0:00:02 > 0:00:04Now on BBC News it's time for the Travel Show.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10China offers the traveller more incredible natural landmarks
0:00:10 > 0:00:15than almost any country on earth.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19When it comes down to it, I guess all I can say is this
0:00:19 > 0:00:22is a mind-boggling extravaganza of geological history and formation
0:00:22 > 0:00:27and life all put together, and it's just incredible to believe
0:00:27 > 0:00:31that no one really knew about it until recently.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46The economic explosion in China has been well documented,
0:00:46 > 0:00:50but I'm on a mission to explore this huge country's natural terrain,
0:00:50 > 0:00:56largely unknown to the rest of the world - but not for long.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01I've already marvelled at one of the world's most enigmatic
0:01:01 > 0:01:04volcanic craters in the north-east of the country and experienced
0:01:04 > 0:01:07the epic remote beauty of its Gobi Desert in
0:01:07 > 0:01:12the north-west, bordering Mongolia.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17I'm right on the edge of this sand dune, I can't believe it.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19These are destinations that represent the next stage of China's
0:01:19 > 0:01:23breakneck development, and what is already clear to me
0:01:23 > 0:01:27is that as China's huge population outgrows its cities, so the demand
0:01:27 > 0:01:32for outdoor recreation booms.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Domestic tourism is rising at a rapid rate and now it's a race
0:01:37 > 0:01:44against time to prepare and protect China's pristine landscapes.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Gansu province, where China meets Eurasia, may be today one
0:01:52 > 0:01:55of the country's poorest regions, but it's also home to one
0:01:55 > 0:01:59of the world's geological miracles, the Rainbow Mountains.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03China's Technicolor version of the Grand Canyon.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16500 square kilometres of sandstone and minerals,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19the bedazzling colours were formed by water erosion.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23They were created during the same geological shift that
0:02:23 > 0:02:29formed the Himalayas, some 80 million years ago.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33As spectacular as the Rainbow Mountain range is, what's almost
0:02:33 > 0:02:36as incredible is that until the turn of the millennium hardly
0:02:36 > 0:02:39anybody in China, let alone the rest of the world,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43had even heard of it.
0:02:43 > 0:02:50And that is an unlikely story in itself, which begins
0:02:50 > 0:02:54at this man's house.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07One day a photographer passed by Mr Lei as he was carrying
0:03:07 > 0:03:12out his normal farmer's chores.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47So before then, no one recognised this was
0:03:47 > 0:03:53a beautiful, natural wonder?
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Soon, other photographers latched onto this undiscovered gem,
0:04:13 > 0:04:21and their photos caught the eye of famous film director Zhang Yimou.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33He shot a remake of the Coen Brothers' film Blood Simple
0:04:33 > 0:04:37here and its success in China made the mountains famous.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Some of the props are still visible and Mr Lei himself was
0:04:40 > 0:04:46an extra in the movie.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51The area was awarded Unesco World Heritage
0:04:51 > 0:04:54status in 2010.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Today, Mr Lei is a bit of a local celebrity and his house has been
0:04:58 > 0:05:00extended into a 40-room hotel.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03A museum has been built and a tourist complex
0:05:03 > 0:05:07is under construction.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31So can you describe your experience here in the mountains range?
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Not you!
0:05:51 > 0:05:54How proud are you of the way that China looks after
0:05:54 > 0:05:58its natural wonders?
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Has China always been good at looking after its environment?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42When it comes down to it, I guess all I can say is that this
0:06:42 > 0:06:46is a mind-boggling extravaganza of geological history
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and formation and life, all put together, and it's just
0:06:49 > 0:06:57incredible to believe that no one really knew about it until recently.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01This park opened in 2008 and has quickly become
0:07:01 > 0:07:04a big draw for tourists.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08From just 30,000 visitors a year in the beginning, in 2015,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12more than a million came here.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14With that growth in tourism, is there a threat to
0:07:14 > 0:07:17the environment here?
0:07:54 > 0:07:59These aren't the only astonishing rock formations here.
0:07:59 > 0:08:06But while the Rainbow Mountains were hardly known until recently,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10this place doesn't even appear in any guidebook I've seen.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22If the Rainbow Mountains range is all about the forces of nature
0:08:22 > 0:08:25creating a vivid palette of colours, then this this geo-site
0:08:25 > 0:08:29is all about amazing and sometimes lifelike shapes being created
0:08:29 > 0:08:35by those very same forces.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Many of the formations bear uncanny resemblances to living
0:08:37 > 0:08:39beings and monuments.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43The Louvre Museum and an eagle's head, for example.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47This might be China's best kept secret at the moment,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50but it's only a matter of time before the world wakes up
0:08:50 > 0:08:54to this natural wonder.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00It's time to leave Gansu province and head to my next destination
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and the last leg of my tour.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07At least, that's what the plan is.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09The hazards of travelling within China.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Actually, the hazards of travelling from any remote region
0:09:11 > 0:09:14to another remote region.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Because of bad weather our plane was delayed from the first airport
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and we are now stuck here and we've missed the connecting flight,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24which means we're stranded here.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28So watch this space.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Or rather, don't watch this space.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And so on to China's western region and the edge of the Tibetan plateau.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38This is Sichuan province and here you'll find
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Jiuzhaigou National Park.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48The best-known features here are the dozens
0:09:48 > 0:09:50of multicoloured lakes.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Indeed, there's an old saying which goes - once you've seen
0:09:53 > 0:09:56the waters of Jiuzhaigou, you don't have to see any other
0:09:56 > 0:10:00waters anywhere, ever.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05There's two things I notice once I arrived here at
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Jiuzhaigou airport.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Firstly, it's bracingly chilly, and secondly, I'm short of breath.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14That's because the attitude here is 3500 metres
0:10:14 > 0:10:16above sea level.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18It's dizzyingly high.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Onwards.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29The development of China's national park lands like these has been rapid
0:10:30 > 0:10:31over the last two decades.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35The area of all parks in China now covers nearly 17%
0:10:35 > 0:10:37of its total land mass.
0:10:37 > 0:10:44That's higher than in the USA.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00You've got to say as soon as you walk into this park
0:11:00 > 0:11:07and you see scenery like this, it's pretty magnificent.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17This bus system is pretty efficient and it has to be.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Way back in 1984, when the park opened, there were only 5000 people
0:11:20 > 0:11:25visiting a year.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Today, it is 2 million a year and up to 10,000 a day.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30In fact, the park puts a limit on the number
0:11:30 > 0:11:37of tourists coming in each day.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Jiuzhaigou is named after the nine Tibetan villages of the valley
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and around 1000 Tibetan minority people live inside the park.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Tourism has helped employ many.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16Park ranger Liang Feng being one.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Do you think that the Tibetan attitude to nature is very important
0:12:19 > 0:12:24in helping this place be clean and healthy?
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The park has become an ideal holiday getaway for China's urban
0:13:02 > 0:13:05population, which now outnumbers its country dwellers.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Do you think it's romantic here?
0:13:42 > 0:13:43Do you think it's romantic here?
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Yes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And some people aren't just content with visiting here.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59There's quite an interesting phenomenon going on at the moment
0:13:59 > 0:14:02which is against the general trend in China, whereby people
0:14:02 > 0:14:06are actually leaving the city to go and live in the countryside and I'm
0:14:06 > 0:14:09going to a hostel right now which was set up by three cousins
0:14:09 > 0:14:12who came here on holiday last year and decided they wanted
0:14:12 > 0:14:15to stay for good.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30This looks great, can you show me around?
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Li Ling isn't the only one who's noticed the commercial potential
0:15:13 > 0:15:17of Jiuzhaigou's pristine nature.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Despite protective measures inside the park, rapid development
0:15:20 > 0:15:24outside has raised concerns about the environmental impact.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27I mean look at this place.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30This hotel complex has more than 1000 rooms and it resembles
0:15:30 > 0:15:33an aircraft hangar, it's so huge, and these shopping outlets
0:15:33 > 0:15:37are just everywhere.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39If you want a puffa jacket I suggest you come here.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49But I'm in search of a more authentic experience in Jiuzhaigou
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and one that gives me an insight into one of China's most famous
0:15:52 > 0:15:56and controversial minority cultures.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59If you want a really eco-conscious authentic experience,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02there are options.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Right now we are in one of nine Tibetan villages here in the valley,
0:16:10 > 0:16:15and here we have an eco-lodge.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Now, check this out.
0:16:17 > 0:16:24Lovely room, two nice beds, hot water.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Look at that, plus heating.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Very comfortable experience, and you can feel good about yourself
0:16:29 > 0:16:32too, doing it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Sink, and I've heard there's even Wi-Fi.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40What more could you want?
0:16:41 > 0:16:47This is a family business, with Tibetan origins.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50This woman's grandparents were born in Tibet, and her own life
0:16:50 > 0:16:54was going a familiar traditional path until this strong-willed woman
0:16:54 > 0:16:57decided she had other ideas.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32But she had other ambitions and told her cousin she didn't
0:17:32 > 0:17:36want to get married.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58She lived in Beijing for five years, working and studying.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02She returned home to Jiuzhaigou with a business idea.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18Her business acumen has provided her family with not just eco-homestays,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21but also a restaurant in town and a chance for tourists to learn
0:18:21 > 0:18:24about traditional cuisine.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I'm making veggie soup, which I'm sure has got
0:18:28 > 0:18:30a proper Tibetan name, but I'm going to make that,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and you guys, what are you making?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I'm making yak meatballs.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36Yak meatballs.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39I'm doing some yak meat-based thing that's wrapped in tinfoil,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41from what I saw.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Pretty good.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44And you?
0:18:44 > 0:18:46I'm doing a seasoned salad, it looks like.
0:18:46 > 0:18:47A seasoned salad.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Nice.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52OK, so let's begin.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16After an hour of beavering away in the kitchen,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18we're ready for a taste.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Wow, who made this?!
0:19:19 > 0:19:22We did.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25So tell us what each of these dishes that I know we made,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28what each of these dishes are?
0:19:28 > 0:19:32OK, so this vegetable and yak meat.
0:19:32 > 0:19:38That's potato and inside it has yak meat.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42This comes from the mountains, it's a very special Tibetan dish.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Is there a traditional Tibetan ceremony or something that you say
0:19:45 > 0:19:49before people eat?
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Yes, we have tea, and we say it like this.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57"Chin chey, chin chey".
0:19:57 > 0:19:58Really?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00What does this mean?
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Very happy get-together, thank you and a few things,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05we are happy to get-together.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Yes.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12ALL: Chin chey.
0:20:12 > 0:20:18Oh, and there is one other ceremony that she wants to show me.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22When it's drunk, I sing.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27We need one person drinking, so I can choose the person,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29so I choose you, OK?
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It's for good luck, she says.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36I'm not so sure, but she's my host, so what can I do?
0:20:36 > 0:20:43SHE SINGS A LIVELY SONG
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Thank you.
0:21:00 > 0:21:11SHE CONTINUES SINGING
0:21:11 > 0:21:13The hospitality was astonishing, the singing was brilliant,
0:21:13 > 0:21:14the food is lovely.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17The wine is good.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Three glasses in a row is probably pushing me
0:21:20 > 0:21:24to the limit, but you know, let's just have fun.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27HE EXHALES
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Yeah, thanks - there's no point overdoing it, exaggerating it!
0:21:42 > 0:21:44It's likely that just as with every other place I've
0:21:44 > 0:21:46experienced in China, the number of people visiting
0:21:46 > 0:21:51here will continue to rise and that will pose challenges in balancing
0:21:51 > 0:21:54the innocence and authenticity of these regions against the forces
0:21:54 > 0:21:58of grand scale development and mass tourism.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Certainly amongst the individuals I've met there's been a strong
0:22:09 > 0:22:12recognition that the country's natural assets have to be protected
0:22:12 > 0:22:15from the onslaught of big business, and I really, really
0:22:15 > 0:22:19hope their wisdom prevails.