Episode 1 China on Four Wheels

We're going on an epic road trip

through one of the most powerful countries on the planet.

Home to a fifth of the world's population.

-Where's my chariot?

-Here.

She's a black beauty!

-We'll be taking two very different vehicles.

-It's not the most impressive car I've ever seen.

On two very different journeys.

What is that thing? That structure is so weird.

The road surface has just completely gone, hasn't it?

We're getting to grips with a very different style of driving.

METAL CRUNCHES

On some of the most dangerous roads in the world.

China's car industry is a great symbol of the huge changes

transforming this country.

Part of an economic revolution

that's created a new generation of billionaires.

Oh, it's beautiful. Oh, my God, it's like a spaceship.

But on my journey I'll be visiting a forgotten China

where cars are rarely seen

and hundreds of millions of people still live in poverty.

We'll be asking whether the Chinese economic miracle can be sustained.

This city also has a nickname called Ghost City.

And if it can, what that means for the world.

Beijing, the ancient imperial capital of China.

The 21st century has brought a massive construction boom

and a population explosion,

creating a vast mega city of 20 million people.

And booming car ownership has brought traffic chaos.

Are there many accidents, Mr Liu?

Yes. So many accidents every day.

So many accidents every day?

Why?

The new drivers.

Oh, new drivers?

The new driver just in road is a scary road, scary driving.

Sometimes they need to think, especially women drivers.

-Oh! Oh, whoa, Mr Liu!

-That sounds sensible to me.

Women are safe drivers. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

It's not long before we see an accident for ourselves.

The car bumped the bicycle. Maybe the children get problems?

-Oh, no!

-I think he's been shocked more than anything.

Yeah, he doesn't look hurt but he looks very anxious.

I mean it looked like everybody was OK.

It wasn't a serious accident but it shows you how common they are.

-I was going to say, it makes me a bit worried that...

-That was just a little knock.

Clearly, the roads are dangerous, aren't they?

'Very dangerous.'

China is reckoned to have the most road deaths in the world.

Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for people under 45.

In fact, Beijing now has a popular TV series called Traffic Light

that shows police footage of the city's worst car accidents.

SHE SPEAKS CHINESE

It's a sobering thought with thousands of miles to drive

in the next three weeks

but our taxi driver is just the man to keep our spirits up.

He was a finalist in another popular TV show -

the equivalent of Britain's Got Talent.

So, how did you do?

I just got to second.

-Second!

-That's really good.

Will you sing for us, Mr Liu?

-Now?

-Yes, now.

-Please, please.

-You know Elton John?

-Elton John? Yeah.

It's the Lion King, the song name is Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

-Oh.

-Sing that.

-Yeah, OK.

# There's a calm surrender to the rush of day

# When the heat of the rolling world can be turned away

ALL: # Can you feel the love tonight?

# It's night and day. #

THEY CHEER

We've asked Mr Liu to take us to a local market

so we can do some shopping for our trip.

-This place is crazy!

-Is this it?

-Oh, my goodness.

-It's like Disneyland.

Yeah, like Disney.

HE SPEAKS CHINESE

OK?

Let's go. Come on.

-Wow!

-This is madness, isn't it?

-Insane.

-Crazy.

CAR HORN BEEPS

This is the local. For local people.

The local, that's good. So, it should be cheap?

-Cheap, yeah. You can bargain.

-You can bargain for it?

Driving has become so dangerous in China,

there's now a vast array of lucky charms you can buy for your car.

-Now hold on a second. Chairman Mao.

-Oh, yeah.

Oh, and he spins. He'd definitely bring us good luck, wouldn't he?

Hold on, this is young Mao and old Mao.

-That is good. I'd like that.

-Do you like that?

-I like that.

-I like it.

-No, I want that.

-No, I want it.

-I like it.

No, you're meant to be looking for me.

-I know, well, you're meant to be looking for me.

-OK, I will get you this, Justin.

-Oh, Anita.

HE SPEAKS CHINESE

-25 for two.

-25 for two? But we only need one.

We only need one, so can he do it for 12?

Maybe 13, maybe 14?

Maybe 12, maybe 12?

Yeah, yeah, he likes it, he likes it.

-It's a real buy.

-It's a real buy. What a bargain.

-12.

-12? Yes?

-Well, that's £1.20.

-£1.20 for that?

-Yeah, so that's good.

-Anita?

-Oh, my goodness.

-What about that?

This one is the sunshine power.

-It's power?

-It's powered by the sun.

-Oh, it's solar powered. OK.

