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The China Century episode 5

The China Century episode 5

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

The China Century episode 5: The world’s greatest rivalry began with hope and idealism. What went wrong? The forces that have powered China’s rise are rarely explored, while the lives of Chinese people barely get a mention. Beyond the headlines what do we really know about China and its 1.4 billion citizens?     An in-depth examination of China’s place in world politics and the global economy, from a face-off with America to its clampdown in Hong Kong and hacking and surveillance.   The China Century episode 5   China, officially the People’s Republic of China, is a country in […]

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The China Century episode 4

The China Century episode 4

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

The China Century episode 4: After 150 years of British occupation, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997. We examine how the territory has always been defined by the contest of influence between China and the West and how that tension plays out today.     The forces that have powered China’s rise are rarely explored, while the lives of Chinese people barely get a mention. Beyond the headlines what do we really know about China and its 1.4 billion citizens? An in-depth examination of China’s place in world politics and the global economy, from a face-off with America

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The China Century episode 3

The China Century episode 3

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

The China Century episode 3: China’s return to imperial power after a century of humiliation. The forces that have powered China’s rise are rarely explored, while the lives of Chinese people barely get a mention. Beyond the headlines what do we really know about China and its 1.4 billion citizens?     An in-depth examination of China’s place in world politics and the global economy, from a face-off with America to its clampdown in Hong Kong and hacking and surveillance. The China Century episode 3   China, officially the People’s Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It

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The China Century episode 2

The China Century episode 2

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

The China Century episode 2: The story of China’s meteoric economic growth and its earth-shattering repercussions. The forces that have powered China’s rise are rarely explored, while the lives of Chinese people barely get a mention. Beyond the headlines what do we really know about China and its 1.4 billion citizens?     An in-depth examination of China’s place in world politics and the global economy, from a face-off with America to its clampdown in Hong Kong and hacking and surveillance.   The China Century episode 2   China, officially the People’s Republic of China, is a country in East

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The China Century episode 1

The China Century episode 1

History / 3 minutes of reading / / By

The China Century episode 1:  Chinese President Xi Jinping understands the greatest threat to the authoritarian state is not an invading army but the free minds of its people. This episode explores the fight for freedom of thought in China. How do you control the beliefs and desires of a population as vast and diverse as China’s?     In his first address as president, Xi Jinping declares the new vision of the people: The China Dream. Never before in the history of Communist Party rhetoric has the word ‘dream’ been uttered by a leader. Why now? What is The

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China from Above episode 4 - Mountains and Rivers

China from Above episode 4 – Mountains and Rivers

History, Travel / 3 minutes of reading / / By

China from Above episode 4 – Mountains and Rivers: From stunning heights, witness the mountains, rivers, and people that make up China’s great interior. Visit celebrations at the center of the Buddhist world and on the edges of river cities, soar over the world’s most famous peak 29,000 feet in the air, and dive into an ancient city submerged under a lake. China’s heartland is a place where urban and rural communities embrace the challenges of a changing 21st century world.     China is a country of staggering contrasts, from its ancient civilization to its bustling skyscrapers and from

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China from Above episode 3 - Dynamic Coast

China from Above episode 3 – Dynamic Coast

Travel / 3 minutes of reading / / By

China from Above episode 3 – Dynamic Coast: China is a nation of contrasts, and nowhere is it more evident than along its dynamic coastline. This aerial journey takes us from the north’s icy Chagan Lake to the tropical Hainan province’s southern volcanoes, and from the nation’s most populated cities in the east to an abandoned fishermen’s village off Shanghai’s coast. It’s a spectacular voyage highlighting the country’s diverse environments, evolving cultures, and growing prosperity.     China is a country of staggering contrasts, from its ancient civilization to its bustling skyscrapers and from its steep river valleys to its

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China from Above episode 2 - Future is Now

China from Above episode 2 – Future is Now

History, Travel / 3 minutes of reading / / By

China from Above episode 2 – Future is Now: China is growing at a breakneck pace and racing to keep up with demand. As new cities are built and current ones expand, the country is pushing the limits of technology and innovation. On an aerial tour over megacities like Shanghai and Beijing, discover how the population works, travels, plays, and adapts to China’s exploding economy and massive urban transformation.     China is a country of staggering contrasts, from its ancient civilization to its bustling skyscrapers and from its steep river valleys to its harsh desert landscapes. Embark on an

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China from Above episode 1 - Living Past

China from Above episode 1 – Living Past

History, Travel / 3 minutes of reading / / By

China from Above episode 1 – Living Past: Modern-day China has been built on the traditions and innovations of the past. In this aerial journey, explore the sprawling nation from a whole new perspective. See how nature has served as both an enemy and an ally, and meet people who have built lives in the unlikeliest of places, from steep river valleys to harsh desert landscapes. It’s a coast-to-coast tour of a vast and varied nation, where ancient customs continue to shape the landscape and the people.     China is a country of staggering contrasts, from its ancient civilization

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China's Last Little Train

China’s Last Little Train

Travel / 3 minutes of reading / / By

China’s Last Little Train: In a mountainous region best known for pandas and earthquakes, there are no roads, no cars, no buses. But there is … a train. We tell the story of the last working narrow gauge steam railway in China.     The Jiayang Steam Train in Sichuan Province has been running non-stop since 1959, when it was built as part of Chairman Mao’s Great Leap Forward.   China’s Last Little Train   Jiayang Little Steam Train is a classic narrow-gauge train running near Jiayang Coal Mine in Qianwei County, Sichuan Province. The gauge of the small train

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The Silk Road episode 3

The Silk Road episode 3

History / 2 minutes of reading / / By

The Silk Road episode 3: In the final episode of his series tracing the story of the most famous trade route in history, Dr Sam Willis continues his journey west in Iran. The first BBC documentary team to be granted entry for nearly a decade, Sam begins in the legendary city of Persepolis – heart of the first Persian Empire.     Following an ancient caravan route through Persia’s deserts, he visits a Zoroastrian temple where a holy fire has burned for 1,500 years, and Esfahan, one of the Silk Road’s architectural jewels and rival to Sam’s next destination –

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The Story of China episode 6 - The Age of Revolution

The Story of China episode 6 – The Age of Revolution

History / 4 minutes of reading / / By

The Story of China episode 6 – The Age of Revolution: Between 1850 and 1950, three cataclysmic revolutions shook China to the core, but out of them, today’s China emerged. ‘Revolution’, Michael Wood observes, ‘has been a fact of life in Chinese history’.     The film begins in Canton with the meeting of a US missionary and a Chinese student. Inspired by the Christian story and calling himself God’s second son, Hong unleashed the bloodiest war of the 19th century, the Taiping Rebellion. Wood heads into wild mountain villages in the south, where the revolution began. As imperial China

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