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China From Above
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00:01China, it's a country steeped in tradition and hurtling forward to the future.
00:10In this aerial journey, we'll see the sprawling nation from a new perspective.
00:18This is a place where pioneers brave the unknown.
00:23And monuments to the spirit still stand.
00:30Here, the landscapes are as diverse as the people.
00:34Where cities feature magnificent skylines.
00:39And industries have transformed the country into a global leader.
00:47After centuries in seclusion, creativity thrives.
00:54In a generation, China has sprung from its ancient past, inspired by bold ideas.
01:01And risen to new heights.
01:08It's blended innovation with tradition, taking aim at the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the 21st century.
01:20This is China from above.
01:27Deep within China's western mountains are the headwaters of Asia's longest rivers.
01:35The Yellow and Yangtze.
01:41From there, they flow through China's vast interior, all the way to the eastern coast.
01:52These rivers are the lifeblood of central China, the nation's traditional and cultural heartland.
02:00Where millions of citizens maintain a strong connection to their environment.
02:09In the past, the country's agricultural regions existed apart from the industrialized coast.
02:16But today, they're now more connected.
02:23Even the remote, independent region of Tibet, now has a rapidly developing capital city.
02:36Lhasa, meaning place of the gods, has been the center of the Tibetan Buddhist world for over a millennium.
02:48Built on the city's Marporing Mountain is Putala Palace.
03:00Restored in 1645, it's 13 stories high, with over a thousand rooms.
03:13It is still an important Buddhist site, with close to a million pilgrims visiting each year.
03:20Today, people from all over the region are preparing for one of their most important Buddhist festivals.
03:43In the village of Lamu, a few miles from Lhasa,
03:46Dava and his family are getting ready for tomorrow's events.
03:55It's the celebration commemorating Buddha's descent from heaven back to earth.
04:03The festival kicks off with Tibetans painting their homes with a unique whitewash.
04:26The paint turns white as it dries, signifying purity and kindness.
04:38At over 13,000 feet above sea level, it's also the most practical choice for resisting the harsh UV radiation.
04:49Painting homes and temples is intended to draw Buddha from heaven back to earth.
05:03The next morning, Dava's grandmother is up early.
05:08The next morning, Dava's grandmother is up early.
05:21The villagers then go on a short pilgrimage.
05:27Incense was once burned to ward off bad luck after a hunt or a battle.
05:32It's now used as an offering to Buddha.
05:41Chanting and praying dominate the day.
05:57The procession takes them over hills and around temples before ending at the local monastery.
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06:31means that Lhasa is no longer the isolated city it once was.
06:42A $4.2 billion railway now connects Tibet to the rest of China,
06:48crossing 1,200 miles of high-altitude plateau,
06:52over a quarter of it built on permafrost.
06:59One city on the Upper Yangtze River is growing at breakneck speed
07:03and is practically unknown to the Western world, Chongqing.
07:17Located in the Central Southwest,
07:20this city is the largest municipality in China.
07:25And it's still growing,
07:27adding 45 acres of living space each day to house over 34 million people.
07:41This ancient city has evolved over time by adapting to its challenging geographical setting.
07:50Its mountainous location requires an array of vertical transport options
07:54to move everyone around the city.
07:59Roads had to be elevated to alleviate traffic congestion at ground level.
08:05And it's not only roads that have gone skyward.
08:14Wang Nian has been a driver for the past six years on the world's largest monorail system.
08:36It's 61-mile stretch of single rail weaves around the city,
08:40even threading through some buildings.
08:45Neon drives Route 2, known as the Scenic Line.
08:50And it's not only for transportation,
08:54and it's also for tourists.
08:56It's also for tourists to think this is our special features.
09:07Chongqing is a major manufacturing city and transport hub.
09:12Many global brands are moving here, where high-speed rail makes them just as efficient
09:18as their coastal counterparts.
09:20The city is now connected directly to Germany by China Railway Express.
09:26It's a 7,000-mile journey through five countries, but it's twice as fast as shipping by sea
09:33and a quarter the cost of air transport.
09:37Chongqing's port is still vital to the movement of goods within China.
09:42It's linked to the East Coast by the Yangtze River, a route that passes through another
09:48rapidly developing river city, Wuhan.
09:54Here, one day a year, ship traffic is halted, as the city celebrates its river heritage
10:00with a spectacular event.
10:04Wuhan is an important economic hub of China's interior, and its 10 million people are tied
10:12to the river that runs through it.
10:16It's been popular with swimmers since the Song Dynasty a thousand years ago.
10:23The annual Wuhan River Crossing Festival is a swimming event that draws in crowds from all
10:29all over China and beyond.
10:35Former Chinese leader Chairman Mao swam here in 1966 at the age of 73.
10:43This unique festival is held in his honor.
10:56The highlight of the event is the Team Crossing, where groups of up to 100 people navigate the
11:02swift current.
11:06This year, there are over 5,000 entries and 51 teams.
11:1661-year-old Ding Ai-jen first took part in 1977, and has competed seven times since then.
11:34This year is significant, as it's the first time that she'll compete with her husband, Bo.
12:07There are no winners in this event.
12:09The goal is for swimmers like Ding and Bo to complete the crossing together.
12:16But swimming on a river this powerful is not easy.
12:20It's a nearly four-mile route, made harder and longer by the strong currents.
12:36Eventually, Ding and Bo finish together.
13:01The annual Wuhan Sporting Challenge dates back over 80 years, to 1937.
13:11In one Tibetan village, a far older sporting event is still central to community life, archery.
13:26The event takes place in the valley of the Gongbu people, near the largest primitive forest in China.
13:43The Gongbu people differ from those living in other parts of the Tibetan region.
13:52They have their own dialect, traditions, and past times.
14:00As autumn sets in, the Gongbu community prepares to celebrate with a favorite sport.
14:12Jija has been an archer for 36 years.
14:16Today, his village team is taking part in a local tournament.
14:35It's both a social occasion and a chance to show off some archery skills.
14:44The men come well prepared for the event.
14:47This ancient sport has been updated for modern times.
14:55The competition has its own unique Gongbu equipment, often referred to as the screaming arrow.
15:05The arrow is a wooden shaft with four small holes in it, which creates a whistling sound as it flies
15:13through the air.
15:18A traditional fabric bullseye hangs 100 feet away.
15:30Jija's village is performing well.
15:45Eventually, the competition comes down to the wire.
15:53In this centuries-old sport, many archers have faced tension-filled moments where everything is on the line.
16:07Jija's final shot seals the deal.
16:10His team wins the competition.
16:32500 miles southeast, on China's southern border, lies the world's most famous peak, Everest.
16:40Where a more extreme sport, mountaineering attracts people from across the globe.
16:54The Himalayas is a system of over 110 mountains crossing five countries, including China.
17:04Climbers from all over the world attempt to summit its highest point at 29,000 feet.
17:15It's near the altitude of a cruising jetliner, where the oxygen is only a third of what we breathe at
17:21sea level.
17:25Historically, most climbers ascend via the south face route in Nepal.
17:29But lately, more are choosing to tackle the north face of Everest as China opens up this Tibetan route.
17:38It's now possible to drive all the way to base camp.
17:44This year's main climbing season is drawing to a close.
17:49But a select group remains at Tibet's northern base camp.
17:52Pima Tinley is an Everest veteran.
17:56He's preparing for one of the most important climbs of the season, operation cleanup.
18:02In the past, when I went to the mountain, my goal was to go to the mountain.
18:07And this time, I had a heart attack.
18:09I had a heart attack.
18:10I had a heart attack.
18:10I had a heart attack.
18:11And I had a heart attack.
18:16But the job is too big to manage alone.
18:19The team needs some extra muscle power from local Sherpas, and their most revered beast of burden, the Yak.
18:31The Yak's red blood cells have evolved to extract more oxygen from the depleted air.
18:38Together, the men and their animals will follow the route to advance base camp, collecting rubbish and equipment left behind.
18:47As the north face gains popularity, more items are discarded along the way.
18:53Even discarded food can't break down in temperatures that reach as low as minus 31 Fahrenheit.
19:18This annual cleanup event is on a larger scale than ever before, with a team of 150X, each carrying 100
19:27pounds.
19:30Over several days, five tons of waste is collected, more than any other year.
19:45The cleanup is in keeping with the Tibetan philosophy of living in harmony with nature.
19:54At far lower altitudes, a Chinese team is exploring a very different world.
20:01An ancient city, hidden underwater.
20:05China's Atlantis.
20:11China's Atlantis.
20:12China's Atlantis.
20:12In the eastern reaches of Yizhen Province is a lake containing over a thousand islands.
20:20But this is a man-made wonder.
20:24The lake is only 60 years old and was created during construction of one of China's early
20:30hydropower plants.
20:33It represented a vital first step in the country's rapid economic development.
20:43These islands are actually the top of hills, a clue to what lies submerged below.
20:52Lo Shengliang was one of the first people to venture into this unique underwater world.
21:00Lo Shengliang was one of the first people to venture into this unique underwater world.
21:02He was one of the first people to do swimming, swimming, fishing, fishing, fishing, fishing, etc.
21:10The water was a lot of affection for the other world.
21:18Today, he has teamed up with cameraman Wu Lixin to use 3D scanning technology to resurrect an ancient city.
21:33Diving to the depths of this lake comes with challenges.
21:57At last, after descending over 130 feet, they find what they've been searching for.
22:07The 1,000-year-old Shi Chen, or Lion City.
22:17This will be the first time it's been captured three-dimensionally.
22:43Computer software converts these photos into a 3D image.
22:49Once an opulent city, and the political and economic hub for eastern China,
22:55it now lays remarkably well-preserved in the fresh water.
23:22China has a long history of harnessing its waterways.
23:27Further to the north, some unusual methods are used to monitor one of the planet's most volatile and dangerous rivers.
23:40The Yellow River is vital for life in the arid north, one of the cradles of China's earliest civilization.
23:49It now provides water to 155 million people.
23:59It irrigates over 50 million acres of farmland.
24:05But this is a river with a reputation.
24:08And prone to devastating floods.
24:17New arrival, Jin Jingpo, is learning the ropes of this isolated Yellow River monitoring station.
24:34The hydrologist's role here is to provide daily updates to hydropower stations and dams further down the Yellow River.
24:41Named for the enormous amounts of golden sediment carried in its flow.
24:50But collecting that information requires nerves of steel and a time-tested cable car.
25:01One of Jin Po's main tasks is to determine how much sand and silt is carried in the river.
25:20This method of data collection sometimes must take place at night or during severe weather, posing a steep learning curve
25:27for the new recruit.
25:29The research facilities and living quarters are perched on a cliff.
25:34Their cable car is the only link to the outside world.
25:38Something Jin Po is coming to terms with.
26:02This river makes life in northern China possible, allowing its people to grow crops in a place that receives little
26:09rain.
26:15On the fringes of the Gobi Desert, a green oasis stretches for miles.
26:21Perfect conditions for grape growing.
26:27China's Ninsa province is now the second largest wine producing region in the world.
26:35A hundred thousand acres of vines are taking over the once dry landscape.
26:42Silver Heights Winery is one of the Chinese pioneers in a region now making a name for itself internationally.
26:51Harvesting is underway.
26:53A crucial time for Chinese winemaker Emma Gao.
26:57And when we harvest it, we will also use 60-70 types of machine工 to harvest.
27:04And at the fastest speed, we will harvest these good grapes in our car.
27:12After studying winemaking in Bordeaux, France,
27:15she planted her first winery in Yinchuan city with the help of her family.
27:21Because since we started doing this,
27:24we don't know if we can succeed,
27:25if we can feed it, and if we can feed it.
27:28Her belief in these desert soils was inspired by her father,
27:32who grew table grapes in this region.
27:47Ten years later, Emma's winery has expanded from its city base
27:52and is now producing 63,000 bottles of wine a year.
27:56Winemaking is still an emerging industry,
27:59but farming arid land in China's north is nothing new.
28:04Reminders of the region's ancient civilization are evident by 110,000 Buddhist statues.
28:16In China's subtropical south, there are remains being restored that predate China's ancient civilization.
28:31Yunnan Province in China's southwest is home to more types of forests than any other,
28:38including one without any trees.
28:47Yuen Mao Earth Forest is made up of spires of clay sculpted from sandstone over millions of years.
28:58Perhaps the most significant thing about the rocks here is what they contain.
29:05Clues about the prehistoric creatures that once lived here.
29:11And Yunnan Province is loaded with dinosaur remains.
29:20It's one of China's and the world's hottest locations for Jurassic-era discoveries.
29:29Especially here in Lufong County, the location of China's dinosaur geopark.
29:38Mr. Wong has been working with fossils for 30 years.
29:42He's been busy as discoveries are unearthed every few weeks.
30:07This fossil belongs to the appropriately named Lufongosaurus, first found in the Lufong region.
30:16There are now 76 complete specimens of this plant-eating species.
30:43Lufong is also home to its own Jurassic Park.
30:50Lufong is also home to its own Jurassic Park.
31:09Lufong is also home to its own
31:20then the first thing is to get into the material
31:23and to start fixing it.
31:26The material is mainly to keep the material
31:29and to keep it clean.
31:34Since 1938, researchers in the Lufong region
31:38have unearthed more than 1,000 dinosaur fossils,
31:41with surely more to come.
31:45Unan's hills are dissected by the Yangtze River,
31:48the longest in Asia.
31:51It flows eastward through Chongqing and Wuhan,
31:56emptying into the East China Sea over 1,000 miles away.
32:02The mouth of the river is also the location
32:05of China's most populated city, Shanghai.
32:09Here, ships arrive from deep inland and from around the world.
32:15Navigating the harbor can sometimes be risky,
32:17but should an accident occur,
32:20a dedicated emergency rescue team is ready to spring into action.
32:34Shanghai is one of the world's busiest inland waterways,
32:38and the largest port on the planet.
32:41Given the volume of maritime traffic, safety is a top priority.
32:45To help in emergencies, helicopter rescue teams are on call 24 hours a day.
32:59There are about 90 trained individuals in the unit.
33:03Among them are 22 pilots, including Wan Chouwen,
33:08one of two females in this crucial role.
33:19Today is a training drill for this team of four,
33:22who prepare to fly out to the mouth of the Yangtze.
33:31The crew members devote many hours to these training exercises,
33:35so that if an emergency occurs, everyone is well prepared.
33:41This is a fantastic job,
33:42because of the air dispatch,
33:43it's a work,
33:45for example,
33:46the whole part is a complete work.
33:48We need to connect with a joint,
33:50to be able to do all the equipment sözcats' uni.
34:15Training can't prepare rescuers for every possibility, and conditions here have a habit
34:21of being unpredictable.
35:00It will take 20 minutes to reach the safety boat with today's victim.
35:12Although he's made entirely out of plastic, the pressure is still on.
35:17The two crewmen in the back of the aircraft must perform as if they are rescuing a human
35:22being.
35:37Wang Cho-wen needs to keep the helicopter in a steady hover.
35:43The lifeguard is lowered almost 100 feet onto the rescue craft, where the victim lies.
35:54Wang Cho-wen needs to keep the helicopter in the back of the aircraft.
36:03Wang Cho-wen needs to keep the helicopter in the back of the aircraft.
36:33Wang Cho-wen needs to keep the helicopter in the back of the world's busiest waterways.
36:36Container ships dominate the shipping lanes, and the largest of all are built right here.
36:44Wang Cho-wen needs to keep the helicopter in the back of the aircraft.
36:54Covering an area of 54 million square feet is Wang Cho-wen, one of the biggest shipbuilders
37:00in the world.
37:06This Chinese company, employing 8,000 workers, designs and builds a variety of ships.
37:16They are now fulfilling one of its largest orders to date, 11 of the biggest container ships
37:23in the world.
37:28Shu Jin is on a team of over 70 designers.
37:46Shu Jin is the hoisting manager responsible for the positioning of huge pieces of steel weighing
37:53up to 860 tons.
38:01Shu-wen is majesty.
38:04Shu Jin is the top of the ship.
38:06Shu Jin is the top of the ship.
38:10Shu Jin is the top of the ship.
38:17To complete the four-month building schedule, the ship is designed to be assembled like giant Lego blocks.
38:27Two 600-ton gantry cranes are used over 500 times to hoist these sections into place.
38:44The ship is a long-term, a long-term, and a long-term.
38:49The ship is a long-term, a long-term.
38:54If you see this, it can be fairly stable and safe, then I feel that the ship is really enjoying.
39:05The ship is a long-term, a long-term, and a long-term.
39:13The ship is a long-term.
39:22The first finished vessel is almost 1300 feet long, 100 feet tall, and is capable of carrying
39:3020,000 steel containers.
39:54It's time to move the ship out of the dock for testing.
40:01It takes six tugs three hours to travel half a mile into the main channel.
40:13Here, it will remain for six months, while engineers check all of its mechanical and
40:19electrical fittings, before it joins the rest of China's fleet of over 300 container ships.
40:28Together, they carry over a million and a half containers on the world's oceans, fueling
40:35the fastest-growing economy on Earth.
40:49China, a nation of enormous contrasts, a country overcoming geographic and climactic barriers,
41:06from its far-flung western mountainous borderlands to its urbanized coastline, home to its most
41:16populous cities.
41:18In between are the great rivers and heartlands of central China, a region of ancient traditions,
41:25and explosive economic growth.
41:31Ultimately, China's great center is a place where urban and rural communities together face
41:37the challenges of a changing world in the 21st century.
41:42China's like you and the northern countries, where there are nations.
41:42What is globalい in the 21st century?
41:42China's great energy.
41:43China's great energy.
41:43China's great energy.
41:46China is the only one of the most important things, before India is a crisis, that vertex the
41:46other village has benefited.
41:46China's great energy to our economies.
41:47China's great energy.
41:48China's great energy.
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