Could you put this in a car, Mr Liu?

Yeah, and it wouldn't... Justin, that is so hideous.

It's pretty disgusting.

I don't know how I'd feel sharing the car with that for three weeks.

-What about this? That's a bit more Chinese.

-Oh, yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

-A little Chinese family to keep you going.

-I love that.

-I think we're ready to travel, aren't we?

-I think we are.

Ready to head off across China.

-Let's go.

-Beep beep.

Armed with our lucky charms,

Justin and I will be travelling thousands of miles

across this vast country following two very different routes.

On the first leg of my journey,

I'll be heading into some of China's most remote and impoverished rural areas.

Travelling through inner Mongolia

down to Yan'an, the heartland of Mao's Communist Revolution.

While I'll be taking to the motorways

and exploring some of the country's richest cities.

I'll pass through the high-tech Solar Valley at Dezhou

before scaling one of China's sacred mountains.

If all goes according to plan, we'll meet up in Shanghai,

China's spectacular financial centre, in just three weeks time.

On the outskirts of Beijing I've met up with Qiao Xin,

who's going to be my guide and companion on our 2,500-mile journey.

We're on our way to collect our vehicle.

Here's Mr Shoux. We call him Mr Shoux but we call him Boss Shoux.

Boss Shoux? Very good.

-Ni hao, Boss Shoux.

-Ni hao, ni hao.

So, this is the car?

Yeah, that's the car.

It's not the most impressive car I've ever seen.

Ah, yeah, but I think it's a good one.

You think it's good? Let's have a look. OK.

OK, Boss Shoux. I like this.

In English, we call these go-faster stripes.

I mean I'll tell you what, Boss, the only thing I would say is that...

it is... Look at that. It is very dirty.

HE SPEAKS CHINESE

Oh, look at this.

-Try it.

-Can I have a go?

-Yeah.

-The key?

-Yeah.

-The key to my car.

-Go for it.

-Let's get in.

-It's arranged for somebody a lot smaller than me.

-You fit in there all right?

CAR ENGINE STARTS

That is sweet. It sounds good, yeah, it sounds good.

CAR ENGINE REVS

-You know what I haven't tested?

-Yeah?

I haven't tested the horn.

CAR HORN BEEPS

Small vans like this are known here as bread vans

because they're shaped like a loaf.

They're the workhorses of rural China,

transporting goods and people around the country.

So, it's a car wash. We're getting this little baby cleaned up.

I don't want Anita to be thinking that I'm driving around in some kind of bread van or something.

In a slightly more upmarket part of town,

I've met up with my guide, Li Li.

Right, thank you, Li Li. Right, which one is it?

-Where's my chariot?

-Here.

-That's it?

-What do you think?

-She's a black beauty, that's what I think.

-Yeah?

-Come on, let's check it out.

-Your key.

-Thank you. What is she? What does it say? What's that?

-Great Wall Vehicles.

-Great Wall? Is that good?

Yeah, it's good. That's the best producer of SUV in China.

The best? Only the best. All right, let's see what's she's got.

Wow. Some beige upholstery going on in here.

Let's get some windows open.

Electric windows. It's very comfortable.

I just think this trip's going to be pretty smooth.

Shanghai, here we come.

Great Wall is the biggest Chinese manufacturer of 4x4s or SUVs.

The Haval is their best seller.

I'm kind of veering into that lane, aren't I?

I must remember left-hand drive, left-hand drive.

Here we go. She's in a Great Wall, she's in China.

Oh, God.

OK. All right, let's do some lane crossing. What do you reckon?

Yeah, I reckon.

Sorry.

Five minutes into my first driving experience

and I totally drive into a railing.

Is it OK?

Everything's fine. Just a little scratch here.

Nothing to worry about. It's all right. It's fine.

Many of the menial jobs in Beijing are done by workers

who've migrated here from the countryside.

They live in a kind of limbo,

with no rights to permanent residency

and few welfare benefits

but their low wages fuel China's economic growth.

So, what is your name?

-Liu.

-Liu?

-Yeah.

-Liu? Hello, Liu.

-Oh, hello.

Hello, nice to meet you.

So, why is it good to come here to Beijing?

Because I thought migrant workers don't have the same rights,

like of residence and things, as people from Beijing.

Liu Shijie is one of more than 200 million people

who've moved from China's rural areas to its cities and factories in search of work.

It is the biggest migration in human history.

Just above the shop?

Liu Shijie lives in a dormitory above the car wash.

It couldn't be easier, could it?

OK.

