0:00:42 > 0:00:47Hi, my name is Juewen. I'm ten years old.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52My nickname is Wen-Wen. I live in Shanghai.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Shanghai is the largest city in China.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01It is an important shipping port.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10This is the busy Huangpu River where the Yangtze River meets the sea.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12SHE SPEAKS CHINESE
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Shanghai has grown massively in recent years.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23The city is now a mix of traditional Chinese buildings
0:02:23 > 0:02:25and shiny modern office blocks.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31With so many cars on the roads and so much congestion,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35many people prefer to use public transport.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38More than 23 million people live in Shanghai.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Shanghai is split in half by the river, but many bridges
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and tunnels connect the two sides.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47The Huangpu River,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50flowing through Shanghai, forms the final section of
0:03:50 > 0:03:53the Yangtze River before it opens into the East China Sea.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56It's very deep.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59It has to be, to accommodate the giant container ships.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Across from the Bund is the new commercial and financial
0:04:03 > 0:04:08district, with its skyscrapers, swanky hotels and shopping malls.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11The tall building with the hole at the top is
0:04:11 > 0:04:13the World Financial Centre.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16At the moment, it's the third tallest building in the world.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Juewen's cello teacher lives just up from the Bund.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Life can be pretty hectic for Chinese children,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54especially those living in cities.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Their parents push them hard to achieve.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03SINGING
0:05:29 > 0:05:32In China, it's seen as very important to get a good job
0:05:32 > 0:05:34and to keep the economy booming.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37So Chinese children go to lots of after-school clubs to
0:05:37 > 0:05:39develop their skills as much as possible.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Olympic Maths is very popular in China.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Children study hard and regularly take part in competitions.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Many children are keen to work as accountants and bankers
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and it is thought that Olympic Maths will give them the edge.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40"Yes, he does, of course... he likes James' garden's peas.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44"and he likes peas out of the pod." TEACHER: Very good, OK.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46TEACHER SPEAKS CHINESE
0:08:05 > 0:08:10Shanghai is the largest centre of Chinese industrial technology.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The city is one of the most important seaports,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and China's largest commercial and financial centre.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Shanghai draws the attention of the whole world.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28SHE SPEAKS CHINESE
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I am ten years old.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Ruiqin and her family live in a small village in a mountain
0:08:39 > 0:08:42valley in the Jijiang district of Yunnan Province.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Her village is called Chan'gou. It's a very beautiful place
0:08:47 > 0:08:50in a mountainous and remote part of China.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55The landscape is covered with terracing
0:08:55 > 0:08:59to provide patches of flat farming land cut into the steep slopes.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05This ingenious method of farming allows people to grow a whole
0:09:05 > 0:09:11range of crops like rice, corn, barley, wheat and sweet potatoes.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43The teacher sends the children on their way with instructions
0:10:43 > 0:10:45to do their homework and respect their parents,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49but also with a word of warning about fire.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52There are always lots of fireworks around at festival time.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32The journey between school and home is often too far to walk
0:11:32 > 0:11:36every day, which is why so many children board during term times.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41There are no buses, so walking is the only way.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The route is rugged and tiring, especially
0:11:44 > 0:11:46when you have to carry everything.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50But the views along the way are stunning.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36The Jinsha River is deep and wide.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39It's a headwater stream of the famous Yangzte,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and winds its way south through a deep gorge.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Jinsha actually means "golden sands".
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Over the years, gold deposits have been found along its banks.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55The ferryboat is a lifeline for people living in the remote
0:12:55 > 0:12:58villages along the river bank.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Without it, they wouldn't be able to buy or sell goods or even
0:13:01 > 0:13:03see a doctor if they were sick.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08The trails and tracks of the rugged terrain are heavy going.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Mules and horses are still the best way to get around.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39After a long journey home, everyone is hungry.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Almost everything Ruiqin's family eats is home-grown.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Like most people in the mountains,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Ruiqin's family are subsistence farmers.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51They grow only what they need to eat well, and the chances are that
0:15:51 > 0:15:54everything they have is grown within a five-mile radius.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Life can be hard here. Travelling any distance is tricky,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42and growing enough to eat requires skill and perseverance.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47But communities here are close and supportive of each other.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49It's a healthy and simple life, but Ruiqin
0:16:49 > 0:16:53and her family love living in such a remote, mountainous area.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05HE SPEAKS CHINESE
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Lijiang is located in the province of Yunnan,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14in the southwest of China.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20It's one of China's most famous ancient cities and home to
0:17:20 > 0:17:22over a million people.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28The area around Lijiang is where the Naxi people come from.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32"Na" means senior and honoured, and "Xi" means people.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Wang Yuxi's family are Naxi.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57First stop for Yuxi and his dad is the famous
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Jade Snow Dragon Mountain, on the outskirts of the city of Lijiang.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16These mountains give the people water,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19wood and some natural medicines.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Scientists come from all over the world
0:18:21 > 0:18:24to study the rare plants and animals found here.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29The peaks are covered in snow all year round
0:18:29 > 0:18:32and are home to the southernmost glacier in the northern hemisphere.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Not far from these beautiful mountains is Lake Lashihai.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48The lake is also a good place for birdwatching.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Yuxi and his father visit the ancient tea route,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07which begins near the lake.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14More than 1,000 years ago, the locals started using these
0:20:14 > 0:20:18special horses to carry the tea grown in the fields of Yunnan.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21The mountain tracks of the tea route,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24or Silk Road, as it's also known, were the best way to
0:20:24 > 0:20:28transport not only tea but also sugar and salt for trading.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Traders visited neighbouring provinces like Tibet
0:20:34 > 0:20:36and Guizhou to sell their goods.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41But some of traders would trek for hundreds of miles through
0:20:41 > 0:20:44mountains and forests until they reached
0:20:44 > 0:20:48the markets of neighbouring countries Burma, Laos and Vietnam.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Yunnan has great conditions for growing tea -
0:20:54 > 0:20:58fertile soil, lots of rain, never blisteringly hot
0:20:58 > 0:21:00and never freezing cold.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Yunnan tea has a very special flavour
0:21:07 > 0:21:09and is enjoyed all over the world.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Yuxi and his dad went to a local teahouse to try it for themselves.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Naxi families like Yuxi's are very close-knit,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16which probably helps them to keep their traditions alive.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Yuxi is off to find his best friend.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58A local Naxi wedding is taking place in Lijiang Old Town.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02SINGING AND MUSIC
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Yuxi's hometown of Lijiang really is a beautiful and unique place.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17And it's no surprise
0:24:17 > 0:24:20that so many people come here from all over the world to visit.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22SINGING
0:24:33 > 0:24:36My name is Ma Siduo.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I am nine years old.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44I live in Yangshuo.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Yangshuo is part of Guangxi Province in Southern China.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59It is a spectacular area, very popular with tourists
0:24:59 > 0:25:03drawn here by the sights of the amazing karst landscape.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09At the bottom of the valleys flow the rivers Yulong and Li.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10Temperatures are generally warm
0:25:10 > 0:25:14but it can get very wet and foggy in the rainy season.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24SHE SPEAKS CHINESE
0:26:11 > 0:26:15The whole area where Siduo lives is on a bed of limestone rock.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18It's the limestone that forms the steep-sided mountains,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21or karsts, and the underground caves.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Limestone is a porous rock and alkaline,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28so when the slightly acidic rain falls,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31as it does in the rainy season like now, the rock dissolves,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34forming impressive stalactites and stalagmites in the caves.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49A whole tourist industry has built up in Yangshuo. There are lots of
0:26:49 > 0:26:51hotels and restaurants and bustling street markets
0:26:51 > 0:26:55where farmers and local craftsmen can sell their goods.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13School and after school clubs are a very big part of
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Chinese children's lives.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27The children learn about the history of maths,
0:30:27 > 0:30:32reading it out loud as a class before they start their sums.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34THEY CHANT IN CHINESE
0:30:41 > 0:30:44SIDOU VOICE-OVER
0:30:47 > 0:30:49TEACHER SPEAKS CHINESE
0:30:49 > 0:30:52SHE SPEAKS CHINESE
0:31:11 > 0:31:13The children exercise to keep warm,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17as there is very little heating, if any, in the school buildings.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59Siduo loves her friends and her school,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01and her hometown of Yangshuo.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07She is lucky enough to live in
0:32:07 > 0:32:09one of the most beautiful parts of China.
0:32:22 > 0:32:27My name is Memgke. I'm 11 years old.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29SHE SPEAKS CHINESE
0:32:38 > 0:32:41The town of Sandouping is on the banks of the Yangzte River
0:32:41 > 0:32:45and has a population of about 35,000 people.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00Memgke lives with her grandparents
0:33:00 > 0:33:04because her parents have had to find work in another part of China.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07The family, like many others in the region, were displaced
0:33:07 > 0:33:09when the Three Gorges Dam was built.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Their farm is now underwater and they've had to find work
0:33:14 > 0:33:16elsewhere, too far away to commute.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32The Yangtze provides all the water the dam needs to generate
0:33:32 > 0:33:35millions of kilowatts of clean and renewable electricity.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40It is then distributed all over China.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47But not everyone was happy about the dam. The people who lived by
0:33:47 > 0:33:50the river had to sacrifice their homes and way of life.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16The Spring Festival is also the Chinese New Year Celebration
0:34:16 > 0:34:18and the time when the majority of Chinese people
0:34:18 > 0:34:20take their annual holiday.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22FIREWORKS POPPING
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Even though they've lost their farm, Memgke's family work hard to
0:35:30 > 0:35:34provide as much fresh, home-grown food as they possibly can.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53The traditional Spring Festival feast takes a lot of preparation.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Memgke's parents are travelling home from where they now work
0:36:42 > 0:36:43in Southern China.
0:36:43 > 0:36:49It's 1,170 kilometres away and it takes 13 hours to drive.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Memgke and her family have lived through many changes
0:38:31 > 0:38:33over the last few years.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35The building of the dam has ensured regular water supplies
0:38:35 > 0:38:39and clean energy for many people across China, but it has been
0:38:39 > 0:38:42hard at times for the families now separated because of work.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45So they really make the most of the times they have
0:38:45 > 0:38:47to celebrate together.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing by Red Bee Media Ltd