1 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:17,440 NARRATOR: For 3,000 years, this vast land, China, 2 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,800 has been defined by one incredible structure, 3 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,040 a giant wonder of the world. 4 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,080 The Great Wall of China. 5 00:00:33,480 --> 00:00:36,760 The Wall helped civilisations to rise, 6 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:38,800 dynasties to dominate, 7 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,080 trade to flourish. 8 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,880 The Great Wall has become the history of China, ancient and modern. 9 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,160 In a special aerial journey, 10 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,400 we are going to fly the length of the Great Wall of China, 11 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:01,440 covering a breath-taking 1,500 miles, 12 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,400 following in the footsteps of emperors and soldiers, 13 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,760 traders and invaders... 14 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:10,760 ..to reveal how this Great Wall 15 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,840 shaped one of history's greatest civilisations. 16 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,640 From the Yellow Sea in the east to the far distant deserts of the west, 17 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,280 our spectacular bird's-eye view 18 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,080 uncovers China's hidden secrets, 19 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,800 from Genghis Khan to Kublai Khan, 20 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:31,280 from Confucius to Mao Zedong... 21 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,760 ..as the Great Wall shows how China advanced as an ambitious superpower, 22 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,240 destined to be the richest country on earth. 23 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:46,080 We explore how this magnificent man-made monument, 24 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,840 that cost a million lives to build, 25 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:53,480 is now the powerful image of the world's biggest nation. 26 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,960 It took 14 Chinese dynasties 27 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,280 almost 2,500 years 28 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,960 to build the Great Wall of China. 29 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,040 All of them trying to keep out the Mongol invaders 30 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,480 who continued to threaten successive generations. 31 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,040 On our journey along the Great Wall, 32 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,400 we'll be travelling 1,500 miles 33 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,440 from the Yellow Sea in the east, 34 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,080 across northern China 35 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,440 to the edge of the Gobi Desert in the west... 36 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,000 ..as we tell the extraordinary story 37 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,840 of the most famous monument in the world. 38 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,200 Our journey begins at Old Dragon's Head, 39 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,240 on the coast of the Yellow Sea, 40 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,160 just 180 miles from Beijing. 41 00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:57,840 It's 5:00am. 42 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,680 A summer dawn on China's Yellow Sea. 43 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,600 Here, local people are already out fishing. 44 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,440 ..doing what their ancestors have done for centuries. 45 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:20,080 In the 16th century, Japanese pirates raided this coastline... 46 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,280 ..but the all-powerful Ming Dynasty soon put a stop to all that. 47 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:28,920 For three centuries, 48 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:32,160 the mighty Ming Empire was hugely successful 49 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,760 in keeping China's borders secure. 50 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,440 In the distance, you can see exactly how they did it. 51 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,320 Here, at Old Dragon's Head, 52 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,640 standing guard on this shoreline, 53 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:49,360 is the start of this iconic monument, 54 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,600 the Great Wall of China. 55 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,800 Standing defiant and impressive, 56 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:00,480 the Great Wall. 57 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,760 More than 2,300 years in the making. 58 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,920 (MAJESTIC MUSIC) 59 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,480 It looks ageless, 60 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:27,960 rock-solid. 61 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:29,640 But don't be fooled - 62 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,400 surprisingly, some parts of this section are only 30 years old. 63 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,680 The 1579 original section of wall 64 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,000 was re-built in 1987, 65 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,800 after the coastline was bombed in a trade dispute with Europe in 1900. 66 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,800 It was re-built for tourists, both foreign and Chinese. 67 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,840 These days, China's fast-growing middle classes 68 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:56,640 want to celebrate their ancient Great Wall heritage 69 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,280 and as the nation's wealth increases, 70 00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:01,040 more and more want to holiday 71 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,040 by this cleverly restored World Heritage site. 72 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:09,600 Two centuries before Christ, 73 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:11,200 the Emperor Qin, 74 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,760 who gave China its name and coined the term 'Great Wall', 75 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,440 commanded his subjects to swim here in the Yellow Sea, 76 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:22,760 in search of an elusive drug that he believed would give him immortality. 77 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,800 He never found this mythical elixir 78 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,160 but his legacy lives on in this world-famous monument. 79 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,240 Leaving Old Dragon's Head and the start of the Great Wall behind, 80 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,160 our journey will follow the Wall inland, away from the coast. 81 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:59,240 Then our route will snake over dozens of mountain ranges, 82 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,480 just north of China's capital, Beijing, 83 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:05,320 before crossing the mighty Yellow River 84 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,760 and through to the so-called Heart of the Dragon 85 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:09,480 at Zhenbeitai. 86 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:15,520 Beyond, the wall reaches further west to the edge of the Gobi Desert, 87 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,200 ending at Jiayuguan, 88 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,360 1,500 miles from here, 89 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,920 the same distance as London to Moscow. 90 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,720 Coming up, we begin the second part of our journey 91 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:40,000 as we head inland 6 miles from the sea. 92 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,800 As the Wall faces the first 93 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,080 of many spectacular climbs into the mountains... 94 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,080 ..we discover the real reason 95 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,320 that over a third of the Great Wall has already been destroyed. 96 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,240 After leaving the coast behind, 97 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,040 we travel west 150 miles from the Yellow Sea, 98 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,320 just 85 miles north of Beijing, 99 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,760 getting our first Great Wall glimpse 100 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,560 of the lush, green mountains of Gubeikou, 101 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,480 whose name translates as 'Ancient North Pass'. 102 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,680 Here, there's a memorable location 103 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,640 that boasts its own unique claim to fame. 104 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,760 Two centuries ago, some very special visitors 105 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,040 got their first view of the Great Wall from here. 106 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:43,960 In fact, this picturesque spot 107 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,800 provided the Western world with the first-ever dramatic images 108 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,560 of the Great Wall, 109 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,880 long before cameras had even been invented. 110 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,880 And it was all thanks to one inquisitive British soldier. 111 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,560 Here, in 1793, 112 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:05,480 Britain's first-ever trade delegation came across the wall 113 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,600 and they were all astonished by it. 114 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,480 Ambassador Earl George Macartney 115 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:17,080 and his entourage, 116 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,160 representing King George III, 117 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,480 camped here on their way to meet the emperor 118 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,640 in his northern summer residence. 119 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,000 Many of them wrote accounts in their diaries, 120 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,280 overcome by the incredible scale of what they saw. 121 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:39,640 And one of them, British Army engineer Captain William Parish, 122 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,360 became one of the first foreigners to measure, draw and calculate 123 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,280 how the towers and walls were actually built. 124 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,280 Captain Parish then painted a watercolour 125 00:08:57,280 --> 00:08:59,680 of the view he saw from Gubeikou, 126 00:08:59,680 --> 00:09:02,200 with the Wall snaking off dramatically 127 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,320 over Crouching Tiger Mountain in the distance. 128 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,800 But he could not have imagined the impact it would have back home. 129 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:13,560 On returning to Britain, 130 00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:15,200 his painting was reproduced 131 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,400 in newspapers, magazines and books across Europe... 132 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,040 ..causing a sensation 133 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:26,560 as the first detailed picture of the Great Wall seen outside China. 134 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,400 It remained the defining image of the Great Wall 135 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,720 until photography emerged almost a century later. 136 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,320 Almost 50 miles on, 137 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,600 as the Wall rises and falls over more mountains, 138 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,240 there's painful proof 139 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:51,920 of how centuries of damage have scarred and destroyed the Great Wall. 140 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:58,160 This is our first glimpse of what's known as 'Wild Wall', 141 00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:59,960 here in Liuwenyu. 142 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:04,360 Nature and time have taken their toll. 143 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,120 The weighty stones of the Great Wall have crumbled 144 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,440 and become part of the natural landscape, 145 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,680 ground down by winter frosts, summer heat, earthquakes... 146 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,520 ..and many of nature's greener invaders. 147 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,960 Much of the Great Wall is now in this condition. 148 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,400 In the last 370 years, 149 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:38,920 since the Wall was completed by the Ming, 150 00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:42,480 more than one-third of the Great Wall has been destroyed. 151 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:51,320 In the 20th century, 152 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,160 the Wall suffered man-made damage from wars and revolution. 153 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:02,600 Many sections close to Beijing were severely damaged 154 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,160 in the wars with Japan in the 1930s. 155 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:08,880 These solid 16th-century towers 156 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,360 still proved useful cover during these wars... 157 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,840 ..but always at the cost of the Great Wall. 158 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,360 We take a detour from our main journey 159 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:33,280 to visit a separate section. 160 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,240 400 miles north-west, 161 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:37,880 we find the earliest part of the Great Wall. 162 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:46,480 We're looking for an ancient section of the Wall few have ever seen. 163 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,360 These silent mountains 164 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:53,160 are near the remote northern border between China and Mongolia. 165 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,600 Long-forgotten and hidden away, 166 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,480 we discover China's oldest remaining section of Great Wall. 167 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:03,920 Tourists never make it here. 168 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,200 Aside from local goat farmers, 169 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,760 no-one visits this mysterious wall. 170 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,960 And there it is. 171 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,600 Majestic. 172 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,080 Caught in the timeless golden sunrise, 173 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,000 the original first Wall, 174 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,560 built an incredible 2,300 years ago, 175 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:34,560 looking a bit like Hadrian's Wall. 176 00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:39,320 But the Chinese built it nearly 400 years before the Roman wall, 177 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:41,000 that was designed was designed 178 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,640 to keep those north of the border out of England. 179 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,480 But its function here was very similar - 180 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:50,920 designed on a giant scale to keep out the marauding Mongol horsemen 181 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:54,040 who threatened China in 300 BC. 182 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,960 From around 2,500 years ago, 183 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,360 kings defended their states from raiding nomads 184 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,200 with long walls like this 185 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:08,000 but when Emperor Qin united China for the first time 186 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:09,640 in the 2nd century BC, 187 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:12,880 he also united multiple neighbouring walls 188 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:16,120 to form what he coined 'the Great Wall'. 189 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,880 Since then, like the Wall itself, 190 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,880 China's history has been shaped by bold Mongol invaders 191 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,840 confronting ambitious dynasty wall-builders, 192 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:30,960 a military arm-wrestle for control, over 23 centuries. 193 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,160 Between 300 BC and 1644, 194 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:39,280 more than a dozen different Chinese dynasties built extensive walls. 195 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,040 This led to a network of long walls 196 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,800 that resembles London's Tube map. 197 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,880 So the Great Wall is in fact 198 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:50,480 a collection of as many as 16 separate walls, 199 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:52,960 spread across northern China. 200 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:56,800 The total length of all the walls, including the many subsections, 201 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,720 is a remarkable 13,000 miles long, 202 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,520 half the circumference of the Earth. 203 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:06,880 The greatest of all Mongol invaders 204 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,560 was warrior-conqueror Genghis Khan. 205 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:12,800 Khan and his sons 206 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:17,440 were the first foreigners to defeat and occupy the entire Chinese Empire 207 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,680 in the 13th century. 208 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,240 For almost 160 years, 209 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,080 they ruled China's biggest empire ever 210 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,080 with their Yuan Dynasty, 211 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,040 which also included all of Mongolia. 212 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,240 The mighty Ming finally overthrew the Yuan Dynasty 213 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:39,160 and re-installed Chinese rule in the 14th century. 214 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:42,840 But the Mongol threat cast a long shadow over China, 215 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:45,920 forcing the Ming to fortify their borders. 216 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:51,560 They were the last dynasty to build the final, most comprehensive wall 217 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,520 across northern China, 218 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,960 completing the longest wall ever - 219 00:14:55,960 --> 00:15:00,760 at 5,600 miles, twice the width of the USA. 220 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,520 Returning to our journey along the main Great Wall, 221 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,280 just north of Beijing, 222 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:12,080 we're now about 160 miles from the coast. 223 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,760 We head higher into the mountains. 224 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,080 It's easy to see 225 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:24,000 why the Great Wall was such a barrier to Mongol invaders from the north. 226 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:28,280 Now restored, the tourists replace the Chinese soldiers 227 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,280 who once defended these impressive ramparts. 228 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,280 But there's an important story here 229 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,440 of how, 500 years ago, 230 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,920 Mongol invaders forced a dramatic burst of wall-building 231 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:46,120 after they nearly conquered Beijing itself, 232 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:50,120 and it changed the entire shape of the Great Wall. 233 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,480 This spectacular section of the Wall was constructed 234 00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:00,760 by the most famous and ruthless of all the Great Wall builders... 235 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,560 ..Commander Qi Jiguang. 236 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,680 The Great Wall master builder is honoured in this marble frieze. 237 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:16,080 His amazing story shows us why China so often built walls 238 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:19,280 as the solution to the constant threat of Mongol invasion. 239 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,240 Mongol horsemanship and warrior skills 240 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,200 meant they could ride easily into Chinese territory... 241 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:30,880 ..to plunder the valuable silks, tea and gunpowder 242 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:32,880 that China was famous for. 243 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:40,400 In 1550, Beijing was at the heart of the Ming Dynasty 244 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:45,360 when a 10,000-strong Mongol attack left the city under siege. 245 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:50,480 The shock of this immediate Mongol threat 246 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,720 brought a swift response from the powerful Ming Dynasty. 247 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,560 Qi Jiguang was given unlimited cash and resources 248 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,120 to do what the Ming knew worked best... 249 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:05,720 ..build more fortifying walls, 250 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,000 bigger and better than ever. 251 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,640 Over 20 years, 252 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,080 the commander built hundreds of watchtowers on every peak, 253 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:18,320 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