So this is your room? Wow.

So, how often do you get home, you know, to go and see your family?

Then, otherwise you work every single day?

How much money do you earn?

-Yeah, so 2,000 per month?

-Yes.

So, that's like £200 a month, working every single day.

Do you keep all the money for yourself

or do you send some back to your family?

So you spend 500, save 500 and 1,000 to your family.

And how much difference does it make to your family?

While migrant workers live on just a few pounds a week,

China's new breed of super-rich have never had it so good.

China is now the fastest-growing market for Rolls-Royce, Bentley

and Lamborghini despite the huge import duties.

Before hitting the road, I want to check out some serious supercars.

Right, let's see how the other half live.

This is definitely the right place.

Look at these cars! Oh, my God!

-That is pretty blingtastic, isn't it?

-That looks great.

I've arranged to meet Jeff Sun and some fellow members of a very exclusive car club.

-Pleased to meet you. How are you? Good to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Anita.

So, here we have the Supercar Club of Beijing?

-You're buddies? You all hang out?

-Exactly, we're just a group of friends

and we do not discriminate against anybody or anyone.

Just so long as you've got a really expensive car?

-That's the only requirement.

-Well, yes, basically.

-Yeah, yeah.

-How many cars have you got, Jeff?

-Me myself? I haven't counted but I've got a couple.

Come on. You haven't counted? How many cars have you got?

-Tell me your cars.

-I've got a Lamborghini. I've got two Lamborghinis actually.

I've got two Ferraris, I've got the R8, the Audi R8, the Maserati.

-That's it. And I've got a Bentley.

-Oh, and a Bentley.

-And a Bentley.

-It's a British Bentley.

-Just a Bentley you add on at the end.

-That's it?

-Yeah, that's it.

-How old are you?

-I'm 28.

-You're 28?

-Exactly.

-And you have that many supercars?

-Yes.

-OK, what do you do?

-Oh, I'm actually in a real estate company.

-OK.

Yes. I'm an entrepreneur myself.

-Your company?

-My own.

And what do your parents think about how well you've done?

-Well, I actually inherited the company from my parents.

-OK.

-Yes.

-So, which is your ride, Jeff?

-This will be my ride.

-The Lamborghini?

-The Lamborghini.

-Yeah, this will do, this will do.

'Like many of China's super-rich, Jeff's family has made its money

'from the huge boom in property prices.'

Oh, it's beautiful. Oh, my God, it's like a spaceship.

All right. Whoo!

MUSIC: "For The Love Of Money" by The O'Jays

This car, Jeff, is beautiful and it smells really new.

It is a new car.

I bought it around four weeks ago.

And how much did this car cost?

Around 7.4 million.

7.4 million? So that's about, well, basically nearly a million pounds.

-Yes, basically.

-Yeah, basically.

ENGINE PURRS

-Oh, God, that noise.

-Yes.

Jeff, I really love this Lamborghini.

-Like, I am so comfortable right now.

-I'm I love with it too.

This is something I could really get used to.

It's the next day and time for our adventure to really begin.

On the outskirts of town

I'm meeting Justin to bid our final farewells.

-Justin?

-Listen, Anita, what are you laughing at?

-This thing.

-This is a serious vehicle.

It's like a Postman Pat van.

This is a bread van.

This is happy, it's got go-faster stripes.

-Look at this.

-Yes, what's wrong with that?

What? You cannot be serious?

This, Anita, is a workhorse, a Chinese workhorse.

How fast does it go?

It goes at least 80 kilometres an hour.

How big is the engine?

This is packing 1,000cc of raw Chinese power.

It's a one litre engine?

It's a one litre... Yeah, it's a one litre engine.

Come and look at this. How long have we had the car?

-I've had it one day, right?

-Yes.

-We parked it in the car park...

-What happened.

..and when we got back, look at that.

-Someone's driven into the back of it.

-Day one.

And we've already had a prang.

Now let's have a look at this monster.

Monster?

It's not... Yeah, it's not huge but it's impressive.

It's a bit of a beast compared to mine.

Yeah, look, listen, China - the bigger, the better.

Size matters in this country so you need something impressive.

-So, you're feeling good in your impressive...

-Yeah, come on.

I need people to know that I'm arriving

and have a good look at it. Just have a look around my baby.

Your tyres are twice the size of mine.

But, Justin, I've got a confession to make.

-Right, you know how someone drove into the back of yours?

-Yes.

-Check this out.

-Oh, my word.

-Look.

-Who did that?

-I did it.

-Oh, no.

I drove into a railing on day one.

That's bad. One day and already...

I was driving it for half an hour.

Ow! These will look like wrecks when they come back, won't they?

I must say I'm very confident about your ability to get there.

-I'm just a little bit more worried about mine.

-No, I'm not.

-I have faith in you and this mini bread van.

-And my bread van.

-Yes, I really do.

-Listen, best of luck.

Thank you, Justin.

-And I'll see you in three weeks.

-In Shanghai.

-4,000 miles to go.

-Go well.

THEY HONK THEIR HORNS

I'm heading out of Beijing on the Hong Kong expressway

towards the city of Baoding.

I'm surprised at how organised the expressways are.

Everyone's driving in lane, nobody's being too erratic.

Although I have just clocked a man walking along the intersection in the middle.

So there's still random mentalness happening on the roads of China.

China's massive network of motorways is now second only to America

and it's still growing.

In the last ten years

China has built about 50,000 miles worth of road,

which is more than any other country on the planet.

I don't feel like I'm in a developing country at all.

I feel like I'm in a first world nation.

But like much of China's new infrastructure,

the motorway network has been built on credit.

It's in debt to the tune of £230 billion.

Some economists worry

that this country might be overstretching itself.

My journey is taking me southwest

on the mighty Beijing to Tibet highway.

It's not long before we get our first glimpse of rural China.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting mountains. Bloody hell.

It looks like those paintings of China.

-Yeah.

-You know the ancient paintings?

-Yeah.

The Great Wall Of China was constructed to keep out the barbarian hoards from the north.

The Great Wall going to be on the mountain.

Of course, it snakes up the side of the mountains, doesn't it?

Now I'm quite excited.

Look at that! Now that is classic. That's what everyone sees, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-This is the really classic Great Wall.

Baoding is a relatively small city by Chinese standards

but it's an economic powerhouse

specialising in high-tech manufacturing.

I've stopped here for a specific reason.

This is the headquarters of Great Wall and the birthplace of my car.

China produced over 18 million vehicles last year,

more than America and Japan combined.

It also manufactures many of the parts for other cars

built around the world.

Great Wall Motors is a typical Chinese success story.

Hardly known outside China,

they only started making cars ten years ago.

They're now the biggest manufacturer of 4x4s or SUVs in the country.

Shi Qingke works in the International Sales Division.

Mr Shi, you've worked for Great Wall for ten years.

How have you seen the company change in that time?

So, how is it competing with foreign brands because I notice that

on the streets of Beijing and even in here in Baoding, it's Volkswagen,

Audi, Land Rover, Mercedes, you name it, but it's not Chinese?

Step by step?

So what's the dream for this company, Great Wall,

where are they heading to next? What do they want to achieve?

We've been driving for ten hours

and Qiao and I are now in the heart of rural China,

where the Great Wall meets the Yellow River in Kanshi province.

It's just a few hundred miles from Beijing

but it might as well be a different planet.

There are no cars on the roads

and many of the villagers out here live in cave houses -

a lifestyle that's hardly changed for thousands of years.

-This is my friend's place.

-It's your friend's place?

-Yes.

This is Xancov.

Hello, hello, very nice to meet you.

It's spring and the planting season in China

and I'm joining farmer Wang Guisheng

ploughing his cornfields with the only technology available round here.

As well as farming, Mr Wang has to take whatever casual work he can get as a migrant labourer.

So, Mr Wang, why do you need to go and work in the city?

Mr Wang, is this your donkey?

You borrowed it or you hired the donkey?

The villagers here are so poor

that one donkey is shared by more than a dozen households.

But in China

more than 700 million people live in the countryside

and, according to the official figures,

126 million of them are in abject poverty

and lots of people think that's actually an underestimate.

It could be 250 million. A quarter of a billion people in poverty.

China may have become a great economic power

but it is actually still a desperately poor nation.

Per head, it's poorer than Bulgaria and Jamaica.

From Xianxi, I'm heading towards Inner Mongolia -

a vast region that spans the Gobi Desert.

And from Baoding, I'm cruising 140 miles down the motorway

to Dezhou, China's self-styled Solar Valley.

-This is some traffic jam.

-Yes.

-They're unloading some coal.

-These are coal trucks? Wow.

My God.

It's like a very long queue.

Oh, yeah, it's massive.

Oh, man, we could be here for a long, long time.

LORRY HORN BEEPS

Jesus, this is, I think, the worst traffic jam

I have ever been in and the entire thing is coal trucks.

I mean, this just shows you China's incredible dependence on coal.

It is the biggest producer

and the biggest importer of coal in the world,

something like over 70% of China's electricity

comes from the black stuff, comes from coal.

And look at the chaos it's creating on the roads.

With daylight fading and still some distance to go,

I decide to take my life in my hands.

-Oh my, we're on the wrong side of the central reservation here.

-Yes.

See, I wouldn't want to be hit by one of those.

LORRY HORNS BLARE

Yeah, that's just loud, isn't it?

-Somebody has rammed into the side of that van.

-Yeah.

-All the windscreen's shattered.

-Yeah.

Oh, that's better.

-So, a lot of the problem was that...

-Yes, the accident.

Inner Mongolia is the heart of China's coal country.

Close to a billion tons a year are taken from Mongolian mines,

helping to make China the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Two hours from Baoding,

my journey has brought me to the city of Dezhou.

It's not very clear. You cannot see the sunshine.

Yeah, there is no sunshine but do you know what, Li Li?

I haven't seen any blue sky since I got to China.

It's really hazy, it's really smoggy

and that's just because of the amount of fuel that's pumped out of these cars, industry,

the amount of coal that's used.

So it's so refreshing to come to a city like Dezhou

and see so many solar panels.

Our solar-powered god of good fortune

is going to feel right at home here.

With levels of greenhouse gas emissions still growing at a colossal rate,

China has begun to recognise the need to combat global warming.

And, just like everything else, they are doing it on a giant scale.

This is quite amazing.

So even the street lights have solar panels,

the traffic lights have solar panels.

It really feels like we're in a city of the future.

Dezhou even has a solar-powered hotel.

-Ni hao.

-Ni hao.

-Hello, pleased to meet you.

-Welcome to Solar Valley Hotel.

-Thank you, and I get a gift.

-Yeah, it's a gift. It's a hat.

-A hat?

-It can keep you cool.

-Keep me cool?

-Yeah.

-It's got a fan.

Two solar panels and a little fan to keep me cool.

And I think that is pretty cool, don't you?

Xie xie. Thank you. Right, let's test this hat out.

Now we're talking. I'm going to try and get it... Put it on my head.

Hats are always too big for me. It's not working yet though, is it? Not much sun around.

I need to point it towards the sun.

Oh, I'm very hot.

If only I had a hat that could keep me cool. It's going!

SHE LAUGHS

What a brilliant idea.

Justin's going to be so jealous of me. So jealous.

Dezhou's Solar Valley is the vision of one man -

multi-millionaire green entrepreneur Huang Ming.

Mr Huang. Ni hao. Pleased to meet you.

-Are we going to go for a tour of the Solar Valley?

-Yeah.

-Your creation?

-Very good.

-After you, please.

-OK.

-Thank you.

Mr Huang is taking me on a tour of his plant

in a solar-powered golf buggy.

His company Himin is the biggest producer of solar water heaters in the world

and has been the inspiration for many other clean energy companies here in Dezhou.

What inspired you to start Solar Valley?

All this began with the birth of my daughter.

After her birth I felt guilty

because the next generation and the daughter of my daughter

will have no oil even no coal.

They will go back to the ancient times.

They cannot survive, so I thought I have to change something.

We have promoted 300 million square metres of solar water heaters

all over China, including a lot of our colleague companies.

But isn't it just a dip in the ocean though?

I mean, the dependency of China on carbon-based fossil fuels.

Yes, we want to solve this problem.

First, we want to build this new town, this Solar Valley,

as a carbon-free, mineral resource-free example.

China is one of the world's biggest investors in renewable energy.

Its one-party government means it can force through green policies.

But with millions of new cars flooding onto the roads every year

and more and more coal burned for electricity,

it's hard to see what real impact these green policies will have.

Even if the solar-heated pool is a great innovation.

I'm really impressed with what I've seen here

and maybe it is a vision of the future

but it's barely scratching the surface.

China still has a long way to go.

My trusty bread van

has brought me to Ordos,

the coal capital of Inner Mongolia.

This was the land of the Mongolian warrior king Genghis Khan,

who conquered China and founded a great dynasty.

Ordos has changed somewhat since his day.

Coal has made its residents the richest in China

and locals have invested their profits

in a gleaming new city next door called Kangbashi.

I never thought Ordos would be like this.

I thought Inner Mongolia would be like a little bit countryside.

That's probably why they've built it,

-because they want to address those kind of attitudes.

-Yes.

But maybe they've got a bit carried away with it.

That's a great building.

I never imagined a city like this.

I think it's better than Beijing.

-Yeah, it's what it's like if you start a city afresh.

-Yeah.

Kangbashi even has its own brand-spanking-new

Mongolian-themed racetrack.

That looks like an airport or something.

It's incredible, it's huge.

We've arranged to meet racetrack manager Hu Lianghuai.

-This is absolutely incredible.

-Ni hao.

-Ni hao.

This is... Mr Hu, this is an AMAZING stadium.

Yes, let's have a look. That sounds fantastic. Come on, let's go look.

So, this is the stadium from the other side and we can see the seats

and this is the track, yes?

So, we're actually standing on the racetrack?

I've got a question for you, Mr Hu.

Do you do a class of racing for bread vans?

What is the fastest lap time on the track?

So, I need to go faster than 1:52. Do you think I can do it?

All right, here we go. Hey, thank you.

-It's a tough challenge. Right, Qiao?

-Yeah.

I want you to take the time.

This could be an important track record, so...

Yes, I've got my stopwatch ready.

Ready to go.

MUSIC: "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac

ENGINE REVS

TYRES SCREECH

Right, it's up to 80kmph. Come on, come on, baby. Come on!

Slide to fifth.

Not bad. Oh, my days, we're going fast.

Whoo!

Whoo!

TYRES SCREECH

Not bad, not bad, you got 3:24.

3:24? That's not bad.

But for all its wealth and amazing facilities,

Kangbashi seems strangely deserted.

It just looks completely empty.

They're kind of like skeletons of buildings,

a sort of skeleton of a town.

The city was designed as an advert

for the new, wealthy China

but its fate may be a warning that all is not quite as rosy

as the government here wants us to believe.

Erin Zhang works for a PR company

that promotes some of the city's projects.

-Erin, this is a really impressive city. Everything is excellent.

-Yes.

But one thing I notice here is... How shall I put this?

-..there aren't that many people around.

-Yeah.

-You know, you look at it, there aren't that many people.

-Yeah, yeah.

This city also has a nickname called Ghost City.

It's a new city.

But, you know, in China there's a big worry,

like, people outside China look at China and they worry

that there's this real estate boom, you know,

the prices of property are becoming very expensive.

And that happened in Beijing and in Shanghai

-and here in Kangbashi, prices are very high.

-Yeah.

And there's a worry that that real estate bubble will burst

and it'll be over and property prices will fall.

Do you think that will happen in Kangbashi?

-I guess it's... It already happened.

-It's already happened?

And does that worry people locally?

No, because local people, they are rich.

Every family has two or three houses here.

-They don't have to worry?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And it's good for us because we can afford a house finally.

But what about this Ghost City thing? Do you think it will...?

It needs some time but the ghost will be gone.

-The ghost will be gone, be driven out of Kangbashi?

-Yes.

-Excellent.

But Kangbashi was designed to house a million people,

yet just a fraction of that number now live here.

The speculators who built it face losing billions.

This property bubble is mirrored across the country.

If it bursts, China could experience an economic slump

which would have huge implications for entire world.

I'm now nearly halfway through my journey.

I'm heading for the city of Jinan in Shandong province,

on my way to one of the most spectacular tourist destinations in China.

But, first, it's time for a pit stop.

Right, Li Li, let's pull over at the service station and get a coffee

because I am feeling peckish.

Looks pretty neat to me.

Very swanky. Very new. After you.

And what have we got here, Li Li? Is this normal?

Is this normal to have a weapons section?

Li Li? Why would anyone have that?

That is not an ornament. The only reason to have something like...

For a beautiful girl to protect herself.

Oh, right, yeah. For a girl to protect herself.

Maybe we could do with one then, in that case. Two girls on the road.

Let's get some snacks. What do they sell here?

OK, these are all right. Coffee beans, some peanuts, spicy crisps.

-Oh, Li Li.

-Would you like to try this?

What the...? What is that?!

-Just try.

-Why, why would you have?

Well, it's a different flavour and it's very hard to eat it

-but it's really delicious.

-Do you think I should try it?

-Yes.

-I'm going to try chicken's foot.

That is just the weirdest thing.

What do I eat? Just the skin?

Not the bones.

Lightly pull it with your teeth.

Work on that. Dun-dun-dun.

Nibble on it like this?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Getting good?

I'm getting good.

I can't actually see it right now.

It's as soon as you look at it, it puts you right off.

-Are you OK?

-It's not that bad.

SHE LAUGHS

It's evening by the time we reach Jinan, en route to one of the wonders of China.

Get out of the way!

Come on!

CAR HORN BEEPS

Mr Xie? Ni hao.

-Good morning.

-Good morning. Anita. Pleased to meet you.

Welcome to Shandong.

Thank you, thank you, I'm ready for this holiday.

China's new middle classes now have more disposable income

and leisure time on their hands.

Every year around 25 million people take their very first holiday.

Is that where we're going? Tai'an?

It looks beautiful.

And more and more of these tourists are choosing to

explore their country by car.

Number 16, that's us. That's it. We're good to go.

I'm joining 15 Chinese families on a self-drive excursion to Mount Tai,

one of China's sacred mountains.

The tour leader is Xie Yingmin.

And what's the appeal of this type of self-drive holiday,

where you join a convoy with strangers to go away?

-VOICE COMES OVER WALKIE-TALKIE

-Who's that, number one?

Is that number one?

-'Hello.'

-Hello.

'Everybody. It's our pleasure to join this Taishan travel.'

Excellent. She speaks English.

'And it is our pleasure to meet with BBC broadcast workers.'

Mount Tai holds a unique place in Chinese history.

Its many temples and supreme beauty

have made it a destination for artists,

scholars and pilgrims over the centuries.

It now attracts over 4.5 million

newly-mobile Chinese tourists every year.

-Hello, ladies. Hi. What's your car number?

-Oh, we have car number ten.

Car number ten?

So, why come to this mountain? What's the reason to come here?

Just to have some fun because we're from Shandong

but I have never been to Mountain Tai, so it's my first time.

And why is this mountain special? Why do you want to come here?

It's the highest mountain in the east of China.

Do you drive?

I drove very little but I can drive.

-You can, you've passed your test?

-Yes.

-So, do you want a car?

Yes. I have bought a car and it's coming this weekend.

-This weekend?

-Yes.

-What car are you getting?

-It's the same as my uncle.

-A VW Touran?

-Yes.

-That's quite a big car.

-You're going to have a huge car.

-I love huge cars.

Why not?

After a seemingly endless climb,

Li Li and I have almost reached the summit of Mount Tai.

-Come on, Li Li, last few steps.

-Yes.

And why do people slog all the way up here?

It's a kind of pilgrimage because there's a temple at the very top.

Many of the tourists are still interested

In the sacred aspects of Mount Tai.

For decades,

China's Communist government suppressed religious worship

but now most religions are tolerated.

Yes, I'm really surprised at how much spirituality and religion

I'm coming across in China. Are the Chinese very religious people?

I think so because China has so many years of history.

I'm practising a religion.

Are you? What's your religion?

-Buddhism.

-So, you're a Buddhist?

And it's encouraged? Or is it just tolerated? I mean...

Well, it's just like it's your own choice.

But freedom of religion in China only goes so far.

When religion is linked to politics

or questions the authority of the Communist Party,

it can still be ruthlessly suppressed.

My next stop is Yan'an,

famous throughout China as the cradle of the revolution

that brought Communist rule to the country.

We're arriving at the walled compound

where Mao Zedong and his Communist comrades

plotted the fall of the Nationalist government of China.

Today, Mao's cave house is a popular tourist attraction.

The heart of the revolution.

Well, look at this.

This map of China. Oh, OK, here.

-Oh, there he is. This is Mao.

-Yes.

-And that's the same map, isn't it?

-Yes.

So can I sit here? I can sit here?

Check it out. This is where Chairman Mao sat.

Oh, look at this. Do some calligraphy.

Is that about right?

The birth of the People's Republic Of China

was a long, complex and bloody struggle.

From the 1920s Mao Zedong

and his Communist guerrillas fought the Nationalist forces.

Mao finally emerged victorious from this civil war,

driving the Nationalists out of mainland China in 1949.

So-called "red tourism" has become increasingly popular.

The ruling Communist Party, despite its blatant capitalism,

still promotes the legend of Chairman Mao

to help legitimise its rule over the country.

Here, there's a daily re-enactment of a civil war battle

between the Communists and the Nationalists.

Tourists are sometimes allowed to take part.

There's a nurse over here. So if I get injured... Oh!

You look after me, yeah?

I'm glad to have a nurse on hand. You know, there could be some tough, close fighting in this, I think.

Sir? Sir?

Can I put a uniform on?

'The drama depicts an attack by the Nationalist government forces

'on the Communists in Yan'an.'

I want to be an officer. How's that?

This is a Nationalist uniform? These are the baddies.

Oh, you want me to be a Communist? You know, if I must.

-Oh, look at this.

-Yes, they want you to be a Communist.

That's better, that's better. How's that? Look good?

Let's go.

-Shall we get changed? Are you going to get changed? Qiao? You've to get a uniform.

-Yes.

-Eh? It's pretty good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-You really look the part.

-You know, you could be fighting for freedom. Eh?

-Yes.

-Think about it.

-Yeah.

-What do you think?

-Pretty awesome.

The re-enactment has a cast of hundreds,

including the star of the show.

Chairman?

Ni hao. What's comrade?

-Tongzhi.

-Ni hao, tongzhi. Ni hao, tongzhi.

We have a new soldier. I will fight for you, Chairman.

QIAO TRANSLATES

I will fight for you, Great Helmsman.

Ni hao. Xie xie.

I'll tell you what, there's quite a big audience. Look at that.

Despite the abuses that have happened during communist rule,

many Chinese people idealise the early days of the revolution.

Perhaps it provides a contrast to the inequality

that characterises so much of today's China.

EXPLOSIONS

AIR RAID SIREN BLARES

We're going to protect the party, protect the people.

Oh, we'll protect the people? OK.

GUNFIRE AND EXPLOSIONS

Oh, my God. He's used a real one.

Oh, oh, he's dead.

Arrggh! Come on, you running dogs!

One Communist tradition that does survive

is a selective attitude to history.

In reality, rather than a heroic victory,

Mao and his generals staged a rather tactical retreat

from the Nationalist advance on Yunnan.

Victory was eventually theirs two years later,

when Mao became the first ruler of the People's Republic Of China in 1949.

But neither the tourists nor the organisers

of this very popular attraction

are letting the facts get in the way of a good story.

But just how much has life really changed

for rural farmers here since the revolution?

Just a few miles up the road is the hamlet of Lao Shitougou -

literally Old Stone village.

I'm meeting Zhao Xuecheng who is old enough to remember Mao's struggle.

Ah, the grindstone.

So, what have we got here, Mr Zhao?

It's over 60 years since the revolution

but it's almost as if time has stood still here.

People still largely subsist on a diet of millet, corn and vegetables.

A bit of labour.

Mr Zhao?

Don't you have a donkey or something to do this?

A mao lu?

I'm the mao lu?

You're saying I'm your mao lu,

I'm your donkey?

After my exertions at the grindstone,

Mr Zhao invited me to share a meal with him in his cave house

dug into the hillside.

Ah, thank you. Thank you very much. OK?

Wow, look at this.

This is my first meal in a cave house, Mr Zhao.

What are we having for dinner tonight?

Sounds delicious.

Wild vegetable and it's a cabbage with...

Mmm!

That is really lovely. Thank you very much.

Do you remember the days

when Chairman Mao was living just down the road here?

Zhou Eniai, the Premier of all China?

So has much changed since those days

when Chairman Mao lived just ten minutes down the road?

Meat three times a month seems like a rather modest return

from a revolution fought in the name of the rural poor.

But China is pulling millions of its people out of poverty.

The extent to which that change will reach areas like this

is perhaps the biggest test facing the country.

At the end of a long day on Mount Tai,

I'm having dinner at a local restaurant

with some of my new friends from the self-drive holiday.

Halfway through our trip,

it seems like a good time to catch up with Justin.

-Hello.

-Hello, Justin.

-Hey, Anita, how's it going?

Very well. I'm on a Chinese holiday.

-In fact, some of my friends want to say hello to you.

-Hello, Justin.

So, what are you eating? Are you having a meal?

I'm about to have a delicious Chinese banquet.

I've got a cold beer in front of me.

How about you? Where are you?

We are in a cave house just a couple of doors down

from where Chairman Mao plotted the revolution.

I have seen no obvious signs of communism here.

It feels like it's a consumer capitalist nation,

as far as I can tell.

It couldn't be more different here.

There's still incredible poverty in China.

But it has been an absolutely incredible journey.

It has, and we're only halfway through it.

I'll see you in Shanghai.

See you in Shanghai. Bye.

Next week, I'll be getting to grips

with one of the most treacherous roads in China.

There's some steep drops down there. If we came over the edge,

we would be toast.

And I'll be finding out how a new generation of wealthy Chinese

is splashing out on wheels for their weddings.

-Love?

-Yes.

It says it all. Written in English?

Yeah.

If you'd like to learn the basics of Mandarin

and find out more about Chinese culture, then go to...

and follow the links to the Open University's free learning website.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd