0:00:03 > 0:00:06Protected by the Great Wall in the north,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08and fed by the Yellow and Yangtze rivers,
0:00:08 > 0:00:13China's eastern heartland is the centre of a flourishing civilisation
0:00:13 > 0:00:16which spans more than 5,000 years.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23To outsiders, this is a mysterious land.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36It contains dazzling man-made structures.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46And it's home to some of China's rarest
0:00:46 > 0:00:49and most charismatic creatures.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59The people who live here, the Han Chinese,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02comprise the largest ethnic group in the world
0:01:02 > 0:01:04and their language, Mandarin,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07is the world's oldest and most widely spoken language.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22In the last 50 years, China has seen massive development,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27bringing many environmental problems.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34But the relationship of the Chinese
0:01:34 > 0:01:37to their environment and its creatures
0:01:37 > 0:01:40is in fact deep, complex, and extraordinary.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44In this programme,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47we will look for clues to this ancient relationship
0:01:47 > 0:01:51and what it means for the future of China.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Our journey starts at the very heart of China, Beijing.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32China's capital is a vast metropolis,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35home to 15 million people.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43This bustling modern city
0:02:43 > 0:02:46seems an unlikely place for traditional beliefs and customs.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49But beneath the contemporary veneer
0:02:49 > 0:02:53it's possible to see glimpses of a far older China.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Every morning, people head to the parks around the Forbidden City,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08to continue a custom which is centuries old.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Many Chinese keep birds as companions,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30specifically a type of laughing thrush from Southern China.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34But they know that, cooped up indoors, birds may become depressed.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38So, they try to brighten their day by meeting other birds.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53This surprising scene in the heart of modern Beijing
0:03:53 > 0:03:56is a clue to China's oldest spiritual ambition,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00the harmonious co-existence of man and nature.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10But from the 1950s onwards
0:04:10 > 0:04:14this ancient belief was to be severely challenged.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30After a century of humiliation and intervention by foreign powers,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Chairman Mao sought to rebuild China's dignity.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Mao believed strongly in self-reliance,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48achieved through using all of nature's resources.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Mao's first concern was to feed the Chinese people,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01by turning as much land as possible over to grain production,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03destroying non-cereal crops
0:05:03 > 0:05:06and uprooting fruit trees in the process.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15A campaign to eliminate crop-raiding sparrows backfired
0:05:15 > 0:05:18when insect-eating birds were also targeted,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21causing an increase in insect pests.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Efforts to make China self-reliant in steel
0:05:32 > 0:05:35resulted in 10% of the country's forests
0:05:35 > 0:05:38being felled to feed the furnaces.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47This had a profound impact on China's environment,
0:05:47 > 0:05:51with effects in some cases lasting until the present day.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00Mao's policy towards the countryside has been described in the phrase
0:06:00 > 0:06:02"Man must conquer nature."
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Quite different from the ancient concept
0:06:05 > 0:06:08of harmonious co-existence with nature.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15As modern China engages with the outside world,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18which of these attitudes seems likely to prevail?
0:06:18 > 0:06:20To find the answers,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24we'll travel to the far reaches of the heartland
0:06:24 > 0:06:28to see how its traditional cultures and unique creatures
0:06:28 > 0:06:29are faring today.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Beijing has always depended on the North China Plain,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42a rich farmland twice the size of the UK.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48The fertility of this plain derives from further west,
0:06:48 > 0:06:49from the Loess Plateau.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02The mineral-rich soil of the Loess Plateau is incredibly fertile.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08People have lived here for thousands of years,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11hollowing their homes out of the soft soil.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19The caves might lack the glamour of Beijing,
0:07:19 > 0:07:25but people can survive here, warm, secure, but, best of all, well fed.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39As a result of centuries of farming, the landscape has become scarred
0:07:39 > 0:07:41with thousands of water-worn gullies.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49But this spectacular erosion has had an unexpected benefit.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53The streams which drain the gullies
0:07:53 > 0:07:57carry the fertile yellow soil into the plateau's major river.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05Known to the Han people as the "Mother of Chinese civilisation".
0:08:14 > 0:08:16This is the Yellow River.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Each year, the Yellow River carries billions of tonnes of sediment
0:08:28 > 0:08:30from the Loess Plateau eastwards
0:08:30 > 0:08:33to the crop fields of the Chinese heartland.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48Historically, the Chinese relationship with the river has been uneasy.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Sediment, building up on the riverbed,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54has caused the Yellow River to burst its banks periodically,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58unleashing devastating floods, resulting in millions of deaths.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12But when tamed with dykes and channels
0:09:12 > 0:09:14the river's bounty is legendary.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Even today, half of China's wheat
0:09:21 > 0:09:24comes from the Yellow River flood plain.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34For thousands of years,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36the sediment-rich Yellow River
0:09:36 > 0:09:40has underpinned the prosperity of the Chinese heartland.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44But increased demand for water by people and industry
0:09:44 > 0:09:47now threaten to run the river dry.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06And the source of its fertility, the Loess Plateau, is also under threat.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Loosened by cultivation, its soft soil is blowing away.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24The North China Plain is choked with dust storms
0:10:24 > 0:10:27that even loom over Beijing,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29so much so that the Chinese government
0:10:29 > 0:10:32has made improving the city's air quality
0:10:32 > 0:10:35a priority in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Heartland China's life-support system is in trouble.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Yet, in a few places,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45it's still possible to find landscapes
0:10:45 > 0:10:48that appear to have remained untouched.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56At the southern edge of the North China Plain
0:10:56 > 0:10:58lie the Qinling mountains.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00At 15,000 kilometres long,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04they run like a backbone through the middle of China.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Deep within the mountains is a maze of remote valleys and forests,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29home to strange and wonderful creatures.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37These are golden snub-nosed monkeys, a species unique to China.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Seldom seen, they are frequently heard.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Their strange child-like calls and extraordinary appearance
0:11:50 > 0:11:52may have inspired the local tales
0:11:52 > 0:11:55of a Yeti-like "wild man of the mountains".
0:12:06 > 0:12:09As winter temperatures drop to -10 degrees Celsius,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11their dense fur keeps them warm.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Mutual grooming not only keeps their precious fur in good condition,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24but also helps to reinforce bonds within the troop.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41In summer, the monkeys go around in huge bands,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43but at this lean time of the year
0:12:43 > 0:12:46they split up into smaller foraging parties.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54MONKEYS SCREECH
0:13:09 > 0:13:10In the dead of winter,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13the monkeys are forced to rummage around the rocks
0:13:13 > 0:13:16for a few meagre morsels of lichen and moss.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25As the world surrounding their mountain home
0:13:25 > 0:13:28has filled up with towns and crop lands,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32the snub-nosed monkeys' habitat has changed dramatically.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Today, there are just 10,000 left in existence.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49To the people who live in the Qinling mountains,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53the forest and its wildlife are a resource to be used,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55the basis of their livelihood.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04These people share the forest with an even more elusive inhabitant.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07It's probably China's most famous animal,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09but very few have ever seen it.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21Unlike the monkeys, this creature has a very specific diet -
0:14:21 > 0:14:23bamboo.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32It's a wild giant panda.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Secretive, and sensitive to noise,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50the giant panda is often gone before anyone can get close to it.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02The panda has long been known in China.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06It was mentioned in dictionaries more than 2,000 years ago
0:15:06 > 0:15:10and the Imperial Garden is said to have housed one.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17In the dense bamboo of the forest, one panda rarely sees another.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Instead, they communicate by subtle scent signals.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27At a metre and a half long and 135 kilos,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31the giant panda is a member of the bear family.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36But its bear-like digestive system is built for eating meat,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39not this tough, fibrous stuff.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48And to make matters worse the bamboo leaves are frozen solid.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53But the panda has devised a cunning way of breaking the ice off.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56It rubs the bamboo over its snout.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04Unlike other bears, the panda can't fatten itself up
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and hibernate through the winter.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Bamboo is so low in energy
0:16:08 > 0:16:11that the panda must spend most of the day eating.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17Once it has exhausted one area, it must move on to the next.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24The panda's paw is surprisingly un-bear-like too.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26It's flexible, with an enlarged wrist bone
0:16:26 > 0:16:30which allows it to grasp and manoeuvre the bamboo
0:16:30 > 0:16:33with a dexterity and precision that a monkey would be proud of.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Twisting the bamboo leaves into a cigar shape
0:16:38 > 0:16:40makes them easier to munch.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Hungry pandas once roamed across vast tracts of bamboo-rich forest
0:16:55 > 0:16:57that covered much of China's heartland.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07But, since the 1950s, logging has fragmented
0:17:07 > 0:17:09the Qinling mountain forests.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14Its remaining wild pandas are now confined within isolated reserves.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22In the last 50 years,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25China's heartland has been subjected to desertification,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28drying rivers and deforestation,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32affecting not only people, but wildlife too.
0:17:38 > 0:17:44The relationship between the Chinese people and their environment appears to be out of balance.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46But if we dig a little bit deeper
0:17:46 > 0:17:50there are some surprising and intimate connections, even today.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Clues to the nature of these links can be found in everyday life,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03even in the centre of China's capital city.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10In the parks of Beijing,
0:18:10 > 0:18:15Mandarin ducks keep a close watch over their young.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Believed by the Chinese to pair for life,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23they have been seen for centuries as a symbol of love and fidelity.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34Images of these birds are believed to improve personal relationships.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57As a result, Beijing's Mandarin ducks are highly protected.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10The alleyways of the capital's ancient Hutongs are home to
0:19:10 > 0:19:12a very different kind of creature.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19Each day Zhou Guoguang tends his brood of pigeons,
0:19:19 > 0:19:24his chance to escape the pressures of city life for an hour or two.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Up here on the rooftops, Zhou is confident his charges will be safe.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33But in the streets below lurk dangerous spirits
0:19:33 > 0:19:35that scavenge and steal.
0:19:40 > 0:19:46Deeper into the Hutongs, the influence of modern Beijing recedes.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57These alleys are full of ancient beliefs.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26As night falls, spirits emerge from their hiding places.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31The yellow weasel.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Some people believe that offending this crafty predator
0:20:41 > 0:20:42can bring bad luck,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46so they turn a blind eye to the weasel's night-time marauding.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Old beliefs, coupled with a rising awareness of conservation,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57are helping the yellow weasel survive in the middle of Beijing,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59despite killing the odd pigeon.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10In the south of China,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13the relationship with nature appears more brutal.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Cantonese cuisine is famous for its diversity,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18summed up in the saying,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22"We will eat anything on four legs, except a table."
0:21:22 > 0:21:27And though the government has banned the consumption of wildlife in China
0:21:27 > 0:21:31and most of the meat here comes from captive-bred animals,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35a significant amount is taken illegally from the wild.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56This restaurant in Hong Kong specialises in serpents.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Most are harmless rat snakes, but with the odd cobra on the menu
0:22:01 > 0:22:04one false move could spell trouble.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18Chau Ka Ling has lost count of the number of times she's been bitten,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22so she always carries a Chinese herbal remedy,
0:22:22 > 0:22:23just in case.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31We might turn our noses up at such a strange choice of food,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35but eating snakes is more than just a matter of taste.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37The Cantonese believe it can help to clean the blood,
0:22:37 > 0:22:42increase vitality and beautify the skin.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46In such a crowded land,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50a tradition of eating everything with very little waste
0:22:50 > 0:22:52could be seen as commendable thrift.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00The problem is that there are so many people eating wild food in south China
0:23:00 > 0:23:05that the illegal supply chain stretches well beyond its borders,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09contributing to the disappearance of wildlife not only within China,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11but from other countries too.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20A visit to a traditional Chinese medicine shop
0:23:20 > 0:23:24reveals another aspect of the use of animals and plants.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Dr So has been practising for over 20 years.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36The most important part of his diagnosis is the pulse,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38examined in several places.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Dr So also observes the colour of the tongue and eyes,
0:23:46 > 0:23:51and asks questions about the patient's taste, smell
0:23:51 > 0:23:53and even dreams.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05Once satisfied with his diagnosis, he'll write a prescription,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08using a script unique to doctors.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Chinese traditional medicine uses an incredible array of animals,
0:24:14 > 0:24:19vegetables and minerals to treat the individual rather than the illness,
0:24:19 > 0:24:24aiming to restore the harmony of opposing but complementary forces,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26known in China as yin and yang.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31The concept is rooted in the ancient belief
0:24:31 > 0:24:34that the universe is harmonious
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and that people are intimately connected to,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39and affected by, their environment.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Despite the seemingly bizarre nature of the ingredients,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Chinese traditional medicine has been successfully treating people
0:24:51 > 0:24:53for thousands of years.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01But although the use of endangered wildlife ingredients in medicine
0:25:01 > 0:25:03is now banned in China,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06some wild animals and plants are still used illegally.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Once again, nature bears the cost.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19But Chinese tradition has borrowed from nature in other ways
0:25:19 > 0:25:21which are not in the least exploitative.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24In ancient Chinese philosophy,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27man was considered part of the natural world
0:25:27 > 0:25:29and able to benefit from its wisdom.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53Thousands of years ago, Buddhist monks on sacred Shaolin mountain
0:25:53 > 0:25:57incorporated their observations of wild creatures
0:25:57 > 0:25:59into a system of exercises
0:25:59 > 0:26:03to help the flow of energy and build strength.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18This animal-inspired art-form became kung fu.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46Today, ancient Shaolin Mountain, the place where kung fu began,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49remains its prime training centre.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Shi Yanting is a master.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Students from all over the country come here
0:27:03 > 0:27:07to learn the ancient knowledge derived from the natural world.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24The emphasis today is perhaps more on the physical
0:27:24 > 0:27:29rather than the philosophical elements that underlie kung fu,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31but it's a significant re-awakening.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40This seven-year-old is perfecting
0:27:40 > 0:27:43the devastating punch of the praying mantis.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54When combined and perfected, these animal forms,
0:27:54 > 0:27:59such as mantis, monkey, and crane, become an unstoppable force.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Ancient Chinese philosophy took nature itself
0:28:30 > 0:28:34as the inspiration for its most fabulous creature.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Fertile rivers may have shaped this civilisation,
0:28:38 > 0:28:42but the Chinese believed that the rivers themselves
0:28:42 > 0:28:45were formed and controlled by a dragon.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Unlike the destructive dragon of the West,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52the Chinese dragon was benevolent,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54provided it was treated with respect.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05The ancient Chinese called themselves
0:29:05 > 0:29:07"descendents of the dragon",
0:29:07 > 0:29:11and knew they needed to live harmoniously in the dragon's realm.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19This respect for the dragon has relevance today
0:29:19 > 0:29:20for a remarkable creature
0:29:20 > 0:29:25which lives around the paddy fields of China's other great river, the Yangtze.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50This fearsome-looking beast is a Chinese alligator,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52known as the "muddy dragon".
0:29:53 > 0:29:57Despite its association with the mythical Chinese dragon,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01the reptile has long been regarded by country people
0:30:01 > 0:30:02as a fish-eating pest,
0:30:02 > 0:30:07and has been persecuted almost to the point of extinction.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18There are only around 150 Chinese alligators left in the wild,
0:30:18 > 0:30:22and it's mainly down to the care and protection
0:30:22 > 0:30:24offered by dedicated people
0:30:24 > 0:30:28like retired farmer Chang Jin Rong that any survive at all.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34Today, most Chinese alligators live in captivity.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37At this breeding centre near Xuancheng,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Chinese alligators gather for their extraordinary courtship.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43ALLIGATOR BELLOWS
0:30:49 > 0:30:52The males bellow to attract a mate.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55As it travels through the water,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58the sound is both heard and felt by the female.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14The bellowing is her cue to investigate.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27In the alien world of the Chinese alligator,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31these two will be able to learn much about each other
0:31:31 > 0:31:33using the scent glands under their jaws.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42Satisfied with her choice, the two swim off together before mating.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52The muddy dragon owes its continued survival
0:31:52 > 0:31:55to a government initiative a quarter of a century ago,
0:31:55 > 0:31:59which created the captive breeding centre at Xuancheng.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Having dug a little deeper,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13it does seem that ancient beliefs about nature
0:32:13 > 0:32:15still have resonance in modern China.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21Far upstream, along one of the Yangtze's mountain tributaries,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24another ambitious conservation project
0:32:24 > 0:32:27is attempting to save China's most famous creature.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35China's first captive breeding centre for the giant panda
0:32:35 > 0:32:37opened in 1983.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54This is Wolong reserve,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58a far cry from the bamboo forests where wild pandas live.
0:32:59 > 0:33:04Every spring, male and female pandas are ferried around the site
0:33:04 > 0:33:07in the hope that introductions will lead to romance.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Scientists have been trying to encourage the pandas
0:33:39 > 0:33:40to breed naturally,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43but it's difficult to get the conditions right,
0:33:43 > 0:33:48since few people have ever seen how panda courtship happens in the wild.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Meanwhile, artificial insemination has proved highly successful.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04At just five weeks old, this baby needs 24-hour care.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09It's simply too precious to be entrusted to its natural mother,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12who may have little experience of parenthood.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21After initial teething problems,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Wolong's artificial insemination programme
0:34:24 > 0:34:26has been remarkably successful.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30In 2006, the reserve reared 16 cubs
0:34:30 > 0:34:35and there are now more captive-bred pandas at Wolong
0:34:35 > 0:34:39than can be safely released back into the shrinking wild habitat.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47In nature, giant pandas learn survival skills from their mother,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51but have little contact with other pandas.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54These youngsters may have exceptional social skills,
0:34:54 > 0:34:58but they wouldn't have a clue how to survive in the wild.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05For the majority, their future lies in zoos.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10While the ultimate value
0:35:10 > 0:35:13of captive breeding projects like this is debatable,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15there are places in China
0:35:15 > 0:35:20where animals are being successfully protected in their wild habitat.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Right at the top of the Qinling mountains
0:35:34 > 0:35:38lives a rare and mysterious creature that has inspired legends
0:35:38 > 0:35:40as away far as ancient Greece.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45The size of a buffalo, and with a temper to match,
0:35:45 > 0:35:50this is the original owner of the Golden Fleece, the golden takin.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Golden takin make their way to the top of the mountains
0:35:57 > 0:35:59for the breeding season.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03It's an opportunity for the males to prove their mettle.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11They are formidable and aggressive creatures.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48Now victorious, this male will have access to the females.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Despite living high on the mountains,
0:36:54 > 0:36:59golden takin were once hunted to near extinction for their meat.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02In a return to the laws of ancient China,
0:37:02 > 0:37:05there's now a government ban on poaching
0:37:05 > 0:37:07and the takin is officially protected.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Attitudes towards nature in China
0:37:15 > 0:37:19are clearly complex and rooted in tradition,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21and in the Qinling mountains
0:37:21 > 0:37:22there is one story that shows
0:37:22 > 0:37:26just how valuable these traditions can be.
0:37:37 > 0:37:42Every morning, a flock of crested ibis leave their roost
0:37:42 > 0:37:45close to the village of Yangxian in search of food.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49Traditionally, the birds' departure
0:37:49 > 0:37:52marked the start of the farmers' day.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58Crested ibises need wetlands for feeding,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01and rice paddies are the perfect place
0:38:01 > 0:38:03to hunt for eels, frogs, and snails.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08The birds and farmers had probably co-existed here
0:38:08 > 0:38:10for thousands of years,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13until the 20th century, when in many parts of China
0:38:13 > 0:38:17rice was replaced by more profitable wheat production.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Crested ibis numbers rapidly declined.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25At one point they were even believed to be extinct.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Then, in 1981,
0:38:31 > 0:38:35the last seven crested ibises on earth were found here.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41The Chinese government stepped in,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45protecting the rice paddies so the birds could continue to feed
0:38:45 > 0:38:48and safeguarding neighbouring trees to enable them to breed.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Rescued from the brink of extinction,
0:39:05 > 0:39:10there are now 500 crested ibis living around Yangxian town.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14In modern China, room is being made for nature once again.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26But the appreciation of nature in China
0:39:26 > 0:39:29isn't confined to impressive animals or colourful birds.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33Mountain landscapes have held a fascination
0:39:33 > 0:39:36for Chinese artists and poets throughout history.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Mountains also had religious significance
0:39:41 > 0:39:44as places that linked earth with the heavens.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49One of the most sacred of all is here at Mount Emei,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52the site of a 2,000-year-old Buddhist temple.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56China today has the world's largest Buddhist population.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17These old sacred sites are highly cherished.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21Nearly two million people visit Mount Emei each year.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37But the Buddhist temples are not the only attraction.
0:40:37 > 0:40:43Mount Emei is home to Tibetan macaques, the biggest of their kind.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Their thick coats enable them to thrive in harsh mountain conditions
0:40:46 > 0:40:49at altitudes up to 3,000 metres.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Ancient Chinese people believed that
0:41:03 > 0:41:06good deeds towards the human-looking macaques
0:41:06 > 0:41:09were an investment for eternity.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13But for these city-dwelling tourists,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17whose everyday lives are far removed from wildlife,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20this encounter is an uneasy mix of reverence and fear.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28For the macaques, too, it's an awkward relationship.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37The monkeys normally forage for fruit,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41but the tourists are a much easier source of food.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45Constant contact with people is changing the behaviour of the troop.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50Once wary of humans, the macaques are growing bolder.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11How are tourists supposed to know
0:42:11 > 0:42:15that this eyebrow-raising display means trouble?
0:42:18 > 0:42:21MACAQUE SNARLS
0:42:21 > 0:42:26Some of the more assertive monkeys have to be policed accordingly.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42While the impact on wildlife from mass tourism
0:42:42 > 0:42:44is not entirely beneficial,
0:42:44 > 0:42:46the fact that increasing numbers of people
0:42:46 > 0:42:49are enjoying nature at first hand
0:42:49 > 0:42:52suggests some hope for the future.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Despite all the changes in China during the last 50 years,
0:43:04 > 0:43:09many sacred places like Emei have been protected.
0:43:20 > 0:43:25Heading west, China's heartland becomes increasingly rugged.
0:43:25 > 0:43:30Beyond the Qinling Mountains lies the even higher Ming Shan,
0:43:30 > 0:43:36where towering peaks conceal one of China's most remarkable landscapes,
0:43:36 > 0:43:40known to the Chinese as "fairyland paradise".
0:43:43 > 0:43:47Jiuzhaigou was virtually unknown until the 1970s.
0:43:47 > 0:43:51Today, it's one of China's most famous tourist areas,
0:43:51 > 0:43:56and is recognised internationally as a World Heritage Site.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42The limestone mountains are the source of crystal-clear springs
0:44:42 > 0:44:45which have formed over 100 lakes
0:44:45 > 0:44:49filled with lime-rich water of unbelievable colour.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08Underwater is a perfectly preserved ghostly forest,
0:45:08 > 0:45:10shrouded in algae.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35This strange world is home to a species of fish
0:45:35 > 0:45:37unique to these lakes.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49Who would have guessed that, with close to a billion inhabitants,
0:45:49 > 0:45:53China's heartland could still harbour a landscape
0:45:53 > 0:45:55of such pristine beauty?
0:45:59 > 0:46:02It's spring in the Qinling mountains.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07As the farmers tend their new crops,
0:46:07 > 0:46:09the secret life of China's most famous animal
0:46:09 > 0:46:12is finally coming to light.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17In one of the panda's last strongholds,
0:46:17 > 0:46:20a drama is about to unfold,
0:46:20 > 0:46:23one which has rarely been witnessed.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33A young female has ventured into the valley,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36sparking a flurry of interest among the resident males.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42GROWLING
0:46:48 > 0:46:54A panda's life is mostly solitary, until the spring breeding season.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57When the brief opportunity to mate arises,
0:46:57 > 0:47:01the males must be ready to take their chance.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04But timing is everything.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11ROARING
0:47:11 > 0:47:14This male's approach is somewhat lacking in subtlety,
0:47:14 > 0:47:18and anyway, the female isn't ready for him yet,
0:47:18 > 0:47:22her peak receptive time lasts just two days.
0:47:22 > 0:47:28So he guards her, biding his time with a good supply of bamboo.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34Unfortunately, his hostage must eat too,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37but she doesn't exactly feel like descending.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Another male has been attracted to the scene.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49He's a veteran of many breeding seasons.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55He's wary of his rival, because at this time of year
0:47:55 > 0:47:59males are transformed from peace-loving bamboo eaters
0:47:59 > 0:48:01into potential killers.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03THEY GROWL
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Despite the danger, he makes a challenge.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14The defending male rises to meet him.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20GROWLING AND ROARING
0:48:21 > 0:48:24The challenger is chased by the defending male.
0:48:27 > 0:48:28In the thick bamboo,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31the battle rages as the males fight for dominance.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35GROWLING
0:48:39 > 0:48:43The female wisely stays clear of trouble.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45DISTRESSED WAIL
0:48:45 > 0:48:48The challenger backs down.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52The size and strength of the defending male is just too much.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57The loser retreats,
0:48:57 > 0:49:01and the exhausted but triumphant victor returns to the female.
0:49:09 > 0:49:10SHE GROWLS
0:49:17 > 0:49:20GROWLING AND ROARING
0:49:27 > 0:49:30This time she's ready for him.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35Instead of running, she waits.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00This is the first time this extraordinary courtship behaviour
0:50:00 > 0:50:02has ever been filmed in the wild.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09If mating is successful,
0:50:09 > 0:50:13the female will produce a single cub and rear it on her own.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Today, with improving attitudes towards wildlife conservation,
0:50:20 > 0:50:25there is hope that China's 1,600 remaining wild pandas
0:50:25 > 0:50:27have some chance of survival.
0:50:32 > 0:50:37In 2003, conservation became an integral part of the curriculum
0:50:37 > 0:50:40for China's 200 million school students.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51For the children of the Qinling mountains,
0:50:51 > 0:50:54knowing what a special neighbour they have
0:50:54 > 0:50:57may help to protect it for the future.
0:51:13 > 0:51:14In the midst of headlong change,
0:51:14 > 0:51:19conducted at a pace unprecedented in human history,
0:51:19 > 0:51:24can China hold on to its ancient desire for harmony with nature?
0:51:34 > 0:51:38Can it reconcile the aspirations of its people
0:51:38 > 0:51:42with the long-term need to protect its environment?
0:52:03 > 0:52:07Here at the Temple of Heaven, in the very heart of Beijing,
0:52:07 > 0:52:11there are signs of a new attitude towards nature.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26Every year, as thousands of birds migrate southwards
0:52:26 > 0:52:29to escape the winter, one secretive species
0:52:29 > 0:52:32seeks shelter in the temple grounds.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37Safeguarded by the temple's tradition,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41as many as ten owls can be seen in the same tree.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57The owls' arrival is celebrated
0:52:57 > 0:53:01by members of the recently formed Beijing Bird Club.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21Migration can be a dangerous undertaking,
0:53:21 > 0:53:23and every year many owls
0:53:23 > 0:53:28suffer the hazards of power lines, traffic and industry.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31Some of the more fortunate end up here,
0:53:31 > 0:53:34at Beijing's Raptor Rescue Centre.
0:53:34 > 0:53:39Established in 2001, it's the first of its kind.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Here, owls are given medical attention
0:53:46 > 0:53:49by Sun Quanhui and his team.
0:53:56 > 0:54:01The birds are even exercised to help their rehabilitation.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12Once deemed fit and healthy,
0:54:12 > 0:54:16the owls are taken to the hills at the edge of Beijing.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43Every spring, staff from Beijing's Raptor Rescue Centre
0:54:43 > 0:54:45release dozens of owls.
0:54:46 > 0:54:51Today there are over 1,500 designated nature reserves in China,
0:54:51 > 0:54:56covering large tracts of some of the country's finest landscapes.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05FIREWORKS BURST
0:55:06 > 0:55:10As China looks to the future with a renewed sense of direction,
0:55:10 > 0:55:15ancient traditions are still very much a part of its culture.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20It's Chinese New Year.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23All over the country, the people prepare to appease
0:55:23 > 0:55:28their oldest and most venerated creature, the dragon.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43As night falls, everyone from the neighbourhood brings a lantern.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51And, one by one, the lights are added to the dragon's tail.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00As the procession grows longer, the atmosphere builds
0:56:00 > 0:56:04with the spectacle of one of China's oldest and greatest inventions.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23The dragon dance is performed all over China.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27The ceremony itself is thousands of years old,
0:56:27 > 0:56:31but it's still the highlight of the Chinese New Year.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36As the dragon winds it way through the village,
0:56:36 > 0:56:39it has grown hundreds of metres long.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41Everyone is part of it.
0:57:06 > 0:57:11After a century of unprecedented change in China,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14during which environmental protection has not been a priority,
0:57:14 > 0:57:17there are now signs of a new direction.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27In October 2006, the Communist Party
0:57:27 > 0:57:32specifically identified "promoting harmony between man and nature"
0:57:32 > 0:57:38as an important step in their goal of building "a harmonious society",
0:57:38 > 0:57:41and called on the Chinese people to accelerate
0:57:41 > 0:57:45"the construction of an environmentally friendly society".
0:57:54 > 0:57:58As China's economy continues to grow,
0:57:58 > 0:58:02its re-engagement with the ancient ideal of harmony with nature
0:58:02 > 0:58:06provides a glimmer of hope for the future of wild China.
0:58:41 > 0:58:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:44 > 0:58:47E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk