money
01:01:08Before long, one could be streaming straight to your phone
01:01:13modern tastes in how you consume media is changing all around the world people don't
01:01:18have the concentration including me so that was like a single little film you'll watch on your
01:01:23phone on the tube on the bus suddenly you're in another world with great drama going on around
01:01:30you and then the next one will drop later in the day or the next day very clever way on
01:01:36capitalizing
01:01:36on the changing concentration spans and this is the future if i want a future in tv i'm gonna have
01:01:43to embrace this i'm at hung dian world studios china's answer to hollywood this sprawling complex
01:02:04turns out hundreds of films and tv dramas every year many steeped in traditional chinese history
01:02:10and culture so there's a scene and you're gonna play something you're gonna get me acting right
01:02:21here at hung dian film fans can pay to be a movie star for the day but for a foreigner
01:02:28like me
01:02:29getting into character could be a real challenge he looks like a director that's a director
01:02:39what's going to happen then what do i need to do
01:02:46so they're going to be a hero this is kind of cool
01:02:58what do you think it's cool yeah two minutes ago i was just walking through in my civvies
01:03:05look at me
01:03:09yep
01:03:11so daniel what part are you playing
01:03:13i'm buddy you're the baddie red i'm gun sir
01:03:19my mother is actually an actress and i did kind of want to be an actor so maybe
01:03:26this is uh 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 they're waiting for us okay
01:03:40from what i can make out my role is to foil daniel's baddie and emerge the hero
01:03:48you've got the girl at this stage i i i i i i i i i i i i i
01:03:52i i i was robbing the girl
01:03:53so what am i going to do daniel now so you you like my you stay first you stay after
01:03:58girl
01:03:59i saved the girl
01:04:03leave the girl alone
01:04:06it's not your business i said leave the girl alone
01:04:11all right
01:04:26so 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
01:04:32oh for sure
01:04:33if it doesn't work out for me in the uk
01:04:35okay
01:04:37well 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
01:04:52i went big and i think i'm being sent home i'm not going to be guessing an oscar for that
01:04:58but for countless millions here the china dream remains alive and fame and fortune beckons for those who really want
01:05:09it
01:05:20on this first part of my travels through china i've seen how this endlessly fascinating nation continues to draw inspiration
01:05:30from its rich culture
01:05:31how its communist revolution still shapes daily life and how innovation and creativity are combining to define china's vision of
01:05:42its future
01:05:45now i'm leaving hungdian 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
01:06:04up that way
01:06:05in search of the nation's most elusive creature
01:06:08that's amazing
01:06:10that's amazing
01:06:11i feel incredibly privileged
01:06:13from soaring mountains
01:06:15to shimmering river valleys
01:06:18go get it
01:06:24i explore the country's most cherished rural traditions
01:06:28where's our fish
01:06:30oh you're going
01:06:32go well
01:06:32and ask whether the timeless ways of the past can endure as china races towards the future
01:07:02or
01:07:05in the world
01:07:05or to do
01:07:09the
01:07:09of
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