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NARRATOR: For 3,000 years,
this vast land, China,
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has been defined by one
incredible structure,
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a giant wonder of the world.
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The Great Wall of China.
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The Wall helped civilisations
to rise,
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dynasties to dominate,
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trade to flourish.
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The Great Wall has become the history
of China, ancient and modern.
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In a special aerial journey,
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we are going to fly the length
of the Great Wall of China,
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covering a breath-taking 1,500 miles,
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following in the footsteps
of emperors and soldiers,
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traders and invaders...
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..to reveal how this Great Wall
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shaped one of history's
greatest civilisations.
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From the Yellow Sea in the east to
the far distant deserts of the west,
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our spectacular bird's-eye view
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uncovers China's hidden secrets,
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from Genghis Khan to Kublai Khan,
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from Confucius to Mao Zedong...
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..as the Great Wall shows how China
advanced as an ambitious superpower,
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destined to be the richest country
on earth.
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We explore how this magnificent
man-made monument,
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that cost a million lives to build,
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is now the powerful image
of the world's biggest nation.
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It took 14 Chinese dynasties
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almost 2,500 years
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to build the Great Wall of China.
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All of them trying to keep out
the Mongol invaders
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who continued to threaten
successive generations.
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On our journey along the Great Wall,
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we'll be travelling 1,500 miles
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from the Yellow Sea in the east,
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across northern China
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to the edge of the Gobi Desert
in the west...
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..as we tell the extraordinary story
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of the most famous monument
in the world.
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Our journey begins
at Old Dragon's Head,
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on the coast of the Yellow Sea,
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just 180 miles from Beijing.
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It's 5:00am.
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A summer dawn on China's Yellow Sea.
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Here, local people
are already out fishing.
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..doing what their ancestors
have done for centuries.
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In the 16th century, Japanese pirates
raided this coastline...
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..but the all-powerful Ming Dynasty
soon put a stop to all that.
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For three centuries,
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the mighty Ming Empire
was hugely successful
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in keeping China's borders secure.
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In the distance, you can see
exactly how they did it.
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Here, at Old Dragon's Head,
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standing guard on this shoreline,
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is the start of this iconic monument,
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the Great Wall of China.
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Standing defiant and impressive,
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the Great Wall.
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More than 2,300 years in the making.
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(MAJESTIC MUSIC)
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It looks ageless,
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rock-solid.
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But don't be fooled -
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surprisingly, some parts of this
section are only 30 years old.
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The 1579 original section of wall
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was re-built in 1987,
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after the coastline was bombed in
a trade dispute with Europe in 1900.
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It was re-built for tourists,
both foreign and Chinese.
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These days, China's
fast-growing middle classes
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want to celebrate their
ancient Great Wall heritage
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and as the nation's wealth increases,
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more and more want to holiday
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by this cleverly restored
World Heritage site.
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Two centuries before Christ,
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the Emperor Qin,
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who gave China its name
and coined the term 'Great Wall',
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commanded his subjects to swim here
in the Yellow Sea,
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in search of an elusive drug that he
believed would give him immortality.
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He never found this mythical elixir
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but his legacy lives on
in this world-famous monument.
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Leaving Old Dragon's Head and
the start of the Great Wall behind,
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our journey will follow the Wall
inland, away from the coast.
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Then our route will snake over
dozens of mountain ranges,
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just north of China's capital,
Beijing,
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before crossing the mighty
Yellow River
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and through to the so-called
Heart of the Dragon
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at Zhenbeitai.
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Beyond, the wall reaches further west
to the edge of the Gobi Desert,
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ending at Jiayuguan,
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1,500 miles from here,
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the same distance
as London to Moscow.
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Coming up, we begin
the second part of our journey
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as we head inland
6 miles from the sea.
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As the Wall faces the first
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of many spectacular climbs
into the mountains...
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..we discover the real reason
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that over a third of the Great Wall
has already been destroyed.
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After leaving the coast behind,
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we travel west 150 miles
from the Yellow Sea,
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just 85 miles north of Beijing,
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getting our first Great Wall glimpse
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of the lush, green mountains
of Gubeikou,
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whose name translates
as 'Ancient North Pass'.
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Here, there's a memorable location
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that boasts its own
unique claim to fame.
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Two centuries ago,
some very special visitors
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got their first view
of the Great Wall from here.
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In fact, this picturesque spot
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provided the Western world
with the first-ever dramatic images
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of the Great Wall,
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long before cameras
had even been invented.
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And it was all thanks to one
inquisitive British soldier.
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Here, in 1793,
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Britain's first-ever trade delegation
came across the wall
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and they were all astonished by it.
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Ambassador Earl George Macartney
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and his entourage,
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representing King George III,
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camped here on their way
to meet the emperor
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in his northern summer residence.
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Many of them wrote accounts
in their diaries,
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overcome by the incredible scale
of what they saw.
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And one of them, British Army
engineer Captain William Parish,
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became one of the first foreigners
to measure, draw and calculate
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how the towers and walls
were actually built.
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Captain Parish
then painted a watercolour
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of the view he saw from Gubeikou,
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with the Wall
snaking off dramatically
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over Crouching Tiger Mountain
in the distance.
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But he could not have imagined
the impact it would have back home.
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On returning to Britain,
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his painting was reproduced
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in newspapers, magazines and books
across Europe...
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..causing a sensation
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as the first detailed picture of
the Great Wall seen outside China.
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It remained the defining image
of the Great Wall
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until photography emerged
almost a century later.
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Almost 50 miles on,
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as the Wall rises and falls
over more mountains,
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there's painful proof
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of how centuries of damage have
scarred and destroyed the Great Wall.
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This is our first glimpse
of what's known as 'Wild Wall',
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here in Liuwenyu.
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Nature and time
have taken their toll.
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The weighty stones of the Great Wall
have crumbled
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and become part
of the natural landscape,
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ground down by winter frosts,
summer heat, earthquakes...
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..and many of nature's
greener invaders.
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Much of the Great Wall
is now in this condition.
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In the last 370 years,
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since the Wall was completed
by the Ming,
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more than one-third of the Great Wall
has been destroyed.
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In the 20th century,
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the Wall suffered man-made damage
from wars and revolution.
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Many sections close to Beijing
were severely damaged
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in the wars with Japan in the 1930s.
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These solid 16th-century towers
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still proved useful cover
during these wars...
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..but always at the cost
of the Great Wall.
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We take a detour
from our main journey
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to visit a separate section.
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400 miles north-west,
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we find the earliest part
of the Great Wall.
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We're looking for an ancient section
of the Wall few have ever seen.
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These silent mountains
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are near the remote northern border
between China and Mongolia.
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Long-forgotten and hidden away,
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we discover China's oldest remaining
section of Great Wall.
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Tourists never make it here.
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Aside from local goat farmers,
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no-one visits this mysterious wall.
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And there it is.
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Majestic.
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Caught in the timeless
golden sunrise,
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the original first Wall,
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built an incredible 2,300 years ago,
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looking a bit like Hadrian's Wall.
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But the Chinese built it nearly
400 years before the Roman wall,
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that was designed was designed
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to keep those north of the border
out of England.
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But its function here
was very similar -
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designed on a giant scale to keep out
the marauding Mongol horsemen
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who threatened China in 300 BC.
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From around 2,500 years ago,
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kings defended their states
from raiding nomads
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with long walls like this
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but when Emperor Qin united China
for the first time
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in the 2nd century BC,
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he also united
multiple neighbouring walls
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to form what he coined
'the Great Wall'.
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Since then, like the Wall itself,
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China's history has been shaped
by bold Mongol invaders
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confronting ambitious dynasty
wall-builders,
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a military arm-wrestle for control,
over 23 centuries.
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Between 300 BC and 1644,
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more than a dozen different Chinese
dynasties built extensive walls.
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This led to a network of long walls
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that resembles London's Tube map.
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So the Great Wall is in fact
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a collection of as many
as 16 separate walls,
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spread across northern China.
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The total length of all the walls,
including the many subsections,
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is a remarkable 13,000 miles long,
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half the circumference of the Earth.
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The greatest of all Mongol invaders
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was warrior-conqueror Genghis Khan.
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Khan and his sons
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were the first foreigners to defeat
and occupy the entire Chinese Empire
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in the 13th century.
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For almost 160 years,
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they ruled China's
biggest empire ever
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with their Yuan Dynasty,
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which also included all of Mongolia.
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The mighty Ming finally overthrew
the Yuan Dynasty
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and re-installed Chinese rule
in the 14th century.
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But the Mongol threat
cast a long shadow over China,
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forcing the Ming
to fortify their borders.
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They were the last dynasty to build
the final, most comprehensive wall
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across northern China,
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completing the longest wall ever -
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at 5,600 miles,
twice the width of the USA.
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Returning to our journey
along the main Great Wall,
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just north of Beijing,
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we're now about 160 miles
from the coast.
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We head higher into the mountains.
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It's easy to see
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why the Great Wall was such a barrier
to Mongol invaders from the north.
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Now restored, the tourists replace
the Chinese soldiers
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who once defended
these impressive ramparts.
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But there's an important story here
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of how, 500 years ago,
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Mongol invaders forced a dramatic
burst of wall-building
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after they nearly conquered
Beijing itself,
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and it changed the entire shape
of the Great Wall.
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This spectacular section of the Wall
was constructed
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by the most famous and ruthless
of all the Great Wall builders...
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00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,560
..Commander Qi Jiguang.
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The Great Wall master builder
is honoured in this marble frieze.
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00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:16,080
His amazing story shows us why China
so often built walls
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as the solution to the constant
threat of Mongol invasion.
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00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,240
Mongol horsemanship
and warrior skills
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meant they could ride easily
into Chinese territory...
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..to plunder the valuable silks,
tea and gunpowder
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00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:32,880
that China was famous for.
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In 1550, Beijing was at the heart
of the Ming Dynasty
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when a 10,000-strong Mongol attack
left the city under siege.
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The shock of this immediate
Mongol threat
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brought a swift response
from the powerful Ming Dynasty.
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Qi Jiguang was given
unlimited cash and resources
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to do what the Ming knew
worked best...
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..build more fortifying walls,
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00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,000
bigger and better than ever.
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Over 20 years,
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the commander built hundreds
of watchtowers on every peak,
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to house troops and supplies.
254
00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:24,240
He created wider ramparts to connect
all these new towers
255
00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:28,160
and designed the first sophisticated
signalling system
256
00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,760
to warn against advancing
Mongol troops.
257
00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,160
For the first time in 2,000 years,
258
00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,880
messages could now be transported
along the Wall itself
259
00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:41,800
and across the whole nation.
260
00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,320
Yet despite this key role
and visionary work,
261
00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:58,080
when his imperial supporter
died suddenly,
262
00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,800
Commander Qi fell out of favour
with the new regime.
263
00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:08,120
Aged 55, he was banished south,
264
00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:10,720
never to see his Great Wall again.
265
00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:18,640
Yet it was his vision that helped
preserve and protect the Ming Dynasty
266
00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,880
until 1644.
267
00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,640
Even today, the evidence
of his Great Wall ambition
268
00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:31,200
can be seen across the distant,
rolling mountains,
269
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:36,440
here in what the Chinese call
the Wall Without End.
270
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,720
Travelling 80 miles west,
271
00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:51,600
in another beautiful valley lies the
magnificent Wall at Huanghuacheng.
272
00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,640
Look closely at the crafted quality
of the brickwork here.
273
00:18:57,640 --> 00:18:59,480
So solid and compact,
274
00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:05,240
it's hard to believe these ramparts
have stood here for 500 years.
275
00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:07,960
But this is not re-built
tourist Wall -
276
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,040
it's the original work
of a master craftsman
277
00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:15,560
and his story, in the life
of the Wall, is a tragic one.
278
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,160
The ancient craft of wall-building
279
00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,520
offers a unique insight
into Chinese culture.
280
00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:30,280
Thousands of wall-building families
were imported here for generations
281
00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:33,640
to devote themselves to building
this imposing wall.
282
00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:36,360
Many were dedicated to their task,
283
00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:40,320
inspired by the great
Chinese philosopher Confucius.
284
00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:45,680
500 years BC,
285
00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,560
China adopted Confucius's teachings
286
00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:53,280
and his ideas of perfectionism,
caution, justice,
287
00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,200
kindness, sincerity
288
00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,320
and above all, dedication.
289
00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,960
But for the man in charge
of the Wall here,
290
00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:08,000
chief wall-builder Cai,
291
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,120
his perfectionism, his cautious,
careful attention to detail
292
00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:14,000
and commitment to the cause
293
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,440
were to be his downfall,
according to local legend.
294
00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:22,240
His Beijing bosses warned
295
00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:26,640
his team's rate of wall-building
was consistently too slow.
296
00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:29,720
A year later,
when Cai hadn't speeded up
297
00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,320
and his rate of wall construction
remained slower than others',
298
00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:35,240
he was removed from the job
299
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,240
and executed.
300
00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:44,880
Years later, destructive rainstorms
caused extensive land-slips
301
00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,600
and damaged most of the Wall
in this region
302
00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,560
but Cai's section of the wall
remained solid.
303
00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:53,920
Cai was posthumously pardoned
304
00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:55,960
and commemorated on a stone tablet,
305
00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:59,000
which you can still see today
inside this tower.
306
00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:13,240
In Chinese culture,
307
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:17,560
keeping good relationships
is of the highest priority.
308
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,160
It's the vital key
to success in business,
309
00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,320
social and public life.
310
00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,760
Losing favour,
especially with those in power,
311
00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:33,960
means losing everything -
312
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,600
and it's a recurring theme
in China's history,
313
00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:39,320
from the first emperor
314
00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,880
to the revolutionary founder
of modern China, Mao Zedong.
315
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,120
Ahead, we explore China's
oldest railway station
316
00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:55,720
and discover why the busiest section
of the Great Wall
317
00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,640
attracts 11 million visitors a year.
318
00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,920
Continuing our journey, we are now
just 40 miles north of Beijing,
319
00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,360
approaching a famous part of the Wall
320
00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:11,000
that welcomes up to
65,000 tourists a day.
321
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,720
This is the Badaling section
of the Great Wall.
322
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,240
With a high-speed bullet train
station right on site,
323
00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:21,280
this is the Great Wall
at its most accessible.
324
00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,680
Each year, 11 million visitors
from around the world
325
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,160
make Badaling the most popular spot
on the Great Wall.
326
00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,400
This is the very first section
of wall to ever open to tourists,
327
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,160
back in 1957.
328
00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:49,160
Badaling certainly has its fair share
of monumental history.
329
00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:53,040
This is the oldest surviving
train station in China,
330
00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:57,520
built by Zhan Tianyou,
father of China's railroads.
331
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,360
Born into a family of tea traders
who fell into poverty,
332
00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:05,880
Tianyou's father recognised
the power of education
333
00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:07,480
and sent him to school,
334
00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,120
where he discovered his passion
for engineering.
335
00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,200
After studying at Yale,
336
00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,000
he returned from America
337
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,240
and in 1905,
he became the first engineer
338
00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:23,560
to build a Chinese railroad
unsupervised by European expertise.
339
00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,960
Today's bullet trains make the
journey from Beijing
340
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,120
in as little as 20 minutes,
341
00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:35,680
which explains why Badaling is such
a popular destination for tourists
342
00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:37,400
looking for the quickest way
343
00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,480
to see one of the Seven Wonders
of the Modern World.
344
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:52,680
Engineer Tianyou wasn't the only
American connection at Badaling,
345
00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,120
as it was here in 1972
346
00:23:55,120 --> 00:23:59,480
that China first welcomed
a US president - Richard Nixon.
347
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,640
After the Revolution of 1949,
348
00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,800
which led to the foundation
of the People's Republic of China,
349
00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:09,840
its new leader, Chairman Mao,
350
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:13,120
closed the country to outsiders.
351
00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:16,080
But it was here,
on top of the Great Wall,
352
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,680
the very symbol of China's
historic aversion to foreigners,
353
00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,400
that Mao introduced his nation
to Nixon -
354
00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,120
and to the world.
355
00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:29,960
Since then, three more US presidents
and some 500 world leaders
356
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:31,520
have visited the Great Wall,
357
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:36,400
including Her Majesty the Queen
and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1986.
358
00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:39,600
It's the perfect backdrop
359
00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:43,560
for China's grand entrance
onto the international stage.
360
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,280
Today, China and the US
are battling it out
361
00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,080
to be the dominant global superpower,
362
00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:56,440
with China swiftly catching up as
the second-biggest economy on earth.
363
00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:05,720
A measure of its ambition
364
00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:10,120
is the world's deepest and largest
underground bullet train station,
365
00:25:10,120 --> 00:25:12,320
being built right here in Badaling
366
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,320
for 2022.
367
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:23,040
Even the Great Wall isn't immune
to China's high-speed modernisation.
368
00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,160
Remaining true
to its extraordinary history,
369
00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,280
China is building its newest,
greatest station
370
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,080
500 metres below its oldest.
371
00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:39,080
We leave Badaling
and travel on 30 miles.
372
00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,440
Peering through the mists
of this wild mountain...
373
00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:46,520
..it may be hard to believe
374
00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,640
that sections of the Great Wall
375
00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,840
were constructed along
these perilous peaks,
376
00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,360
4.5 centuries ago,
377
00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:58,320
a dizzying 1,000 metres
above sea level.
378
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:07,560
This is perhaps the most recognisable
section of the Great Wall,
379
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:09,480
here at Jiankou.
380
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:16,720
Although not far away,
381
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:18,840
these treacherous ramparts
382
00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,920
don't attract the same number
of visitors as Badaling.
383
00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,480
You may recognise it from postcards
and coffee table books.
384
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,640
(UPLIFTING MUSIC)
385
00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,400
With the help of local peasants,
386
00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:43,680
troops and their families
were stationed
387
00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:45,560
all along these dangerous cliffs
388
00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,520
to build and then man the Wall
and its watchtowers.
389
00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:52,200
It's thanks to their efforts
and sacrifice
390
00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,160
that we can still enjoy
this glorious view today.
391
00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:01,000
Could those wall-builders,
all those years ago,
392
00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:05,720
have ever imagined their work would
be seen across the world?
393
00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,760
(UPLIFTING MUSIC)
394
00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,640
But within China,
395
00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,440
the Wall hasn't always
been appreciated.
396
00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:41,440
During the Cultural Revolution under
Mao, from 1966 to his death in 1976,
397
00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,760
large sections of the Wall
were neglected.
398
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,080
In his mission to propel China
into the future,
399
00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:52,960
Mao Zedong declared war
on what he called the 'Four Olds' -
400
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:57,000
old custom, old culture, old habits
401
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,320
and old ideas.
402
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,280
It was in this period that the Wall
was relegated as an irrelevance.
403
00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:07,200
There were even stories of people
dismantling the Wall,
404
00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,480
in order to re-use its bricks.
405
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,880
With extreme levels of poverty
during this time,
406
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:16,400
it's no surprise
407
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:20,720
that the desperate Chinese people
resorted to such drastic measures.
408
00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,000
Fast-forward to 2020
409
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,040
and the Wall is
under construction again,
410
00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:37,080
this time under the watchful eye
of Chinese conservationists.
411
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,320
After decades of falling
into disrepair,
412
00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:49,080
a new project aims to preserve
this wild section of Wall.
413
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,440
Workers today are using the same
techniques and materials
414
00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:56,440
as their ancestors.
415
00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,240
They're even using such
unlikely ingredients
416
00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:01,320
as sticky rice in mortar.
417
00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,600
The Great Wall remains
a passion project for this nation.
418
00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:15,440
But whether it has provided
protection or building materials,
419
00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,880
its purpose
has always been the same -
420
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,040
to serve and protect its people.
421
00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:26,720
Now it's the people's turn to serve
and protect their Great Wall.
422
00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,520
We're now over 250 miles away
423
00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:57,440
from the start of our journey
on the coast of the Yellow Sea,
424
00:29:57,440 --> 00:29:59,600
in Laiyuan County.
425
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,280
Here, in these remote hills,
426
00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,400
are some of the best-preserved
sections of Great Wall.
427
00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:14,120
But we're a long way from the tourist
buzz of Beijing and Badaling.
428
00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,640
In this provincial corner of China,
429
00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,400
we find a land lost in time.
430
00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:25,480
Local farmers still live and work
right here, beside the Great Wall,
431
00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,800
as their ancestors did
when they manned the towers.
432
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,960
Built in just three years
in the 16th century,
433
00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:35,520
this section of Wall too
434
00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:39,520
was a reaction to the threat
of the Mongols to the Ming Empire.
435
00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,600
The soldiers worked in shifts,
436
00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,440
manning the towers 24 hours a day,
437
00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:55,280
their eyes always on the lookout
for northern invaders.
438
00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,120
It was their job to clear the forests
around the Wall
439
00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,760
in order to keep visibility high,
440
00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:09,080
ready at any time to set off
smoke signals, tower by tower,
441
00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:10,840
as a warning.
442
00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,880
On mornings like this,
443
00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:37,680
there's a special atmosphere.
444
00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,520
The sight of the Great Wall at dawn
445
00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:44,840
remains as incredible today
446
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,240
as it must have been centuries ago.
447
00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,120
And yet the Wall has a darker secret.
448
00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:58,400
It's been described as
'the long graveyard',
449
00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,920
having claimed countless lives,
450
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:03,400
perhaps as many as a million.
451
00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:08,680
It stands as a record
452
00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:12,200
to the devotion and perseverance
of the Chinese people
453
00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,080
and their nation.
454
00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:22,120
For the soldiers who dedicated
their life to protecting China,
455
00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:25,640
to see the Wall
in the spectacular morning sun...
456
00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,800
..the mighty monument
must have seemed incredible.
457
00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,480
When soldiers were stationed
on the Wall,
458
00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:04,840
they had to rely on their wives
and families
459
00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:09,960
to bring them food and supplies from
the villages while they were on duty.
460
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,160
Without the support
of their families,
461
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,280
the soldiers never would have been
able to build the Wall.
462
00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,240
Nowadays, the farmers
that still live here
463
00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:32,080
are like a time capsule of
China's agricultural past,
464
00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,000
still using century-old techniques.
465
00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:42,960
Despite only 15% of its land
being arable,
466
00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:46,000
China has 200 million farms.
467
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,640
Most of them are small,
family-run farms like this,
468
00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:52,880
typically around
a quarter of an acre each.
469
00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:58,160
And yet today, China feeds over
a fifth of all humans on earth.
470
00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:06,240
But in 1958,
Mao's Great Leap Forward,
471
00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,760
which aimed to modernise China's
agricultural sector,
472
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:14,080
left millions starving
in the Great Famine of 1959.
473
00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,600
These last remaining farming families
474
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,720
have seen a lot of change
over the last century.
475
00:34:23,720 --> 00:34:26,280
The number of farming households
476
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:30,840
has decreased by over 70%
in the last decade alone.
477
00:34:36,720 --> 00:34:40,720
Thanks to the hard work of those
soldiers so many years ago,
478
00:34:40,720 --> 00:34:44,000
these robust limestone towers
479
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,000
remain in use.
480
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:50,520
Today they provide shelter
for this farmer's goat herd,
481
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:53,560
rather than the Ming's
imperial troops.
482
00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:05,080
Despite the fast-paced development
of modern China
483
00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:09,040
and as many of the young move
to China's modern mega-cities,
484
00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:12,480
here, the way of life
remains the same.
485
00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:18,800
(GOAT BLEATS)
486
00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:25,040
(BLEATS)
487
00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:29,880
(GOATS BLEAT)
488
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:51,720
Now we're coming to the end of the
stone-wall section of the Great Wall.
489
00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,720
Just over a quarter of the way
along our journey,
490
00:35:57,720 --> 00:36:02,000
we're about to discover a very
different kind of Great Wall.
491
00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,360
Channelling through Inner Mongolia,
492
00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,760
this is rammed-earth wall.
493
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:14,760
This is not the Great Wall
seen in films or TV.
494
00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:17,120
Made using compacted soil,
495
00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:21,040
it may be surprising to see that this
Wall - and its watchtowers too -
496
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,120
have stood the test of time.
497
00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:28,480
Two-thirds of the Great Wall of China
were constructed in this way.
498
00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:33,800
As we pass through,
we continue to travel west,
499
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,000
discovering a new Great Wall,
500
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:39,040
less renowned but still impressive.
501
00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:42,720
On the next stage of our journey,
we discover
502
00:36:42,720 --> 00:36:46,560
where the mighty Great Wall meets
the spectacular Yellow River
503
00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:51,520
and uncover a disaster that killed
nearly 2 million Chinese people.
504
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:02,160
We're now 400 miles
from our start point in the east.
505
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:08,080
We're climbing down from
the mountain ridges north of Beijing
506
00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:10,200
and following the wall westwards
507
00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,320
into this great plateau
across Inner Mongolia.
508
00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:17,920
Out here, the Ming were a long way
509
00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:21,360
from their traditional
building material of stone.
510
00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:28,040
Not to be deterred,
511
00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,240
they found an alternative.
512
00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:39,120
This wall was made using
a traditional method of construction
513
00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:42,320
which compacts wet soil
within a wooden frame,
514
00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:45,480
leaving it to bake
in the roasting sun.
515
00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:49,960
The result is surprisingly sturdy.
516
00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:54,680
400 years later
517
00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:56,960
and it still stands strong.
518
00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:15,040
Today, Inner Mongolia is a region
in the People's Republic of China
519
00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:19,080
and has the largest ethnically
Mongolian population in the world...
520
00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,200
..outnumbering even
the country of Mongolia.
521
00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:29,600
It was from here,
in eastern Inner Mongolia,
522
00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:33,280
that the Mongols spread across China
under Genghis Khan.
523
00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:46,920
In the 20th century,
524
00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:50,000
the Chinese people
were divided by civil war
525
00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:54,680
but the Great Wall in this region
saw the country uniting once again,
526
00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:56,680
against a new threat.
527
00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:05,520
This time, it was the Japanese
trying to invade.
528
00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,520
They had already managed
to seize and occupy
529
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:13,000
the territory north of this border...
530
00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:15,960
..and in 1931,
531
00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:17,880
this ancient Great Wall...
532
00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:22,200
..served as the barricade
that kept them at bay.
533
00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:46,480
30 miles further along the wall,
534
00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:51,200
the influence of Ancient China
collides with another powerful force.
535
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:59,240
This Christian village can be seen
to the right of the Great Wall,
536
00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:02,440
an unexpected meeting
of East and West.
537
00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:17,160
When French missionaries came
to China in the 16th century,
538
00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:19,640
the Ming Dynasty
that had built the Wall
539
00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,800
had already fallen and been replaced
by the Qing Dynasty.
540
00:40:25,720 --> 00:40:27,600
The new Chinese emperor
541
00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,560
ordered the missionaries
to map the Great Wall for him
542
00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:32,520
in 1708.
543
00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:36,560
It was to become the earliest
documented map of the Wall,
544
00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:38,960
which has survived to this day.
545
00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:43,520
The drawings were made just under
70 years after the Wall was abandoned
546
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:46,360
and they show us
the disintegration of the Wall.
547
00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:54,520
A recent survey suggests that up to
a third of the Wall no longer exists.
548
00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:57,480
But we wouldn't have known this
549
00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:00,400
without the work of those
Christian missionaries
550
00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:02,360
as a point of reference.
551
00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:16,920
Nearly two centuries later, in 1899,
552
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:19,320
there was an anti-Christian
rebellion.
553
00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:24,440
The Boxer Rebellion saw organised,
wide-scale attacks
554
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:27,080
on Christians and their monuments.
555
00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:30,480
This church fell victim
to the uprising.
556
00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:34,360
It was set on fire
and almost destroyed.
557
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:48,800
(BELL RINGS)
558
00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:50,680
Despite this troubled history,
though,
559
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,800
Christianity still continues
to thrive in China.
560
00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:55,960
(BELL RINGS)
561
00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,520
Today, estimates of the number
of Christian Chinese
562
00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:05,080
range between 90 million
and 120 million
563
00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:08,360
and it is predicted that by 2030,
564
00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:12,000
China will have the world's largest
Christian population.
565
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:14,400
(CONGREGATION PRAYS
IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
566
00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,080
Here in this village,
567
00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:25,080
this church stands side-by-side
568
00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:28,440
with the most commanding monument
of Chinese culture,
569
00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:30,400
the Great Wall.
570
00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:43,240
Like China itself, the Great Wall
571
00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:47,960
has both resisted and given in to
invasion over the centuries.
572
00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,920
Outsiders have continually
tried to impose their ideals
573
00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:54,280
and threaten Chinese traditions.
574
00:42:55,320 --> 00:42:57,760
Here, the villagers have learned
575
00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:01,080
to live contentedly
with that culture clash.
576
00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:20,120
Travelling further west, we reach
the Yellow Earth plateau.
577
00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,480
In this area, the land
is made up of soft sediment,
578
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:27,680
blown over from the Gobi Desert,
579
00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:30,800
which has collected here
for thousands of years.
580
00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:36,200
Most of the Great Wall in this region
581
00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:38,920
has been destroyed by the elements.
582
00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:42,640
But the locals have made the most
583
00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:45,600
of some of the Great Wall ruins
that remain,
584
00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:50,320
such as this walled fortress that
has been transformed into a farm.
585
00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:54,480
Farmers in this region
have used clever techniques
586
00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:57,200
to make the most
of the fertile soil here,
587
00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:00,360
even terracing the land around
abandoned watchtowers
588
00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:02,120
to grow crops.
589
00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:13,120
Now we're following the Wall
back in time
590
00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:15,720
to discover the origins of China.
591
00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:18,800
For the first time on our journey,
592
00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:22,040
the Wall meets a giant
of China's landscape.
593
00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:26,520
(IMPOSING MUSIC)
594
00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:47,640
As the Nile has for Egypt,
595
00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:49,280
the mighty Yellow River
596
00:44:49,280 --> 00:44:52,920
has been dubbed
the cradle of Chinese civilisation.
597
00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:59,640
This waterway is often known
as the Mother River.
598
00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:04,480
It is the life-giver
of this landscape.
599
00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:14,880
Recorded history traces
the start of Chinese civilisation
600
00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:16,800
back to the Yellow River.
601
00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:19,440
In fact, Confucius himself
602
00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:22,720
is said to have been born
in a village on its waterfront.
603
00:45:32,240 --> 00:45:34,040
As agriculture developed,
604
00:45:34,040 --> 00:45:37,400
the farms on this land
were able to feed more people,
605
00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:40,560
sustaining larger
and larger communities.
606
00:45:42,840 --> 00:45:46,320
But there was also more
and more to protect
607
00:45:46,320 --> 00:45:48,840
and so walls were built...
608
00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:55,400
..first around homes and farms,
609
00:45:55,400 --> 00:45:57,960
then towns and cities...
610
00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:04,080
..and finally around
whole regions and nations,
611
00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:08,640
protecting what was inside
from the threat of the outside.
612
00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:16,040
At this section of the Yellow River,
known as Old Ox Bend,
613
00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:19,600
the extraordinary landscape
converges with the Great Wall.
614
00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:25,120
At the very tip of the ox's horn,
615
00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:27,600
there's an imposing
hilltop watchtower,
616
00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:29,680
built in 1467,
617
00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:32,320
which is strategically placed.
618
00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:43,400
There are stories of how ancient
humans have shaped this river...
619
00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:48,000
..building canals
to divert the river into the sea
620
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:50,000
and protect their villages...
621
00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:58,360
..using the river but protecting
themselves from its dangers.
622
00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:12,480
Stretching almost 3,500 miles,
623
00:47:12,480 --> 00:47:17,200
the waters of the Yellow River also
have an immense power to destroy.
624
00:47:22,440 --> 00:47:24,920
A catastrophic flood in 1887
625
00:47:24,920 --> 00:47:27,080
killed nearly 2 million people...
626
00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:31,600
..and brought imperial China
to its knees.
627
00:47:33,240 --> 00:47:35,200
The Mandate From Heaven,
628
00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:38,560
which was the foundation
of China's imperial rule,
629
00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:42,000
was called into question
by the devastating flood
630
00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:43,560
and as a result,
631
00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:47,480
in 1912, the Chinese Republic
was formed.
632
00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:58,240
The advance of China continues
633
00:47:58,240 --> 00:48:01,040
as ancient ways of life are lost
634
00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:03,920
and Chinese society evolves.
635
00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:13,280
All the while,
636
00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:18,760
this Great Wall watchtower looks out
over China's Yellow River,
637
00:48:18,760 --> 00:48:22,160
the birthplace of this mighty nation.
638
00:48:35,480 --> 00:48:40,120
Just ahead, we reveal how the
Great Wall helped trade to flourish
639
00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:43,600
and paved the way
for the famous Ming vases.
640
00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:53,920
The Great Wall and the dragon
are both icons of Chinese history.
641
00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:57,160
They have both come to symbolise
wealth and protection.
642
00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:03,920
We have now followed the Wall
from Old Dragon's Head,
643
00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:07,760
snaking halfway across China
to this midway point,
644
00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:10,160
known as the Heart of the Dragon,
645
00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:13,040
on the outskirts
of the city of Yulin.
646
00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:15,160
Here at Zhenbeitai,
647
00:49:15,160 --> 00:49:17,000
during the Ming's empire,
648
00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:20,200
this fortress was the backdrop
to a change in tactics
649
00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:22,040
to defend the country.
650
00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:29,920
Before the Ming Dynasty,
651
00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:32,880
the Mongols had ruled
over the whole of China
652
00:49:32,880 --> 00:49:38,040
as the Yuan Dynasty,
from 1279 until 1368.
653
00:49:38,040 --> 00:49:42,280
It was they who unlocked the great
potential of continental trade.
654
00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:47,160
Under the Mongol Empire, indigo from
Iran was transported into China
655
00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:49,640
and the resulting
blue-and-white porcelain
656
00:49:49,640 --> 00:49:53,720
became so iconic that it inherited
the name of the nation -
657
00:49:53,720 --> 00:49:55,480
china.
658
00:49:56,720 --> 00:49:59,840
Then came the Ming,
who refined this craft
659
00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:03,200
and created the world-renowned
Ming vase.
660
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:10,680
But they also re-invented the way
in which the empire traded.
661
00:50:10,680 --> 00:50:14,400
They build huge fortresses,
like Zhenbeitai,
662
00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:18,440
an unmissable symbol
of China's might and wealth.
663
00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:24,560
It was in the horse tea markets
664
00:50:24,560 --> 00:50:28,000
that took place in this fortress
in the 1550s
665
00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:31,400
that the Ming realised
the power of commerce.
666
00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:34,480
Not only did trade create wealth
for the country -
667
00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:37,640
favourable trade deals
with their northern enemies
668
00:50:37,640 --> 00:50:39,840
created peace.
669
00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:43,040
For centuries,
China continued like this,
670
00:50:43,040 --> 00:50:46,160
masterfully in control
of its growing economy.
671
00:50:48,040 --> 00:50:50,160
Today, on this battlement,
672
00:50:50,160 --> 00:50:54,800
we see the people of Yulin
practising ancient martial arts.
673
00:50:55,840 --> 00:50:58,200
Tai Chi, though a fighting style,
674
00:50:58,200 --> 00:51:01,200
is based on the principles
of Yin and Yang
675
00:51:01,200 --> 00:51:05,080
and a deep belief that all things
are made up of opposites
676
00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:07,600
that can come
to exist in perfect harmony.
677
00:51:10,080 --> 00:51:12,200
Defence and commerce,
678
00:51:12,200 --> 00:51:14,200
fighting and trading -
679
00:51:14,200 --> 00:51:16,560
balancing these apparent opposites
680
00:51:16,560 --> 00:51:19,680
was an essential strategy
for China's rulers.
681
00:51:19,680 --> 00:51:21,200
Like Tai Chi,
682
00:51:21,200 --> 00:51:25,000
Zhenbeitai is not
what it first appears to be.
683
00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:26,760
It's not a battleground
684
00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:28,560
but a marketplace.
685
00:51:31,480 --> 00:51:34,920
The art of Tai Chi is partly
about self-defence
686
00:51:34,920 --> 00:51:38,800
but it is primarily about
control over the self
687
00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:41,320
and achieving balance.
688
00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:43,360
By the late 16th century,
689
00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:47,680
China as a nation could certainly be
said to have mastered this idea,
690
00:51:47,680 --> 00:51:49,680
keeping control of its borders
691
00:51:49,680 --> 00:51:51,320
and its economy.
692
00:51:52,560 --> 00:51:54,160
For the next 200 years,
693
00:51:54,160 --> 00:51:58,200
goods were traded peacefully
all along the Great Wall.
694
00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:01,320
China had what many
European powers wanted -
695
00:52:01,320 --> 00:52:04,400
silks, tea, china -
696
00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:06,000
but increasingly,
697
00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:09,520
these trade partners had little
to offer China in return,
698
00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:14,720
except the highly lucrative
but illegal drug opium.
699
00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:18,080
But with growing mass addiction
in China
700
00:52:18,080 --> 00:52:21,240
after Britain turned to
illegally smuggling the drug,
701
00:52:21,240 --> 00:52:25,000
tensions escalated,
leading to the Opium Wars,
702
00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:27,840
which lasted until 1860.
703
00:52:27,840 --> 00:52:30,440
The Chinese, who invented gunpowder,
704
00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:33,360
were eventually defeated
by their very own creation
705
00:52:33,360 --> 00:52:36,560
at the hands of their former
European trading partners,
706
00:52:36,560 --> 00:52:40,800
who then dominated the next
100 years of international trade.
707
00:52:43,360 --> 00:52:48,200
By the 1900s, floods, civil unrest
and poor trade deals
708
00:52:48,200 --> 00:52:51,880
meant China's grip over its empire
had started to weaken.
709
00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:54,840
Building great walls
was no longer enough
710
00:52:54,840 --> 00:52:58,280
to keep China protected
from the outside world.
711
00:53:01,280 --> 00:53:04,640
When Chairman Mao
came into power in 1949,
712
00:53:04,640 --> 00:53:06,680
there had been decades
of civil conflict
713
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:09,320
between the Communists
and the Nationalists.
714
00:53:09,320 --> 00:53:12,120
China was one of the world's
poorest nations.
715
00:53:12,120 --> 00:53:13,960
Under Mao,
716
00:53:13,960 --> 00:53:16,880
almost three decades of failed
initiatives to modernise the country
717
00:53:16,880 --> 00:53:18,960
followed.
718
00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:22,280
When new leader Deng Xiaoping
came into power,
719
00:53:22,280 --> 00:53:26,040
it finally brought a new era
of Chinese prosperity.
720
00:53:27,560 --> 00:53:31,320
Deng Xiaoping opened up China
to foreign investment
721
00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:35,120
by setting up special economic zones
in select cities.
722
00:53:38,560 --> 00:53:41,720
60 years later
and the tables have turned.
723
00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:48,520
850 million Chinese people
have been lifted out of poverty.
724
00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:53,960
The good fortune of the dragon
has re-awakened in modern China.
725
00:53:57,120 --> 00:53:59,960
We're nearing the edge
of the Gobi Desert,
726
00:53:59,960 --> 00:54:06,000
travelling west over 300 miles from
the hubbub of Yulin's urban sprawl.
727
00:54:07,720 --> 00:54:09,800
Even in this barren landscape,
728
00:54:09,800 --> 00:54:12,960
the Great Wall can be seen
impressively intact,
729
00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:17,320
standing 7 metres tall
as it runs through the desert,
730
00:54:17,320 --> 00:54:21,680
reaching even the remotest corners
of this vast territory.
731
00:54:25,240 --> 00:54:28,600
China has once again been innovative
732
00:54:28,600 --> 00:54:32,800
but its latest construction
is in sustainability
733
00:54:32,800 --> 00:54:34,680
and it's now well on its way
734
00:54:34,680 --> 00:54:38,840
to being the world's first
renewable energy superpower.
735
00:54:38,840 --> 00:54:42,960
China's great legacy
of its pioneering past
736
00:54:42,960 --> 00:54:46,320
stands alongside
this pioneering future.
737
00:54:50,560 --> 00:54:54,520
Next, the Wall reaches
a jewel of the Ming's empire...
738
00:54:55,520 --> 00:54:57,040
..Yongtai.
739
00:54:59,360 --> 00:55:03,120
This walled desert town,
built in 1608,
740
00:55:03,120 --> 00:55:05,880
is also known as Turtle Town
741
00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:09,680
and was one of thousands
dotted all across northern China.
742
00:55:11,440 --> 00:55:15,200
From the air, it's clear to see
how it got its name.
743
00:55:22,120 --> 00:55:24,400
Built 12 metres high,
744
00:55:24,400 --> 00:55:29,160
this mile-long barrier wall provided
an effective defence for the town...
745
00:55:30,920 --> 00:55:35,400
..once again protecting the people
and the precious resources inside.
746
00:55:36,840 --> 00:55:40,240
Today the town
still needs protection -
747
00:55:40,240 --> 00:55:43,120
this time, from neglect.
748
00:55:44,240 --> 00:55:47,040
As China's mega-cities
continue to grow,
749
00:55:47,040 --> 00:55:50,840
places like Yongtai
have uncertain futures.
750
00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:55,800
Once thriving, the town now
only has around 76 households
751
00:55:55,800 --> 00:55:58,400
and with just the elderly remaining,
752
00:55:58,400 --> 00:56:00,760
the primary school lies empty,
753
00:56:00,760 --> 00:56:02,880
classrooms abandoned.
754
00:56:07,240 --> 00:56:11,120
The latest figures show that
60% of China's population
755
00:56:11,120 --> 00:56:13,400
now live in urban areas,
756
00:56:13,400 --> 00:56:17,480
compared to only 16% in 1960.
757
00:56:17,480 --> 00:56:21,400
There is some hope for settlements
like these, though.
758
00:56:21,400 --> 00:56:26,400
Turtle Town has been given
cultural relic protective status
759
00:56:26,400 --> 00:56:28,920
and much-needed injections of cash
760
00:56:28,920 --> 00:56:31,440
have come from some
surprising sources.
761
00:56:31,440 --> 00:56:34,280
The town has drawn in tourists
762
00:56:34,280 --> 00:56:36,960
but it's also caught the attention
of film-makers,
763
00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:39,560
thanks to its awesome architecture.
764
00:56:39,560 --> 00:56:41,160
This church
765
00:56:41,160 --> 00:56:45,640
is not an artefact of 16th-century
Christian missionary influence -
766
00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:48,160
it was built for a film set
767
00:56:48,160 --> 00:56:50,720
and the locals here
were also involved,
768
00:56:50,720 --> 00:56:53,200
taking a break
from their usual day's work,
769
00:56:53,200 --> 00:56:56,000
to try their hand
at being film extras.
770
00:56:58,600 --> 00:57:02,400
This remote desert town is,
in many ways,
771
00:57:02,400 --> 00:57:05,200
a victim of China's
modern advancement.
772
00:57:06,320 --> 00:57:09,360
But with the tourist industry
in China booming,
773
00:57:09,360 --> 00:57:12,640
these magnificent defensive walls
of Yongtai
774
00:57:12,640 --> 00:57:15,760
might yet encourage outsiders in.
775
00:57:17,400 --> 00:57:19,560
Once again, these walls here
776
00:57:19,560 --> 00:57:23,080
might just save the residents
of Turtle Town.
777
00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:31,960
Ahead, we explore the Genghis Khan
City of Ghosts,
778
00:57:31,960 --> 00:57:34,040
buried in the remote Gobi Desert,
779
00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:39,160
as we finally reach the spectacular
end of China's mighty Great Wall.
780
00:57:41,200 --> 00:57:43,600
We're heading 200 miles north
781
00:57:43,600 --> 00:57:45,560
on a Great Wall detour
782
00:57:45,560 --> 00:57:50,360
to one of the most remote,
uninhabitable places on Earth -
783
00:57:50,360 --> 00:57:52,280
the Gobi Desert.
784
00:57:54,120 --> 00:57:57,680
This walled city, once an oasis,
785
00:57:57,680 --> 00:57:59,680
was built in 1026
786
00:57:59,680 --> 00:58:03,560
but captured by Genghis Khan
two centuries later.
787
00:58:03,560 --> 00:58:07,680
He made it a stronghold
for the Yuan Mongol Empire,
788
00:58:07,680 --> 00:58:10,440
a century before the Ming
gained power.
789
00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:17,200
This place has a unique
and bloody history.
790
00:58:18,440 --> 00:58:20,480
Known as Khara-Khoto,
791
00:58:20,480 --> 00:58:23,320
it's the ancient site
of a military massacre
792
00:58:23,320 --> 00:58:25,680
that saw the downfall of one empire
793
00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:27,600
and the dawn of another.
794
00:58:29,320 --> 00:58:32,400
In a siege of the city in 1372,
795
00:58:32,400 --> 00:58:34,720
the Ming's imperial troops attacked,
796
00:58:34,720 --> 00:58:37,600
blocking the river
to cut off the water supply.
797
00:58:38,680 --> 00:58:41,600
Trapped inside,
the residents held out
798
00:58:41,600 --> 00:58:44,240
but their desert oasis soon dried up.
799
00:58:46,200 --> 00:58:49,320
When it became clear
that there was no way out,
800
00:58:49,320 --> 00:58:51,680
their leader, King Khara Bator,
801
00:58:51,680 --> 00:58:55,280
killed his entire family
and then himself.
802
00:58:57,960 --> 00:59:00,720
The Ming swarmed into the town,
803
00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:03,640
killing all the inhabitants
in the streets.
804
00:59:05,320 --> 00:59:09,200
Their bodies were left
beneath the baking sun,
805
00:59:09,200 --> 00:59:12,120
eventually buried
by the desert sands.
806
00:59:13,520 --> 00:59:18,000
Some say their spirits still
roam the ruins to this day.
807
00:59:19,120 --> 00:59:25,160
This eerie city had been a final
bastion of Mongol rule in China,
808
00:59:25,160 --> 00:59:29,560
an emblem of Genghis Khan's
powerful legacy and empire.
809
00:59:30,800 --> 00:59:33,720
The famous Silk Road explorer
Marco Polo
810
00:59:33,720 --> 00:59:37,680
was invited here by Genghis Khan's
grandson, Kublai Khan,
811
00:59:37,680 --> 00:59:39,760
before the Ming takeover.
812
00:59:39,760 --> 00:59:41,800
In Marco Polo's book, he noted
813
00:59:41,800 --> 00:59:45,880
the city dwellers "did not
concern themselves with trade,"
814
00:59:45,880 --> 00:59:48,720
despite their position
right on the Silk Road,
815
00:59:48,720 --> 00:59:50,960
the cross-continental trading route.
816
00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:58,760
This was an oasis that revelled in
its isolation and self-sufficiency,
817
00:59:58,760 --> 01:00:01,240
protected by mighty walls,
818
01:00:01,240 --> 01:00:03,600
much like China itself.
819
01:00:07,680 --> 01:00:09,400
But Khara-Khoto's refusal
820
01:00:09,400 --> 01:00:12,720
to move with the changing tides
of power and commerce
821
01:00:12,720 --> 01:00:14,520
led to its demise.
822
01:00:15,560 --> 01:00:19,480
For a nation preoccupied with
innovation and development,
823
01:00:19,480 --> 01:00:23,160
the fate of Khara-Khoto
offers a stark omen.
824
01:00:24,280 --> 01:00:27,200
Those who dwell
in the glories of the past
825
01:00:27,200 --> 01:00:30,000
will be swept aside by progress.
826
01:00:34,120 --> 01:00:38,800
This is now the last section
of the journey towards Jiayuguan.
827
01:00:38,800 --> 01:00:41,560
After over 1,200 miles,
828
01:00:41,560 --> 01:00:45,600
the wall runs through an area
known as the Hexi Corridor.
829
01:00:46,600 --> 01:00:51,280
This wide valley is nestled between
the Qilian Mountains to the south
830
01:00:51,280 --> 01:00:53,600
and the Gobi Desert to the north.
831
01:00:54,600 --> 01:00:56,720
It's at the end of this last stretch
832
01:00:56,720 --> 01:00:59,760
that we find the final watchtower
on the Great Wall
833
01:00:59,760 --> 01:01:01,720
and reach our journey's end.
834
01:01:03,160 --> 01:01:05,400
On this westernmost frontier,
835
01:01:05,400 --> 01:01:07,600
the Ming did everything they could
836
01:01:07,600 --> 01:01:11,280
to complete their takeover
from the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.
837
01:01:12,640 --> 01:01:14,720
The result -
838
01:01:14,720 --> 01:01:17,200
this spectacular fortress city...
839
01:01:19,040 --> 01:01:23,240
..the final battlement in the Ming's
extraordinary Great Wall border.
840
01:01:28,240 --> 01:01:31,360
This is Jiayuguan Fortress,
841
01:01:31,360 --> 01:01:33,520
standing tall at dawn.
842
01:01:35,640 --> 01:01:38,360
(MAJESTIC MUSIC)
843
01:02:02,560 --> 01:02:05,400
630 years ago,
844
01:02:05,400 --> 01:02:08,320
around the same time
that Khara-Khoto was captured,
845
01:02:08,320 --> 01:02:12,480
Central Asian commander Timur
and his nomad army
846
01:02:12,480 --> 01:02:15,760
were headed eastwards towards China.
847
01:02:15,760 --> 01:02:18,000
He was undefeated,
848
01:02:18,000 --> 01:02:22,600
a devotee to Genghis Khan's
military ideology
849
01:02:22,600 --> 01:02:25,800
and equally driven
in his conquering ambitions.
850
01:02:27,200 --> 01:02:31,640
His goal was to reinstate Mongol rule
across the continent,
851
01:02:31,640 --> 01:02:35,440
drive out the Ming
and resurrect the Yuan Dynasty.
852
01:02:40,720 --> 01:02:46,280
And so the Ming rushed to build this
powerful, double-walled fortress.
853
01:02:46,280 --> 01:02:50,680
Its aim - to halt Commander Timur
and his army
854
01:02:50,680 --> 01:02:53,480
and protect their new empire's border
855
01:02:53,480 --> 01:02:56,920
here at the narrowest point
of the Hexi Corridor.
856
01:02:57,920 --> 01:03:01,960
In the end, the death
of the formidable Timur,
857
01:03:01,960 --> 01:03:03,560
on his way to China,
858
01:03:03,560 --> 01:03:05,200
meant this grand fortress
859
01:03:05,200 --> 01:03:08,320
never experienced that final,
dramatic battle.
860
01:03:09,640 --> 01:03:12,480
Instead, for 500 years,
861
01:03:12,480 --> 01:03:17,880
this magnificent monument became the
Ming's imposing barrier to outsiders.
862
01:03:19,040 --> 01:03:20,600
Imagine -
863
01:03:20,600 --> 01:03:24,880
for traders and camel trains
arriving from the Silk Road,
864
01:03:24,880 --> 01:03:29,720
this was their intimidating gateway
into mighty China.
865
01:03:43,400 --> 01:03:49,280
Heading west, past the fortress and
along this final 4-mile stretch...
866
01:03:50,440 --> 01:03:55,640
We reach the very end
of our epic, 1,500-mile journey.
867
01:03:56,760 --> 01:03:59,000
This crumbling single watchtower
868
01:03:59,000 --> 01:04:03,760
is the unlikely final end of the
Ming Dynasty's Great Wall of China.
869
01:04:05,240 --> 01:04:07,240
Here the Wall meets head-on
870
01:04:07,240 --> 01:04:11,360
with a force of nature from which
it cannot be protected.
871
01:04:11,360 --> 01:04:13,960
Instead, the Wall and its builders
872
01:04:13,960 --> 01:04:15,760
took full advantage of it.
873
01:04:17,680 --> 01:04:20,520
The Great Wall stops
at the Taolai River,
874
01:04:20,520 --> 01:04:22,880
which has carved out
this deep canyon,
875
01:04:22,880 --> 01:04:25,600
framed by the Qilian Mountains.
876
01:04:26,760 --> 01:04:29,640
Against this magnificent backdrop,
877
01:04:29,640 --> 01:04:31,640
this westernmost watchtower
878
01:04:31,640 --> 01:04:34,320
balances on the edge of collapse.
879
01:04:44,440 --> 01:04:47,480
This is the end
of our Great Wall journey.
880
01:04:47,480 --> 01:04:51,080
Just over 1,500 miles later,
881
01:04:51,080 --> 01:04:53,920
we have followed the length
of the Great Wall.
882
01:04:56,080 --> 01:04:59,960
From its watchtowers,
ramparts and fortresses,
883
01:04:59,960 --> 01:05:02,640
we have looked out
onto this mighty nation
884
01:05:02,640 --> 01:05:05,800
and seen the birth of civilisations,
885
01:05:05,800 --> 01:05:08,480
the rise and fall of dynasties,
886
01:05:08,480 --> 01:05:12,640
the sites of military victories
and massacres,
887
01:05:12,640 --> 01:05:15,320
the lives of ordinary people.
888
01:05:15,320 --> 01:05:19,560
We have witnessed the Wall encompass
the history of Christianity,
889
01:05:19,560 --> 01:05:22,320
the geography of Mongolia,
890
01:05:22,320 --> 01:05:25,280
the philosophies and beliefs
of Eastern Asia.
891
01:05:27,000 --> 01:05:29,040
Travelling along the Great Wall
892
01:05:29,040 --> 01:05:33,000
has revealed the timelessness
of so many of China's customs
893
01:05:33,000 --> 01:05:35,080
and how its turbulent past
894
01:05:35,080 --> 01:05:40,560
continues to shape its attitude
towards the present and the future.
895
01:05:40,560 --> 01:05:42,720
The same desire to innovate
896
01:05:42,720 --> 01:05:44,680
that produced the Great Wall
897
01:05:44,680 --> 01:05:47,720
drives the country forward today,
898
01:05:47,720 --> 01:05:50,080
to expand its cities,
899
01:05:50,080 --> 01:05:51,880
grow its economy,
900
01:05:51,880 --> 01:05:54,000
progress its power.
901
01:05:55,080 --> 01:05:59,120
This is the story of how China
made the Great Wall...
902
01:06:00,120 --> 01:06:03,760
..and how the Great Wall made China.
903
01:06:06,200 --> 01:06:09,200
Captions by Red Bee Media
(c) SBS Australia 2022
69970
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