0:00:02 > 0:00:06This programme contains scenes of Repetitive Flashing Images.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Welcome to China.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13We are here at the Snow And Ice Festival
0:00:13 > 0:00:17in the northern city of Harbin, where many families come
0:00:17 > 0:00:20to start their celebrations of Chinese New Year.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25This time of year sees the largest annual mass migration of people on
0:00:25 > 0:00:29the planet, when a sixth of the worlds population travels home
0:00:29 > 0:00:32to celebrate with their families.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34That's around a billion people
0:00:34 > 0:00:38making over three and a half billion journeys in a 40 day period.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Join us over the next three nights, as we'll be finding out
0:00:46 > 0:00:48what it's like to be at the world's biggest party.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Yes, get your party poppers ready, here's what's coming up.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Three, two, one, go!
0:00:54 > 0:00:59Over the next three nights we'll be based here in icy Harbin,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and way down south in tropical Hong Kong,
0:01:02 > 0:01:08exploring how the Chinese experience the most important festival in their calendar.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10It's like watching a magic trick.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13We'll uncover this extraordinary annual event
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and experience the richness of Chinese culture.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Whoa, whoa, we're pulling it out, we're pulling it out.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20Sorry!
0:01:20 > 0:01:23From how families prepare for festivities...
0:01:24 > 0:01:27..to the celebrations on the day itself.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Across the series, I'll be focusing on
0:01:30 > 0:01:33New Year technology and traditions.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Happy New Year. Ganbei.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39I'll discover the amazing way
0:01:39 > 0:01:42that rural China used to celebrate New Year.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49And tonight the Hairy Bikers will be helping out at the world's largest
0:01:49 > 0:01:51motor bike migration.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Let's see if we can cut the congee.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55HE SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Happy New Year!
0:01:58 > 0:02:02And I will be journeying to the remotest corner of south-west China
0:02:02 > 0:02:08to track down a living, breathing symbol of New Year 2016...
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Oh, my goodness!
0:02:10 > 0:02:11..the Year of the Monkey.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Xinnian kuaile! Welcome to China.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20- BOTH:- Xinnian kuaile! - Xinnian kuaile!- Xinnian kuaile!
0:02:20 > 0:02:22- ALL:- Xinnian kuaile!
0:02:22 > 0:02:24- ALL:- Xinnian kuaile!
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Happy Chinese New Year!
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, or Chun Jie.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56- Is that the right pronunciation? - Close enough.- OK. Thanks.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58It lasts 15 days and it's the
0:02:58 > 0:03:00most important holiday in the Chinese calendar.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03The start of the festival falls on a different day in either
0:03:03 > 0:03:06January or February and it's dictated by the lunar calendar,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09with New Year's Day 2016 falling on February 8th.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13And in the run-up to it, the whole country is on the move,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16seeing the sights and travelling home to be with their families.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17China is truly vast.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21You can fly for six and a half hours and still be in the same country.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Harbin is in the north-eastern corner of this huge country,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29that's home to 1.3 billion people.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36As well as having some of the fastest-growing modern cities,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39the landscapes are truly diverse.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43They range from vast deserts to expansive grasslands,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46tropical jungles and the highest mountain range in the world.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52China's written history dates back
0:03:52 > 0:03:57over 3,000 years and through the reigns of over 500 emperors.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04Its economy is the largest on Earth and it makes and exports more goods
0:04:04 > 0:04:06than anywhere else on the globe.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Chinese food is as rich and varied as any on Earth,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16with thousands of dishes to choose from, all cooked in a variety
0:04:16 > 0:04:19of ways using a host of different ingredients grown right across
0:04:19 > 0:04:21this vast nation.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28And it's changing astonishingly fast. By 2030 it's estimated
0:04:28 > 0:04:30that 1 billion people will be living in Chinese cities -
0:04:30 > 0:04:32just like here in Beijing.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Many of these new people flocking to the cities were migrant workers in
0:04:38 > 0:04:41search of a better life for themselves and their families.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47And at Chinese New Year, the modern
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and the traditional
0:04:49 > 0:04:53are brought together as the Chinese prepare for a celebration even older
0:04:53 > 0:04:55than the Great Wall itself.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02The Great Wall of China snakes for over 5,000 miles
0:05:02 > 0:05:05across Northern and Western China.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08And the oldest parts date back over 2,500 years.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12This is Harbin's great ice wall.
0:05:12 > 0:05:17Not quite as long at 450 metres, and sadly not as enduring, either.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20When the thaw comes this will be transformed
0:05:20 > 0:05:22into the great puddle of China!
0:05:25 > 0:05:28As the day goes on this place will start to fill up.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Queues for attractions here can last up to three hours,
0:05:31 > 0:05:32but that's nothing compared to the pressure
0:05:32 > 0:05:34on the Chinese transport system,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37when around a billion people want to travel home for New Year,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and all at the same time.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42The Chinese have a phrase for it - Chunyun -
0:05:42 > 0:05:46which translates as spring migration.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49We went to Beijing to find out how they cope with the biggest movement
0:05:49 > 0:05:50of people on Earth.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Beijing is one of the most densely populated cities on the planet.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Around 21 million people live and work here, but at Chinese New Year
0:06:04 > 0:06:05millions flood out of the city
0:06:05 > 0:06:08and head to their home towns across China.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15The total number of trips made by road in China in and around New Year
0:06:15 > 0:06:18is an eye watering 3.2 billion.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21And a lot of them are made in this very city of Beijing.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23And like cabbies all over the world,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25my taxi driver, Ma Yingqi, enjoys a
0:06:25 > 0:06:28good old moan about the city's traffic.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30TRANSLATION:
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Managing this flow of vehicles takes a huge amount of technology.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52This state-of-the-art monitoring hub
0:06:52 > 0:06:55is the responsibility of Gongsun Lin.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57The traffic is very, very busy.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00It's busier than Shanghai or Chonqing,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and because we have a really big rural network,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07it's a very big job moving all the persons to their home town.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14The roads are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Seven days. Everyday we have to be here.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20And it's cabs, like the one I'm in,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23that provide the data needed to keep the traffic flowing.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27You have 67,000 taxis in Beijing,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31and every one of them equipped with GPS.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Every 30 seconds each taxi relays its position and speed back to the
0:07:35 > 0:07:39control room. This information helps to construct an overall picture of
0:07:39 > 0:07:42the city's traffic flow in real-time.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45HORN HONKS, HE LAUGHS
0:07:45 > 0:07:48The data can then be used to let drivers know where the hotspots are
0:07:48 > 0:07:51so they can try to avoid the jams.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55TRANSLATION:
0:08:11 > 0:08:12We're getting nowhere.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19For those who want to travel further afield for Chinese New Year,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22there's another option - they fly.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Across China
0:08:24 > 0:08:28a staggering 54 million trips are by air during the Festival.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33This is Beijing Capital Airport.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37And it is always busy, but during Spring Festival
0:08:37 > 0:08:40this becomes the busiest airport in the world.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43As you can see, it feels like the whole country is on the move.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48During the New Year rush, almost 10 million people pass through
0:08:48 > 0:08:51this airport, mostly flying home to China.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Li Tongyu lives in Surrey.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58She is preparing to fly to Beijing with her family.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02We haven't been spending Chinese New Year with my family back in China
0:09:02 > 0:09:04for about nine years now.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09Mary, my eldest daughter, was only three years old and little Harry
0:09:09 > 0:09:13not even born yet. So I think it will be a great opportunity for them
0:09:13 > 0:09:15to experience the whole thing.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- Hello. - Hello.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24I have one elder brother in Beijing, along with my parents.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29And particularly at the Chinese New Year's celebration time
0:09:29 > 0:09:32is the most time we miss them.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Hello!
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Especially when your parent's not well, like my father,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42been struggling with Parkinson's,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and it has been quite difficult.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50My father always miss me, especially in the Chinese New Year.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53So this time, I think, will make him extremely happy.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58There's me. And we did, like, the long hair, kind of...
0:09:58 > 0:10:00In traditional Chinese family,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03having a family portrait is very important,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06so this year I'm going to give my father a surprise.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10We are going to have the children draw a portrait,
0:10:10 > 0:10:15and that will be a big surprise for them. It will be wonderful.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23- JING:- Meanwhile, over 250 million rail journeys are made across China
0:10:23 > 0:10:24during the festival.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29Last year, 5.6 million rail tickets were sold in a single day.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37One of the busiest stations in the country is Beijing West.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39In the fortnight leading up to New Year's Eve,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42over three million people will pass through these ticket barriers
0:10:42 > 0:10:47to get a train from here. That's over 200,000 people a day!
0:10:48 > 0:10:51For some, the days they take off now
0:10:51 > 0:10:55are the only holiday they get all year, so they are prepared to travel
0:10:55 > 0:10:59a long way for a long time to get home.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02TRANSLATION:
0:11:13 > 0:11:15He's got a 16-hour journey!
0:11:17 > 0:11:18I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21He's going to get on a train for 31 hours!
0:11:23 > 0:11:27With so many people on the move, things can get complicated,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30especially when the weather intervenes.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34This year, Chinese television reported queues of up to 100,000
0:11:34 > 0:11:39people at Guangdong train station when heavy snow caused delays.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44To keep everything running smoothly requires precision organisation.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Compared to the bustle outside,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50the Railway Bureau Control Centre is an oasis of calm.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54This place is incredible. It is huge.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57I feel like I'm in the control room of Apollo 13.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00And you can see that everyone is so focused,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04and the concentration, I can feel the buzz in the room.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05Because I guess they have to.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08They are ultimately responsible for every train that passes through.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14In charge of keeping the system moving is this man.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16TRANSLATION:
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The station also takes on an extra 1,000 workers on the ground
0:13:05 > 0:13:08to help ease the load. There's one group which is easy to spot
0:13:08 > 0:13:11by the way they're always shifting suitcases.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13TRANSLATION:
0:13:15 > 0:13:19One familiar sight to anyone who uses Beijing rail is the Red Caps.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Their job is to help people load their luggage onto trains,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and at this time of year, with everyone bearing gifts,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29they've truly got their work cut out for them.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32TRANSLATION:
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Oh, that's so sad! Makes me cry.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Oh! He really misses his home!
0:14:04 > 0:14:08I'll let him get back to it. I think I'm adding to his workload.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Back at Beijing Airport,
0:14:15 > 0:14:20the concourse is full of arriving passengers and waiting families.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22There is the most amazing atmosphere down here.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It's just full of kind of anticipation and excitement.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30I'm surrounded by people who are being reunited with their families,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and there are just these lovely scenes happening all around me,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36sort of tiny little dramas of people coming together.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39It's just lovely.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The parents and brother of Li Tongyu,
0:14:42 > 0:14:47who's travelled from Surrey, are waiting for her flight to land.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50TRANSLATION:
0:15:29 > 0:15:31A monkey.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34You like this?
0:15:34 > 0:15:35That's for you!
0:15:37 > 0:15:40The children present their special surprise.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Well, this is certainly one family
0:16:01 > 0:16:03that's going to have a very, very happy New Year.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11It is astonishing, isn't it?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14The lengths that people will go to, to be with their family.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- A lot of people.- I don't think I've ever seen so many people in my life.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20But what about Chinese families in the UK, for example,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22like your family? Will you make a big effort to be together?
0:16:22 > 0:16:25We make an effort, but nothing on that kind of scale because we are in
0:16:25 > 0:16:27the UK and there's no holidays.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Of course, yeah. So you don't get your 15 days off?
0:16:30 > 0:16:32No, we don't. I've tried, but, yeah,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- I've had a word and they're not buying it.- So what will you do?
0:16:35 > 0:16:38I go home. My parents cook a shed-load of food and I eat it.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- Perfect.- Yeah.- Well, as we said right at the top of the show,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47this extraordinary ice city is built from scratch every single year,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50and Ant has been finding out how it all began.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57In Harbin,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01the winter temperatures drop as low as -30 degrees centigrade.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07But for the people who live here,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09this frozen world is just a way of life.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Tucked away in the frozen north-east of China,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Harbin was originally a tiny rural settlement.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Until the railways arrived.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26The Chinese Eastern Railway
0:17:26 > 0:17:29connected eastern Siberia, via Harbin, to Russia.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37It transformed the city
0:17:37 > 0:17:41into the beating heart of commerce and industry in this region.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46And the Russian connection is everywhere.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56The people who built the railways and settled here
0:17:56 > 0:17:59were made of pretty strong stuff. Looking around, I'm the only one
0:17:59 > 0:18:01that's quite so kitted up for the cold.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Even the kids here, they look hardier than me.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08The people here aren't just surviving.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10They've embraced the sub-zero temperatures.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14In fact, five million people are happy to call Harbin their home.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18By far and away the most extreme example of this city's passion
0:18:18 > 0:18:21for the cold is the local tradition of ice swimming.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30With an average temperature of -13 degrees outside,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32this is a showcase for the strong physique
0:18:32 > 0:18:35and the iron will of the Harbin locals.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42INDISTINCT CHATTER
0:18:47 > 0:18:51During the winter months, these brave swimmers head to the river
0:18:51 > 0:18:54to take a plunge in this special pool cut out of the ice.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55It's a truly local pastime.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- OK!- The river water is a painful 1 degree Celsius.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Without these motors to keep the water constantly moving,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08it's would simply freeze over.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12This isn't the type of pool you want to take a relaxing dip in.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Just for a second, if I take my glove off, put my whole hand in...
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Ah! I can assure you, that is absolutely freezing!
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Phew!
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Some of the regulars have been coming here for over 20 years.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Mr Yu, why do you do this?
0:19:31 > 0:19:33TRANSLATION:
0:19:35 > 0:19:36Stretches.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Definitely.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44Oh, my God!
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Yeah. Ni hao.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Even if I was tempted to take the plunge - and I assure you I'm not -
0:19:57 > 0:19:59jumping into the water unacclimatized,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02I'd run the risk of a heart attack.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- LAUGHING:- What is going on?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14It's bonkers!
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Incredibly, the average age here is 70.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24TRANSLATION:
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Ice swimming is more about resilience than, shall we say,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37graceful technique.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44TRANSLATION:
0:20:50 > 0:20:52But this icy river isn't just for extreme sports.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00All the building materials for the festival at Harbin
0:21:00 > 0:21:04are taken from this spot to create the city of ice.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13In just one week, 8,000 workers cut out the 180,000 cubic metres
0:21:13 > 0:21:15of ice needed.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26It's only when you get closer you realise just how thick this ice is.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28That's around 20 inches.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32This is a proper construction project on an industrial scale.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38For nearly 60 years, this humble patch of earth on the outskirts
0:21:38 > 0:21:41of town has been transformed into a frozen fantasyland.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49125,000 tonnes of ice is cut,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52shifted and painstakingly crafted.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04In just three weeks, an entire city has emerged,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and here it is in all its frosty glory.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Every year there's a different theme
0:22:13 > 0:22:15reflecting on a period of Chinese history.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19And this year it's the Silk Road.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24The Silk Road was an ancient trade route
0:22:24 > 0:22:26linking China to the Mediterranean Sea.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Dating from the 2nd century BC,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Chinese merchants used to use it to unite the East and the West.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Looking back to the past has long been a part of Chinese culture.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51This is a Chinese tower, inspired by the Pavilion of Prince Teng,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53it's a classic Chinese design
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and it's built to represent the country where the Silk Road began.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Over here in the distance, the Hagia Sophia of Istanbul.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03It's a Byzantine masterpiece in ice.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Now, slightly off-track but over here in the distance,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10a nod to our Russian neighbours.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15This ice version of the cathedral from Moscow's Red Square
0:23:15 > 0:23:18by the Kremlin towers 34 metres high.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27But typically for the people of Harbin,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31this festival goes from extreme beauty to extreme adrenaline.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Take a look down there. 320 metres.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45You do about 10 metres a second,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47which puts it into Olympic sprinter territory.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51- Ha-ha!- And speaking of sprinters... - Here you are.- Humble.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52We're going to have a race, what do you think?
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- I think you're going to come second, so prepare that silver medal.- No!
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Not so fast. - I'm not losing this.- Ready...
0:23:59 > 0:24:03- OK, you say go.- Three, two, one. Go!
0:24:03 > 0:24:05- Whoohoo!- Go on!
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Whoo-hoo-hoo!
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Winner!
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Oh, you're not even close.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29It's cos you've been eating so many dumplings!
0:24:32 > 0:24:33Oh, this is easy.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Now, this festival is all about celebration,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41with people here up for as much fun as possible.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45And that's the spirit of Chinese New Year.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Days off here are truly precious, with public official holidays
0:24:48 > 0:24:51being the only time most people get off away from work,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55and one family making the most of it are the Hans.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- Hello.- ALL: Hello! Ni hao!
0:24:57 > 0:24:58TRANSLATION:
0:25:01 > 0:25:02They're from Nantong.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39They have never in their whole history
0:25:39 > 0:25:41not gone home for Chinese New Year.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43They've always celebrated together.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Well, thank you so much for talking with us today. Are you guys ready?
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Well, inevitably, Ant has been busy and has organised and ice tug-of-war
0:25:58 > 0:26:00and asked me to be ref. So, is everybody ready?
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- Ready!- You ready, that side? - Ready?- Ready, that side?
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Three, two, one, pull!
0:26:10 > 0:26:13And as Ant takes on the locals, we're going to take you
0:26:13 > 0:26:17on one of the spectacular journeys of this time of year.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Every Chinese New Year,
0:26:19 > 0:26:24a giant motorbike flotilla takes to the road as migrant workers
0:26:24 > 0:26:26head home to be with their families.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30And we have the perfect duo to go along with for the ride -
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Si and Dave, the Hairy Bikers.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Come on, this team!
0:26:35 > 0:26:36Come on!
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Every New Year, in the heartland of industrial China,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48thousands upon thousands of motorcyclists brave the weather
0:26:48 > 0:26:53and take to the road, determined to make it home to their families.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07These workers are employed in the largest urban area in the world,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Guangdong Province in southern China,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12where many of them live the entire year.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16The factories that line this huge river delta employee migrants
0:27:16 > 0:27:20who have often come from villages hundreds of miles away.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26The journey home is long, cold and exhausting.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Around the city of Zhaoqing, aid stations have been set up
0:27:30 > 0:27:32for the bikers to shake out their soaking ponchos
0:27:32 > 0:27:34and stop for food.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40We are at an aid station
0:27:40 > 0:27:43which is one of several that runs inland from Zhaoqing.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Now, it's a bit of a bottleneck here,
0:27:46 > 0:27:47and more than 50,000 motorcycles
0:27:47 > 0:27:51will pass through on their way home for the festivities.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59I can't tell you how amazing it is to see so many bikes in one place.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I'm tickled pink with excitement.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Yeah, bikes are an important form of transport in China.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Planes and trains can be too expensive for people,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11so the humble bike is often the only way thousands of workers
0:28:11 > 0:28:14can get home.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17There's a whole team of volunteers helping here.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19One of them is Danny.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Danny, what exactly is happening?
0:28:22 > 0:28:26In every station, we provide hot water, ginger porridge...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- Ginger porridge? - Ginger porridge, yeah.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32- Perfect.- Motorcycle repairmen, and all of them are free.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37We ride motorcycles a lot, and the amount of times where we would have
0:28:37 > 0:28:39loved to be able to come in here
0:28:39 > 0:28:41for something to eat, something to drink,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43somebody to have a look at the bike...
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Well, it's kind of a comradery that's going on as well, isn't it?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Everybody's going home for the big Chinese New Year's Eve.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- Yeah.- I'll tell you what I think is a lovely, lovely touch.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Over there, there's lovely heaters for people to warm their feet
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- cos it is pretty miserable and cold. - Yeah.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Far and away the busiest part of the pit stop is the food tent,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07and the house speciality every day is ginger porridge.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09But there are no Scottish oats in here.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Instead, its rice.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13So, and interestingly enough,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16it's savoury with a little bit of pork. It's good.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Yeah. Heavy ginger.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22How many of these do you go through a day, these big pots of porridge?
0:29:22 > 0:29:24About ten.
0:29:24 > 0:29:26- Ten!- Ten?- Gosh.- Wow!
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Well, we wanted to find out the secrets of such a popular porridge,
0:29:33 > 0:29:38so we followed our noses to the back streets Shashan and to a volunteer
0:29:38 > 0:29:41known simply as Auntie Porridge.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43You are Auntie Porridge,
0:29:43 > 0:29:46the person who provides all that porridge at the aid station.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51We've had your porridge, your congee, it's good.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54It's so good, it's so good.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56- Oh.- How do you make it?
0:29:56 > 0:29:58TRANSLATION:
0:30:04 > 0:30:06She wants you to chop those.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09I'm in my element, chopping up ginger, spring onion,
0:30:09 > 0:30:14radish and pork under the gaze of some keen critics.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17I've got to constantly stir now. I'm here for three days.
0:30:17 > 0:30:18Auntie!
0:30:19 > 0:30:21Auntie Porridge?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Not with that one, with this one. OK.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29The pork is coated in cornflour and popped into the pot.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31I'll tell you what it's like.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34You know when you stir wallpaper paste, when it goes really thick?
0:30:34 > 0:30:37It's like that sort of consistency.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40I think sometimes your food tastes like that.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Go away.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Oh! It's like that, is it?
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Well, the proof is in the pudding.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Or should we say the porridge?
0:30:55 > 0:30:57It's time to find out what our fellow bikers
0:30:57 > 0:30:59make of our ginger porridge.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03And to try out our best Mandarin and Cantonese.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06- HE SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE - Happy New Year!
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Oh, look at that!
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Some of these people have been on the road since three o'clock in the
0:31:11 > 0:31:14morning, and this is the first thing they've had to eat.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16HE SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Well, it seems to be going down well with the connoisseurs.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- It is! Do you know what?- What?
0:31:21 > 0:31:24I think Auntie Porridge has taught us well.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Do you know what I mean? It's great, isn't it?
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Many of the migrant travellers are young parents returning home to see
0:31:31 > 0:31:34their children, often for the first time in many months,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37like Liang Yongxian and Li Bingling
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Do you have a family waiting at home?
0:31:41 > 0:31:45TRANSLATION:
0:31:54 > 0:31:57What do you do when you get home?
0:32:06 > 0:32:10- That would be an absolute honour. - Thank you.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15We want to take up Yongxian's kind offer, but there's one big problem.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Would you believe it, one of the greatest motorcycle happenings
0:32:18 > 0:32:21in the world and we can't ride a motorcycle!
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Well, that's because we don't have a Chinese motorcycle licence
0:32:24 > 0:32:26and the laws are strictly enforced at this time of the year
0:32:26 > 0:32:28because there are so many motorcyclists on the road.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31- Anyway, I've got a surprise for you. - What?
0:32:34 > 0:32:36A ride in the back of a Chinese police car!
0:32:36 > 0:32:39And it's not your first time, is it?
0:32:39 > 0:32:40How dare you!
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Because of the huge numbers of bikes on the road during Chinese New Year,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52the local police provide an escort.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03As the workers near their home towns and villages,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05the flotilla breaks up.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Yongxian and Bingling are now on the familiar roads near their home.
0:33:22 > 0:33:23After hours of travelling,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26they are returned to the warm welcome of their family.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Like so many migrant workers,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Yongxian has sacrificed family life
0:33:37 > 0:33:40to bring them all a better standard of living.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43And as night falls, we join them around the dinner table
0:33:43 > 0:33:46for one of the oldest traditions on Earth...
0:33:48 > 0:33:54..the international icebreaker of hospitality, food and great company.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56TRANSLATION:
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Hot pot?
0:34:06 > 0:34:07Cheers!
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Well, mate, that is what it's all about.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Yeah. I mean, the feeling of joy around that table makes that journey
0:34:22 > 0:34:26worthwhile, and that's happening all over China.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28- Fantastic.- Yeah.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Once the hairy bikers left the flotilla they headed for Beijing,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39and that's where we'll be joining them again tomorrow evening.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43Now, so far you've just seen the Harbin ice city in the daytime,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47but when darkness falls it becomes even more magical.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51The sun is about to set any minute now and the temperature is about to
0:34:51 > 0:34:55drop another 10 degrees. It's about -20 now,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59and we're expecting temperatures of -30 or even lower tonight,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02so I'm going to go put on some extra layers and I'm going to leave you
0:35:02 > 0:35:05to witness the spectacular transformation that happens
0:35:05 > 0:35:07when darkness falls.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27It's this that makes the Harbin Ice Festival famous the world over
0:35:27 > 0:35:30and brings in visitors from all over China.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35China is also becoming a popular destination
0:35:35 > 0:35:37for international tourists,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41especially from South Korea, Japan, the US and Russia.
0:35:41 > 0:35:47In fact, in 2014 it was the fourth most visited country in the world.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52This increase in tourism has meant that the festival designers
0:35:52 > 0:35:56have had to challenge themselves to become ever more inventive.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00This year they've really gone to town with this magnificent
0:36:00 > 0:36:02fairy tale castle.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12But this is this year's star attraction.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17It is the biggest ice sculpture that has ever been attempted here at
0:36:17 > 0:36:23Harbin. It stands at 46.6 - very important, that .6 - metres high,
0:36:23 > 0:36:28standing proud in the sky and it's lit up by over a million lights.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33And as you can see, it's lights that really bring the Festival to life.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37And it looks very hi-tech and modern, but actually this is
0:36:37 > 0:36:40a really ancient tradition that goes back centuries,
0:36:40 > 0:36:42as Ant has been discovering.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50The red lantern is the classic emblem of China.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55In ancient times,
0:36:55 > 0:36:59they were used to mark the entrances of houses and they soon became
0:36:59 > 0:37:01a sign of joy and festivity.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08At Chinese New Year, lanterns represent the light of hope.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Back in the 1960s, the people of Harbin couldn't afford traditional
0:37:15 > 0:37:17lanterns to celebrate New Year,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20so they froze water in buckets, put candles inside,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22and the ice Festival was born.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Using light as a symbol of celebration has continued through
0:37:28 > 0:37:30to the modern festival today.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Almost every one of over 2,000 buildings here
0:37:42 > 0:37:44has its very own light display.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53The lighting design is almost as epic an endeavour as building the
0:37:53 > 0:37:55festival itself.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58The logistics involved in making this happen are staggering.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02The sheer scale of the operation
0:38:02 > 0:38:06means the Festival needs 230,000 metres of electrical cables.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12That's 13.8 million individual lights.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19But creating such a vast electrical system demands meticulous attention
0:38:19 > 0:38:22to detail to withstand such extreme conditions.
0:38:24 > 0:38:25And this is how they do it.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28The lights are actually individual LEDs
0:38:28 > 0:38:31housed within a resilient silicon strip.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35These aren't your standard household LEDs.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38A team of engineers have specifically designed ones
0:38:38 > 0:38:40to withstand the freezing temperatures.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44OK, it's more expensive than a conventional light bulb,
0:38:44 > 0:38:46but it is more eco-friendly. Plus, can you imagine
0:38:46 > 0:38:49the bill to pay the electricity at this place?
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Each block of the ice is hand chiselled to create a groove
0:38:55 > 0:38:57for the LED strip.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00The blocks are then lined up in a brick wall pattern.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04The great thing about LEDs is they emit less heat.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07What you don't want within an ice block is a block melting.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Now, you need to join the bricks together. Traditionally,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13and especially in your home, you'd use something like cement.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16But here in Harbin they use something completely different.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Water. I've kept it in my coat to try and keep it liquid.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24Very simply, pour the water on,
0:39:24 > 0:39:28and I literally only have a few seconds to get the next brick on top
0:39:28 > 0:39:30before the water freezes.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33The idea being that those two then fuse together and it becomes a solid
0:39:33 > 0:39:36structure. A bit more Harbin cement...
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Now the moment of truth. Hook some batteries up to my LEDs
0:39:43 > 0:39:46and in theory I'll be able to illuminate
0:39:46 > 0:39:47this beautiful piece of work.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Of course, there's a slightly bigger switchbox for the main event.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Each individual light is painstakingly turned on by hand,
0:40:02 > 0:40:03row by row,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06building by building, and I get to turn on the very last building.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09So, which switch is it? This one here?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Three, two, OK!
0:40:24 > 0:40:27There it is. A little bit of Russia in the middle of China.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39The ice city is developed across an entire year by a team of architects,
0:40:39 > 0:40:40and lasts just three months.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47This is the chief designer.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51How does it make you feel that everything that you've created
0:40:51 > 0:40:53is going to melt?
0:40:53 > 0:40:56TRANSLATION:
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Harbin is following a tradition
0:41:15 > 0:41:18that has put light at the heart of Chinese celebrations
0:41:18 > 0:41:20for thousands of years.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28I travelled west of the Beijing to a town that has preserved one of
0:41:28 > 0:41:30China's most extraordinary ancient light shows.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37If you want to see a centuries old slice of China,
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Nuan Quan is a good place to start.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41It's name means "warm spring town" and it's called that
0:41:41 > 0:41:45because it has a geothermal spring which never freezes.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46A bit of a bonus, really, here in winter,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49when the temperature drops to -20 degrees.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55Because of this, Nuan Quan has been inhabited for over 20,000 years.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Much of what you can see here
0:41:57 > 0:42:00dates back to the Ming dynasty and is over 500 years old.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05But it's not just these magnificent ancient buildings I've come to see.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08I'm here because Nuan Quan is a place where some of China's oldest
0:42:08 > 0:42:11New Year traditions have also been perfectly preserved.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15One of the most spectacular, and most dangerous of them,
0:42:15 > 0:42:16is called Da Shuhua,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19which basically means creating a canopy of flowers.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26A canopy of flowers made from flying shards of molten metal.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33This tradition was started here 500 years ago as a cheap alternative
0:42:33 > 0:42:37to fireworks by a blacksmith like Mr Xue.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40His family have been blacksmiths here in Nuan Quan
0:42:40 > 0:42:42for an incredible 14 generations,
0:42:42 > 0:42:47and he is the last in a long line of Da Shuhua masters.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48TRANSLATION:
0:43:19 > 0:43:23The tradition has been that the art is passed down from fathers to sons,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25and Mr Xue has two daughters.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Who is next, who is going to take over from you?
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Creating a light show out of molten iron is a dangerous business,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52but he has agreed to show me how it's done.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54The molten iron has now been cooking for about 45 minutes,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57and it's looking pretty hot, but before we let any sparks fly,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Mr Xue has to get into some protective clothing.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03Now, if you think he is going to don a full asbestos suit with some
0:44:03 > 0:44:05goggles and a helmet, think again.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23Ready to go in the most flammable protective gear I've ever seen,
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Mr Xue gives me my first ever demonstration of Da Shuhua.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33So that was just a small-scale demonstration.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35So if you want to see the full version,
0:44:35 > 0:44:38we've got to go inside tonight into the theatre.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42Traditionally, Da Shuhua was performed outside,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44but the demand is so big today
0:44:44 > 0:44:49that a specially built venue packs in 1,500 each night.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52The old city walls have been recreated,
0:44:52 > 0:44:54as throwing the molten iron onto those ancient walls
0:44:54 > 0:44:58is where his ancestors forefathers invented the art.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01The dancing and singing are just the warm-up
0:45:01 > 0:45:04before the massive Da Shuhua finale.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07And now for his big moment.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18Protected only by his grandfather's sheepskin and a straw hat,
0:45:18 > 0:45:22he is the eye of a storm of molten metal.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25SHE MOUTHS
0:45:26 > 0:45:28That was amazing.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31And the effect is beautiful.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34I know fireworks have come a long way in 500 years, but for me,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37Da Shuhua still holds its own.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42I feel really privileged to have witnessed an ancient tradition
0:45:42 > 0:45:45performed by the last of the Da Shuhua masters.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50And if you want to see what modern day fireworks are capable of,
0:45:50 > 0:45:54then join me and Ant in Hong Kong in a couple of nights' time,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57when we'll be at one of the most spectacular fireworks displays
0:45:57 > 0:46:01on Earth. But from fireworks to ice works,
0:46:01 > 0:46:04and these incredibly intricate ice sculptures,
0:46:04 > 0:46:09which are all part of an international competition.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11This year, there are 25 teams competing to take part,
0:46:11 > 0:46:13with ten countries represented.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16This is an expert who has crafted for the Festival in the past.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21TRANSLATION:
0:46:34 > 0:46:35So he's telling us about his tools,
0:46:35 > 0:46:39and a tool like this one, a flat one, is for just to chip away...
0:46:50 > 0:46:53And this tool is for doing details like the fish fins.
0:46:58 > 0:46:59He doesn't get cold hands.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05It was made by his wife!
0:47:09 > 0:47:11One thing you will find all over China
0:47:11 > 0:47:15in the lead up to Spring Festival are these, monkeys.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18That's because 2016 is the Year of the Monkey,
0:47:18 > 0:47:20one of the animals from the Chinese Zodiac.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25I travelled to downtown Beijing
0:47:25 > 0:47:28to discover how the Chinese Zodiac works and how New Year's shoppers
0:47:28 > 0:47:31are preparing for the Year of the Monkey.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36It's a bit like December in Britain.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41If I was to go to my home town,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44the shops would be full of tinsel and snowmen
0:47:44 > 0:47:46and people would be rushing around buying gifts, cards
0:47:46 > 0:47:50and decorations, and they'd be doing it for one specific day -
0:47:50 > 0:47:5225th of December, Christmas Day.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57But Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02According to the lunar calendar,
0:48:02 > 0:48:07it's dictated by the first new moon closest to the beginning of spring.
0:48:10 > 0:48:15To help me understand how this works is cultural expert Yang Lihui
0:48:18 > 0:48:21In China, the New Year can start from, like,
0:48:21 > 0:48:25the middle of January then to the end of February.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30And this lunar cycle repeats itself every 12 years.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34One animal represents each year,
0:48:34 > 0:48:38so totally 12 animals represents 12 years.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46The animals include the horse, goat,
0:48:46 > 0:48:50tiger, rooster, dog, pig,
0:48:50 > 0:48:52and, of course, the monkey.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58I was born in March 1979, what does that make me?
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Your Zodiac animal is the goat.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03Well, I eat a lot, so I'm like a goat.
0:49:03 > 0:49:09That means you are very gentle and very patient.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Well, my wife won't tell me I'm patient!
0:49:11 > 0:49:13OK! You are very persistent.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Yeah.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18Depending on what animal you are,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21the New Year ahead could bring good or bad news.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26So, what will the Year of the Monkey bring?
0:49:26 > 0:49:31The Monkey year is generally believed to be really good,
0:49:31 > 0:49:34and every people have different ambitions
0:49:34 > 0:49:37- and different dreams will all come true this year.- Oh, wow!
0:49:37 > 0:49:40- So it's a really positive year? - A really good year.
0:49:42 > 0:49:47Life in China is changing fast, but despite all this modernisation,
0:49:47 > 0:49:51at this time of year, people still seem to care about
0:49:51 > 0:49:54the ancient philosophy of the Chinese Zodiac.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00- I am a monkey. - Right.- So this is my year.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04So I am guessing that I am going to have a pretty lucky year this year.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07Ah, not so quick, Humble. Actually, when it's your year
0:50:07 > 0:50:10- it's believed you are going to get more bad luck.- Really?- Yeah.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13- How come?- It's because the Chinese think that's this year you are going
0:50:13 > 0:50:15to offend the God of Age, Tai Sui.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Is there something you can do to appease the God Of Age,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21- to make him less... - To protect yourself?- Yes, exactly!
0:50:21 > 0:50:24- There's a few things you can do. - Right.- Just wear red.- Oh, OK.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27- I like red.- Deck yourself out with the red. That's good, that's good.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30In China right now you will see so much red. Red is a very auspicious colour.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33I was going to say, it is really the colour of New Year, isn't it?
0:50:33 > 0:50:36It is. It marks happiness, joy, luck. Actually, we've done you
0:50:36 > 0:50:39a bit of a favour, I've got my personal shopping assistant. Hey!
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Mr Ant.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44- Stylist!- Sorry, stylist!
0:50:44 > 0:50:46Evidently. We've been busy.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49- What have we got?- Well, I've got Kate a hat, red hat.
0:50:49 > 0:50:54- Lovely, yeah.- This is good, a scarf. - Loving the scarf.- Look at that.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56Hold on... Very nice, OK.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59The piece de resistance...
0:50:59 > 0:51:01Seriously?
0:51:01 > 0:51:04Look at those! Lucky pants.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08What girl can fail to be lucky in a pair of pants like these?
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Well, actually, I have to say
0:51:10 > 0:51:14I have already been extremely lucky because I went to the mountains
0:51:14 > 0:51:18of Yunnan Province down in the southwest and saw one of the
0:51:18 > 0:51:20rarest animals in the world,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23and it was particularly pertinent for this year.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30In the southwest of the country lies Yunnan Province,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34a magnificent blend of striking landscapes and incredibly diverse
0:51:34 > 0:51:36cultural heritage.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43Half of China's 55 ethnic minorities call this area home.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49And high up in the remote Yunling Mountains
0:51:49 > 0:51:52lies the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55home to the iconic snub-nosed monkey.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59They are one of China's most elusive animals,
0:51:59 > 0:52:02with only 2,000 of them left in the wild.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07I'm going to try and find these rare creatures that live far higher than
0:52:07 > 0:52:13any other monkey on Earth, on mountains that reach 5,000 metres.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19Sharing the mountainous land up here
0:52:19 > 0:52:22with the monkeys are the Lisu people.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Traditionally a mountain tribe,
0:52:24 > 0:52:28they are the rangers who take care of these special primates.
0:52:28 > 0:52:32We've followed the rangers up. It's quite... You lose your breath!
0:52:32 > 0:52:35You suddenly realise how high up you are.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37ANIMALS WHISTLE
0:52:37 > 0:52:40You might be able to hear whistling from within the forest.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43That is some of the rangers from the reserve,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46and every morning they come out here to feed...
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Oh, my goodness!
0:52:48 > 0:52:49SHE LAUGHS
0:52:49 > 0:52:53And I have just seen my very first
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59There's only about 2,000 or 3,000
0:52:59 > 0:53:01of these animals left in the whole of China.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07Mr Yu has been working at the reserve for over 20 years.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10He has a unique bond with the monkeys and is responsible
0:53:10 > 0:53:12for their daily feed.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18He is now accepted almost as family.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21But anyone else, like me, has to keep their distance,
0:53:21 > 0:53:23so as not to pass on infections.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30The reason that they feed these monkeys is to be able to monitor
0:53:30 > 0:53:35the population. And that allows the rangers to see how healthy they are
0:53:35 > 0:53:39and, crucially, to protect them.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42The reason that these monkeys' numbers dropped
0:53:42 > 0:53:45to such critical levels was because they were hunted.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49There is a lovely story that connects the Lisu
0:53:49 > 0:53:52with this particular monkey.
0:53:52 > 0:53:58The legend has it that a small Lisu boy got lost in the forest
0:53:58 > 0:54:02and couldn't find his out, and the longer he stayed in the forest,
0:54:02 > 0:54:05he started to grow hair to keep him warm.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07And the hairier he got,
0:54:07 > 0:54:11the more embarrassed he became to approach people.
0:54:11 > 0:54:16And so he stayed in the forest and turned into a snub-nosed monkey.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25TRANSLATION:
0:54:34 > 0:54:36There's a very first special relationship, I think,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39between the Lisu people and these monkeys.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Since you've been working here,
0:54:51 > 0:54:55have you seen the population here grow and get healthier?
0:55:03 > 0:55:05Wow! That's amazing. That's a really good job.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10Part of the Lisu rangers' job on the preserve is to monitor
0:55:10 > 0:55:12the health of these primates,
0:55:12 > 0:55:16which means collecting their poo at regular interviews.
0:55:17 > 0:55:24Mr Yu and his colleagues collect this every day and analyse it,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28and by doing so they can tell a lot about the health of the monkeys
0:55:28 > 0:55:31and also about the population density.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34But it's not that easy to find.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42Aha!
0:55:42 > 0:55:43I found some, here.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52Never has a girl been so excited to find a bit of poo.
0:55:52 > 0:55:58Mr Yu knows each individual monkey and is able to label up the bags.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02So you know which monkey did this?
0:56:08 > 0:56:10That's amazing!
0:56:15 > 0:56:19The monkey faeces are examined in a special study centre.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23One of the purposes of this centre is to check the health of the
0:56:23 > 0:56:25snub-nosed monkeys.
0:56:25 > 0:56:30So, what is the scientist testing for?
0:56:30 > 0:56:32TRANSLATION:
0:56:59 > 0:57:02So, it's good news? Fantastic.
0:57:06 > 0:57:11I have to say, seeing those monkeys in the wild - and they are so rare -
0:57:11 > 0:57:12definitely a highlight for me.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15- How about you?- Well, it feels like I crammed so much in,
0:57:15 > 0:57:17and turning on the Kremlin was really special,
0:57:17 > 0:57:20but the highlight has to be being victorious the ice slide.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22I knew you were going to say that!
0:57:22 > 0:57:25- What about you?- It's got to be the ancient fireworks.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29To see bits of metal turn into something so amazing and huge
0:57:29 > 0:57:31and to be showered in it - yeah, it was insane.
0:57:31 > 0:57:35It was absolutely spectacular. And talking of fireworks,
0:57:35 > 0:57:38Ant and I are heading south to Hong Kong for a parade
0:57:38 > 0:57:42and what promises to be the most spectacular fireworks display
0:57:42 > 0:57:46either of us have either ever seen. But for now, from the three of us,
0:57:46 > 0:57:51it's goodbye from Harbin and hello to the Hairy Bikers in Beijing.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54Yeah. Thanks, Kate. Tomorrow we'll be in the Chinese capital
0:57:54 > 0:57:56to bring you the hustle, the bustle
0:57:56 > 0:58:00and even the gristle of the Spring Festival in Beijing.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02And we'll be focusing on New Year's Eve.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06New Year's Eve in China is about family and food
0:58:06 > 0:58:09and we've been honoured to be invited by a lovely Chinese family
0:58:09 > 0:58:11to spend it in their home with them.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15We'll be helping prepare the most important meal of the year,
0:58:15 > 0:58:20and spending the day gathering the ingredients for a healthy, wealthy,
0:58:20 > 0:58:24lucky and prosperous 2016.
0:58:24 > 0:58:28So join us tomorrow for more Chinese New Year celebrations.
0:58:28 > 0:58:30- BOTH:- Hey! Hey!