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1
00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:16,600
I'm on the Peak of the world.
2
00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,440
Over there, to the north, are two of
the most colossal empires on Earth.
3
00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,360
This is Hong Kong. I was here
when I was a little girl
4
00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:32,080
and I haven't been back since.
5
00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:34,600
I'm about to start on one
of the most exciting journeys
6
00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:40,400
you can make on land which is
through China, Mongolia and Russia
7
00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:42,360
on the Trans-Siberian Express.
8
00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,280
We're going to end up in Moscow
9
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,560
where I was last
in the mid '60s when I was a model
10
00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,880
and it was in the grip
of the Cold War.
11
00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,080
I can't wait to begin.
Well, I have begun.
12
00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:53,960
This is the first part of the journey
13
00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,760
leaving the Peak and coming
down towards the ferry
14
00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,840
to go across
to the mainland to Kowloon.
15
00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,000
My 6,000 mile adventure
starts in Hong Kong
16
00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,280
which I last saw when I was four.
17
00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,560
I'll cross mighty China where the
new world rubs up against the old...
18
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,560
.. and visit a wild stretch
of the Great Wall.
19
00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:23,920
This is honestly like
being in a dream.
20
00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,880
From there, it's on to romantic
Mongolia, the land of Genghis Khan
21
00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,160
with its hardy nomads...
22
00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:36,360
.. and a mysterious shaman...
a vast, empty land.
23
00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,680
- Then I visit another empire...
- This is Russia. Speak Russian.
24
00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:46,000
.. crossing icy Siberia and glimpsing
Russia's undimmed spirit
25
00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:47,240
and troubled soul.
26
00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,760
Two guys jump
with Kalashnikovs in their hands.
27
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,160
Like, da-da-da, da-da.
28
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,440
I'll be meeting powerful oligarchs...
29
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,920
Oh, gosh. This is so
I get the gold flakes.
30
00:01:58,080 --> 00:01:59,520
.. stars of the future...
31
00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:00,680
Zazdarovje!
32
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,880
.. and enjoy Russian
hospitality to the full.
33
00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,000
See, that is a small vodka.
34
00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,920
Finally, I push on to Moscow,
which I last visited
35
00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,800
in the darkness of
the Cold War in 1966.
36
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:13,480
- Is that a nuclear bomb?
- Yes.
37
00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:18,200
My Trans-Siberian journey.
The adventure of a lifetime.
38
00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:34,640
Hong Kong, once a British colony
and protected by the British Army
39
00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,160
and my father, who was stationed
here with his Gurkha regiment.
40
00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,200
Of course, Hong Kong
is bound to have changed
41
00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,280
but I think, more than
any city in the world,
42
00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,960
Hong Kong is the one that has
altered. Its whole nature.
43
00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,000
So much land reclamation.
44
00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,120
You see that big scooping building
like a great biscuit
45
00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,080
with the tower behind? All that
has been stolen back from the sea.
46
00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,520
Where we're going now was water
and it's now been grown out.
47
00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,720
It's thrilling to be back.
48
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,520
It's terribly beautiful and
I don't remember any of it.
49
00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,120
It's as if I've been in a dream.
50
00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:16,640
All I know is that we
lived on Chatham Road.
51
00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,240
It used to be on the water's edge.
52
00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,400
It's the strangest thing in the world
53
00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,320
because I've got... I've got a
picture of me as a little girl...
54
00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,440
.. in Hong Kong with my mother
and my older sister.
55
00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,040
And we're standing, I think somewhere
pretty near Chatham Road
56
00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,160
but here you can see the
coastline so close to us.
57
00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,520
And now, we're in
the middle of a city.
58
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:52,400
It was a block of rather Victorian-y
flats with little balconies
59
00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,040
and we kept guinea pigs
called Sammy and Michael.
60
00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,040
And the guinea pigs whistled.
Mummy taught them how to whistle.
61
00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,120
(WHISTLES)
62
00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,800
And sometimes sailors would come
ashore on their shore leave,
63
00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,240
walking past and they'd hear
the guinea pigs whistle
64
00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,200
and they'd whistle back thinking
they were girls whistling to them.
65
00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,920
Next morning and a suburban
Hong Kong metro train.
66
00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,480
Please mind the gap...
67
00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,600
Please mind the gap. It reminds
me of Earl's Court. Rather lovely.
68
00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,880
Britain's 156-year rule
of Hong Kong ended in 1997
69
00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,400
when we handed it back to China.
70
00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,680
They run it as a separate state so
I'm clutching my passport and visa
71
00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:57,040
with Hong Kong dollars
cashed in for Chinese yuan.
72
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:01,040
One country, two systems.
73
00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,240
I'd be lying if I said there
wasn't a certain nervous thrill
74
00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,680
to be crossing the border
into Communist China.
75
00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:12,800
Thank you.
76
00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,320
So we're here and I want
to go to Children's Palace.
77
00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:21,800
Now where the hell am I going?
This is where I want.
78
00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,760
Shenzhen North Station.
That's what I want.
79
00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:30,120
Select quantity. One.
Amount due. Four. Four Yuan.
80
00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:33,280
It can't cost four.
That's about three pence.
81
00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,200
- Processing.
- (CASH TINKLES ON THE FLOOR)
82
00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,360
And money.
83
00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,600
So that was it. It cost 40p.
84
00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,880
And I've actually made money on that
little transaction. Thrilling.
85
00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:56,040
Shenzhen Mainline Station is where
I catch the Bullet Train to Beijing.
86
00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:01,760
It's huge.
87
00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:08,520
Now this could be a difficult
because I can't read Chinese.
88
00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,600
And so I won't know when it
says Beijing but I've got a clue
89
00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,200
because I'm looking for the G80.
90
00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,560
It's obviously saying it in English
cos it realised I was on the train
91
00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,960
and it knew I'd be anxious
about the right thing.
92
00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,960
So 11:28. Platform, I guess. A14.
93
00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:34,200
On this high speed, 10½-hour
and 1,400-mile journey,
94
00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,840
I've got a business class ticket
but it's a bit confusing.
95
00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:40,840
6A.
96
00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,360
That's it. That's my seat.
97
00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,960
Well, it's very odd
cos this is business class
98
00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,920
and that's first class and
business class is bigger and better
99
00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,360
than first class so first class...
100
00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:01,160
out here is just slightly
down, you know.
101
00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,640
Enormous cool window.
Lovely big armrests.
102
00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,160
- Take it away.
- (CLICKS FINGERS)
103
00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,480
As we hurtle through China, I feel
I've been projected into the future.
104
00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,400
When I was young, China was
referred to as a sleeping giant.
105
00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,440
Well, it's now very much awake.
106
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,640
1 in 5 people on Earth is Chinese
107
00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:51,000
and it is now officially
the world's biggest economy.
108
00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:54,840
Flying past the window are
cities I've never heard of
109
00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,840
that have populations
as big as London.
110
00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,200
But my destination is what,
in my geography books,
111
00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,360
was called Peking.
112
00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,520
We slip into Beijing
under the cover of night
113
00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,040
into a city teeming with life.
114
00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,160
In fact, 21 million lives.
115
00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,880
Old Peking has mostly gone.
You really have to look for it.
116
00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,240
New Beijing, still Communist but
embracing consumerism with open arms,
117
00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,720
is a shoppers' paradise.
118
00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:34,360
China buys more smartphones
than any other country
119
00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,880
and a third of the world's
luxury brands are sold here.
120
00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,520
They also consume more
red wine than anyone else,
121
00:08:40,680 --> 00:08:42,800
partly because red is a lucky colour
122
00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,240
so it's much more popular
than white wine.
123
00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,240
Luxury British bands are 30% more
expensive in Beijing than in London.
124
00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,400
Is this the Silver Wraith?
This one here?
125
00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,760
Mr Wilson runs the most successful
Rolls-Royce dealership in the world
126
00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:00,760
here in the capital
of Communist China.
127
00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:06,040
He introduces me to one of his
favourite clients, Madam Liu,
128
00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:10,040
to whom he recently sold
his thousandth Rolls-Royce.
129
00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,560
You can buy them here
for half a million quid.
130
00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,800
The average annual wage
is just over £2,000.
131
00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:19,160
Wow. Look. We've got
stars on the ceiling.
132
00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,760
The starry light at night.
133
00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:23,920
(SPEAKS MANDARIN)
134
00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,200
This is what she likes most.
135
00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:30,720
The glitter, the bling,
the starry, starry night.
136
00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:34,120
- How do I get to close the door?
- You can just press that button.
137
00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,400
# MADONNA: Material Girl
138
00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,080
# Cos we are living
in a material world
139
00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,640
# And I am a material girl
140
00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:49,360
# You know that we are
living in a material world
141
00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,840
# And I am a material girl #
142
00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,920
It's interesting. I never
thought I'd see Beijing
143
00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:56,760
from the heart of a Rolls-Royce.
144
00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,160
- (LAUGHS) - It seems extraordinary.
Who buys them?
145
00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,680
Where does the money come from?
This is riches beyond belief.
146
00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,600
Definitely from the very rapid
economic development in China.
For sure.
147
00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:11,320
Darling, I think probably not
with a mobile at the moment.
148
00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,360
(LAUGHS)
149
00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,280
Because now we have so many
successful, rich people in China.
150
00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,000
And then they obviously
enjoy finer things.
151
00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,720
Darling, don't... Not the phone.
You really must just...
152
00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,040
Wilson, will you ask
Madam Liu very kindly...?
153
00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:32,760
And what business are
you in, Madam Liu?
154
00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,680
- (TRANSLATES TO MANDARIN)
- (REPLIES IN MANDARIN) - Financial.
155
00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,480
- And also real estate.
- Real estate.
156
00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:43,960
And Madam Liu, what is it that
you love about the Rolls-Royce?
157
00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:46,120
(REPLIES IN MANDARIN)
158
00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,960
Because she believes
Rolls-Royce is the pinnacle.
159
00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,400
And that it is a symbol
of success and status.
160
00:10:55,560 --> 00:11:01,840
Madam Liu, do you ever feel any sense
of resentment from poorer people
161
00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,320
when you drive in such
a beautiful rich car?
162
00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,480
(REPLIES IN MANDARIN)
163
00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,600
The first impression is that all the
people are just appreciating the car.
164
00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:15,040
Not her!
165
00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:19,160
Beijing, once famous for
its millions of bicycles,
166
00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:21,920
is now cars bumper to bumper.
167
00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,240
- (SPEAKS IN MANDARIN)
- I know it's them.
168
00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,400
(SPEAKS IN MANDARIN)
169
00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,880
- She said if we were doing
it in her home town... - Yes?
170
00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,320
.. she could arrange
blocking the roads.
171
00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,960
For us to do the filming.
172
00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:41,440
She has the connections
with the authorities.
173
00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,880
Connections with authorities
oil wheels the world over
174
00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:57,200
but absolute power here in China has
always steered its own grim course
175
00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,560
as I'm about to discover.
176
00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,760
Beijing is a city where
capitalism is now king
177
00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:10,720
and money is power although
the Communists are in charge.
178
00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,280
It's very strange, however, to
find a place that celebrates
179
00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:17,200
the old days of Chairman Mao.
180
00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:22,120
Now, I've travelled the world
181
00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,280
and eaten in every type
of restaurant imaginable,
182
00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,320
but this one is by far the weirdest.
183
00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:29,560
(VOICES SPEAK MANDARIN)
184
00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:35,760
In the form
of the most bizarre cabaret,
185
00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,760
large helpings of Mao's
Cultural Revolution
186
00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:43,640
are served with wild enthusiasm
along with pizza and cold beer
187
00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:45,560
if you wish.
188
00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:02,480
It's an odd atmosphere given that in
Mao's Cultural Revolution in the '60s
189
00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,800
some 1.5 million people were killed
190
00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,880
and countless millions suffered
banishment, imprisonment
191
00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,040
and torture.
192
00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:20,880
Tell me... Tell me...
193
00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,040
what did you enjoy most
about this evening?
194
00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:46,040
But what are your thoughts
now of Chairman Mao?
195
00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,840
If you're ever in Beijing
and you fancy Chairman Mao and chips,
196
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,680
then this is the restaurant for you.
197
00:14:23,544 --> 00:14:25,864
This country is a paradox.
198
00:14:27,544 --> 00:14:29,824
You can buy a Prada handbag
but you're not allowed
199
00:14:29,984 --> 00:14:32,344
to access Google or YouTube.
200
00:14:34,784 --> 00:14:37,704
Nowhere is the power of the state
more keenly felt
201
00:14:37,864 --> 00:14:39,384
than here in Tiananmen Square.
202
00:14:40,344 --> 00:14:42,624
For most of us,
it'll be remembered forever
203
00:14:42,784 --> 00:14:46,344
for the brutal suppression of
the 1989 student demonstrations
204
00:14:46,504 --> 00:14:50,064
which it's still illegal to
talk about publicly in China.
205
00:14:52,104 --> 00:14:55,064
Strangely, and bitterly
really, I think,
206
00:14:55,224 --> 00:15:00,984
erm... Tiananmen means
'Heaven peace gate'.
207
00:15:03,664 --> 00:15:05,944
Probably not for everybody.
208
00:15:08,304 --> 00:15:10,184
That's interesting showing Tibet.
209
00:15:10,344 --> 00:15:12,544
Look, do show that, Tibet.
210
00:15:14,864 --> 00:15:18,704
Since 1950, Tibet has been brutally
occupied by Communist China.
211
00:15:19,704 --> 00:15:23,744
In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled,
Tibet's culture was crushed,
212
00:15:23,904 --> 00:15:25,784
and hundreds of thousands
were killed.
213
00:15:25,944 --> 00:15:30,824
Tibet is displayed here as merely
a Himalayan province of China.
214
00:15:34,304 --> 00:15:37,064
This is the Chinese version of Tibet.
215
00:15:56,464 --> 00:15:59,984
Before Communism, there
was the time of emperors.
216
00:16:01,264 --> 00:16:03,304
Oh! The size of it.
217
00:16:05,664 --> 00:16:08,184
The Forbidden City, built
in the early 15th Century,
218
00:16:08,344 --> 00:16:11,384
was, for 500 years,
the epicentre of power in China.
219
00:16:14,584 --> 00:16:17,304
Here the Emperor
and his court lived and ruled.
220
00:16:17,464 --> 00:16:21,664
The Forbidden City is so-called
because commoners were not allowed in
221
00:16:21,824 --> 00:16:25,224
and merely to look at the Emperor
incurred the death penalty.
222
00:16:26,664 --> 00:16:29,584
It's vast. Five times bigger
than Buckingham Palace.
223
00:16:29,744 --> 00:16:32,424
These amazing buildings
have wonderful names
224
00:16:32,584 --> 00:16:36,024
like The Halls of Supreme Harmony
and Enhanced Righteousness.
225
00:16:37,104 --> 00:16:40,104
Everywhere there are dragons,
a symbol of The Emperor.
226
00:16:40,264 --> 00:16:42,784
It's got an Elvis quiff!
227
00:16:42,944 --> 00:16:46,584
It's now a huge, slightly
impersonal museum
228
00:16:46,744 --> 00:16:49,384
attracting over
nine million visitors a year.
229
00:16:49,544 --> 00:16:56,184
- Look at these people.
- They are dressed just like
the Qing emperors.
230
00:16:56,344 --> 00:16:59,664
- And they have consorts.
- They look very beautiful.
231
00:16:59,824 --> 00:17:04,264
- Do you want to rent one?
- I think it would look wrong
on a European.
232
00:17:05,664 --> 00:17:07,664
You look enchanting.
233
00:17:08,784 --> 00:17:13,024
Historian Dong Meizhao is taking me
through the grand courtyards of power
234
00:17:13,184 --> 00:17:15,184
to an area she knows
I'm curious about -
235
00:17:15,344 --> 00:17:18,224
the place where
the Emperor's concubines lived.
236
00:17:18,384 --> 00:17:21,304
When we say "concubine", we use
all different words nowadays.
237
00:17:21,464 --> 00:17:24,064
Do you think they were
mistresses or kept women?
238
00:17:24,224 --> 00:17:26,864
- How would you describe it?
- No. No. No. They were legal.
239
00:17:27,024 --> 00:17:30,664
An emperor could have
a wife that is empress
240
00:17:30,824 --> 00:17:37,264
but besides the wife,
he could have many consorts
241
00:17:37,424 --> 00:17:39,904
and many, many, many concubines.
242
00:17:41,984 --> 00:17:44,464
The women's quarters are
at the back of the palace
243
00:17:44,624 --> 00:17:46,864
and are smaller and more intimate.
244
00:17:47,024 --> 00:17:48,584
At the height of the Qing Dynasty,
245
00:17:48,744 --> 00:17:52,424
the Emperor had thousands of
concubines guarded by his eunuchs.
246
00:17:52,584 --> 00:17:56,144
It was symbol of power but
also ensured the production
247
00:17:56,304 --> 00:17:58,224
of male heirs to the throne.
248
00:17:58,384 --> 00:18:00,704
Albeit on a strict rota.
249
00:18:00,864 --> 00:18:06,104
You know, only the Empress
was allowed to spend
250
00:18:06,264 --> 00:18:09,144
two full nights with the Emperor.
251
00:18:09,304 --> 00:18:14,224
The other ladies were not allowed
to spend a whole night.
252
00:18:14,384 --> 00:18:16,384
- Only two hours.
- Two hours?
253
00:18:16,544 --> 00:18:19,824
Yes. Two hours
and then she must leave.
254
00:18:20,624 --> 00:18:23,384
- So make it snappy, make it good.
- (LAUGHS)
255
00:18:23,544 --> 00:18:25,384
Wow. That's a bit of pressure.
256
00:18:25,544 --> 00:18:29,184
Oh, look at these little rooms.
What are these little rooms?
257
00:18:29,344 --> 00:18:31,944
- Sitting rooms.
- Sitting rooms?
258
00:18:32,744 --> 00:18:35,544
Eunuchs would present the Emperor
with a tray on name cards
259
00:18:35,704 --> 00:18:37,744
for him to choose a concubine.
260
00:18:37,904 --> 00:18:40,984
- He was going to spend that night...
- And she'd be the lucky one.
261
00:18:41,144 --> 00:18:43,024
- And she'd be waiting here.
- Yes.
262
00:18:43,184 --> 00:18:44,344
Well!
263
00:18:47,344 --> 00:18:50,024
What do you think it was like
being a woman in those days?
264
00:18:50,184 --> 00:18:53,384
What would it have been like
to have been a concubine?
265
00:18:53,544 --> 00:18:56,064
It must have been a miserable life.
266
00:18:56,224 --> 00:19:00,864
Every day you pray
that the Emperor might select you.
267
00:19:01,024 --> 00:19:03,784
It must be very lonely.
268
00:19:03,944 --> 00:19:07,064
It was a tough life for these girls,
wasn't it?
269
00:19:08,264 --> 00:19:12,664
The last emperor left
the Forbidden City only in 1924
270
00:19:12,824 --> 00:19:15,584
and in the small lanes,
or Hutongs, that are huddled
271
00:19:15,744 --> 00:19:17,864
round the back of
the Imperial Palace,
272
00:19:18,024 --> 00:19:23,184
I've been told there is an old lady
who knew his favourite concubine.
273
00:19:23,344 --> 00:19:25,144
- Ni hao.
- Ni hao.
274
00:19:26,984 --> 00:19:29,264
Hello. I'm Joanna.
275
00:19:30,944 --> 00:19:35,144
This was the mansion that the former
concubine moved into in the 1930s.
276
00:19:35,304 --> 00:19:37,424
90-year-old Madam Ma
now lives cheek by jowl
277
00:19:37,584 --> 00:19:40,744
with half a dozen other families
in a complex of rooms
278
00:19:40,904 --> 00:19:43,784
- built into its courtyard.
- (SPEAKS MANDARIN)
279
00:19:43,944 --> 00:19:47,264
- TRANSLATOR: Don't laugh at me.
- No. Never. In here?
280
00:19:55,344 --> 00:19:56,504
40.
281
00:20:01,704 --> 00:20:03,544
And was this her room?
Did she sleep here?
282
00:20:03,704 --> 00:20:07,704
- (TRANSLATES INTO MANDARIN)
- In this bed.
283
00:20:07,864 --> 00:20:09,744
This room.
284
00:20:09,904 --> 00:20:15,624
Wen Xiu, at only 13, was the
favourite of the last emperor Pu Yi.
285
00:20:15,784 --> 00:20:18,224
And in fact, he wanted
her to be his empress
286
00:20:18,384 --> 00:20:21,744
but her relatively lowly
background prevented that.
287
00:20:40,344 --> 00:20:42,144
Erm... how old was...?
288
00:20:49,224 --> 00:20:51,904
Why do you think she was
a successful concubine
289
00:20:52,064 --> 00:20:54,024
if she wasn't very pretty?
290
00:20:56,584 --> 00:20:58,944
Was she very kind or very clever?
291
00:21:04,664 --> 00:21:07,424
What memories you have, Mrs Ma.
292
00:21:12,984 --> 00:21:16,184
As I leave Madam Ma and her
brush with imperial history,
293
00:21:16,344 --> 00:21:18,664
it's also time to leave Beijing.
294
00:21:18,824 --> 00:21:22,504
I've already travelled
1,400 miles from Hong Kong
295
00:21:22,664 --> 00:21:27,904
but now my journey really begins on
the Trans-Siberian Railway itself.
296
00:21:28,424 --> 00:21:31,504
I've got my passport cos I think
we have to go through security
297
00:21:31,664 --> 00:21:33,864
and I've got my ticket.
298
00:21:34,024 --> 00:21:37,944
And I know it's the train to
Moscow which I think is...
299
00:21:38,664 --> 00:21:40,664
.. Mua-skua.
300
00:21:56,024 --> 00:21:58,584
I'm not quite sure what these
little lovely things are.
301
00:21:58,744 --> 00:22:01,744
They could be little
bars of something...
302
00:22:02,424 --> 00:22:04,304
to eat or bars of soap.
303
00:22:04,464 --> 00:22:07,984
The packaging and
presentation is so pretty.
304
00:22:08,144 --> 00:22:10,224
And some mystery items.
305
00:22:10,384 --> 00:22:12,944
Maybe that's a fig. Maybe that's a...
306
00:22:13,104 --> 00:22:14,384
.. apricot.
307
00:22:14,544 --> 00:22:16,184
Beautiful squashed things.
308
00:22:16,344 --> 00:22:20,184
You see, it could be mushrooms
or sweet things.
309
00:22:20,344 --> 00:22:23,784
Slightly soft. It could be toffee.
I want one of those.
310
00:22:27,144 --> 00:22:32,064
At last, I feel I'm getting on
the train which is going to Moscow.
311
00:22:32,224 --> 00:22:35,864
- I mean in actual fact, I'm going
to be jumping... (TRAIN HISSES)
312
00:22:36,024 --> 00:22:39,224
I'm going to be jumping on and off
to film bits and pieces around.
313
00:22:39,384 --> 00:22:44,344
But this is the train that
goes to Moscow from Beijing.
314
00:22:44,504 --> 00:22:48,504
All I've got to do now
is to find zero, zero,
315
00:22:48,664 --> 00:22:52,064
which is the carriage,
and my seat which is 29.
316
00:22:56,584 --> 00:22:58,584
That way?
317
00:23:00,784 --> 00:23:04,944
33, eight...
318
00:23:05,104 --> 00:23:06,984
29.
319
00:23:09,264 --> 00:23:12,624
A little bit snugger than I imagined
but this'll be just fine.
320
00:23:24,384 --> 00:23:29,264
As we pull out of Beijing, it feels
like my adventure is just beginning.
321
00:23:37,544 --> 00:23:40,584
On a train, you've really
got time to relax...
322
00:23:42,064 --> 00:23:44,744
.. to watch the country flying by...
323
00:23:46,984 --> 00:23:51,344
.. and to mingle with, in this
case, the rather jolly staff.
324
00:23:51,504 --> 00:23:52,664
You are very beautiful.
325
00:23:52,824 --> 00:23:55,344
Thank you. May I wear
your hat for a photograph?
326
00:24:01,144 --> 00:24:05,824
This train will be travelling
4,880 miles from Beijing
327
00:24:05,984 --> 00:24:09,144
through Mongolia and Siberia,
eventually to Moscow.
328
00:24:09,304 --> 00:24:13,664
But on this first leg, I'll only
be on board for five hours
329
00:24:13,824 --> 00:24:18,304
before getting off to visit Datong,
a mining city in Northern China.
330
00:24:22,664 --> 00:24:25,424
Communist China is full of surprises.
331
00:24:26,864 --> 00:24:30,264
There are over 240 million
Buddhists living here today.
332
00:24:32,544 --> 00:24:35,344
In the 5th and 6th centuries,
51,000 Buddhas
333
00:24:35,504 --> 00:24:39,464
were carved into the side of
Datong's nearby mountains.
334
00:24:42,144 --> 00:24:46,264
Jason, a knowledgeable local guide,
has agreed to show me round.
335
00:24:47,704 --> 00:24:49,824
So now this is the biggest one.
336
00:24:49,984 --> 00:24:52,704
- Oh!
- And the most preserved one.
337
00:24:52,864 --> 00:24:56,784
- Look at the size of it!
- And we can see the nose...
338
00:24:56,944 --> 00:24:58,424
of this sculpture.
339
00:24:58,584 --> 00:25:01,424
The nose is about 1.7m high.
340
00:25:01,584 --> 00:25:03,264
Just like me.
341
00:25:03,424 --> 00:25:05,144
That's the nose.
342
00:25:05,304 --> 00:25:08,024
So it's a very giant Buddha.
343
00:25:08,184 --> 00:25:09,344
Oh!
344
00:25:10,224 --> 00:25:13,544
- So, the incense burning.
- You can smell it, it's beautiful.
345
00:25:15,424 --> 00:25:18,584
- China has changed a lot in
this last century. - Of course.
346
00:25:18,744 --> 00:25:22,624
- Hugely.
- Especially for...
young generations.
347
00:25:22,784 --> 00:25:26,584
We grew up with the Western culture
348
00:25:26,744 --> 00:25:28,944
or American culture so much.
349
00:25:29,104 --> 00:25:31,264
We just believe in money.
350
00:25:31,424 --> 00:25:34,864
Money is everything. Money is God.
351
00:25:35,024 --> 00:25:37,504
- Do you think that's sad?
- Yes.
352
00:25:37,944 --> 00:25:43,184
Of course it's sad. So we don't
have time to learn about art.
353
00:25:43,344 --> 00:25:46,504
So that makes us... erm...
354
00:25:46,664 --> 00:25:50,744
our heart is not very completed.
355
00:25:50,904 --> 00:25:52,544
I like poems.
356
00:25:52,704 --> 00:25:57,424
But if you write some poem
on your Twitter
357
00:25:57,584 --> 00:25:59,384
or something like that... Facebook..
358
00:25:59,544 --> 00:26:04,744
your friends will all say,
"You're funny. You're so funny.
359
00:26:04,904 --> 00:26:07,184
You're so... er... crazy."
360
00:26:07,344 --> 00:26:09,904
Oh, Jason. I hate that.
You're a poet, aren't you?
361
00:26:10,064 --> 00:26:11,944
Yeah, I'm a poet. Yeah.
362
00:26:12,104 --> 00:26:15,384
I love poetry. And what about
girls and girlfriends?
363
00:26:15,544 --> 00:26:18,224
I don't have one, actually.
364
00:26:18,384 --> 00:26:22,744
Cos I don't have money. There is
a saying - "no money, no honey".
365
00:26:22,904 --> 00:26:27,624
Oh, Jason. Would you ever think
of marrying a non-Chinese girl?
366
00:26:28,344 --> 00:26:31,184
- Hmmm. - Or is that...? Or is
there pressure on you to marry
367
00:26:31,344 --> 00:26:33,224
a Chinese girl?
368
00:26:33,944 --> 00:26:38,184
The pressure from my parents
who will introduce some friend.
369
00:26:38,344 --> 00:26:40,224
- A suitable girl?
- Yeah.
370
00:26:40,384 --> 00:26:42,304
So that's the custom.
Your parents will say,
371
00:26:42,464 --> 00:26:44,824
- "We know a nice family."
- It's natural.
372
00:26:44,984 --> 00:26:47,704
- So you have an arranged marriage.
- Yeah. - Your parents arrange it.
373
00:26:47,864 --> 00:26:50,824
It seems suitable.
You're not in love with her.
374
00:26:50,984 --> 00:26:54,104
You've only met her a few times.
You have to get married.
375
00:26:54,264 --> 00:26:58,944
Don't do that, Jason.
Write your poems, post them out.
376
00:26:59,104 --> 00:27:00,464
Some darling girl will read them
377
00:27:00,624 --> 00:27:04,424
and see in you
a spiritual, cultural poet.
378
00:27:04,584 --> 00:27:07,744
- Thanks.
- It'll happen. - Yeah.
379
00:27:09,504 --> 00:27:11,384
I worry for Jason's chances.
380
00:27:11,544 --> 00:27:16,184
At the last count, China had
33 million more men than women.
381
00:27:21,059 --> 00:27:23,219
(CHILDREN REPEAT PHRASES IN MANDARIN)
382
00:27:24,939 --> 00:27:28,179
If I hadn't been an actress, I'd
have liked to have been a teacher.
383
00:27:28,979 --> 00:27:29,979
Welcome Joanna.
384
00:27:30,139 --> 00:27:32,899
I wonder how I'd have faired here
in a school in Datong
385
00:27:33,059 --> 00:27:35,059
where the classes are huge.
386
00:27:35,219 --> 00:27:37,899
How's it going, Joanna?
387
00:27:38,059 --> 00:27:40,859
It's going very well, class.
Thank you so much.
388
00:27:41,019 --> 00:27:44,139
Do you guys have any
questions about Joanna?
389
00:27:45,699 --> 00:27:48,379
Are you...? Are you sexy?
(JOANNA LAUGHS)
390
00:27:48,539 --> 00:27:51,059
- Are you sexy? Wow!
- I hope so. I hope so.
391
00:27:51,219 --> 00:27:54,219
I come from England.
I come from London.
392
00:27:55,939 --> 00:27:58,979
And I come from the home of
Shakespeare. Have you heard of him?
393
00:27:59,139 --> 00:28:02,179
TEACHER: Shakespeare.
You know Shakespeare? Yeah.
394
00:28:03,699 --> 00:28:06,099
Do you like Harry Potter?
395
00:28:06,259 --> 00:28:09,299
I love Harry Potter.
Did you see Harry Potter?
396
00:28:09,459 --> 00:28:11,979
- Yeah. - Do you read Harry Potter?
Or see the film?
397
00:28:12,139 --> 00:28:15,139
- See the film.
- I have met Harry Potter.
398
00:28:15,299 --> 00:28:18,819
Daniel Radcliffe. Delightful.
399
00:28:18,979 --> 00:28:22,099
- That's nice.
- I think he would love you.
400
00:28:22,259 --> 00:28:25,179
- (LAUGHS) Thank you.
- He would love you.
401
00:28:25,339 --> 00:28:27,339
Very good.
402
00:28:27,819 --> 00:28:30,179
(CLAP IN UNISON TO POP SONG)
403
00:28:35,419 --> 00:28:38,099
OK. Tell me what is it? It is a...
404
00:28:38,259 --> 00:28:40,139
ALL: Pop star.
405
00:28:40,299 --> 00:28:43,899
Yes, and it is popular...? Where?
406
00:28:44,059 --> 00:28:46,219
- All...
- over the world.
407
00:28:46,379 --> 00:28:49,259
- Yes, it is popular all over the...
- world.
408
00:28:49,419 --> 00:28:51,419
- OK. Follow me. Asia.
- Asia.
409
00:28:51,579 --> 00:28:52,939
- America.
- America.
410
00:28:53,099 --> 00:28:54,419
- Africa.
- Africa.
411
00:28:54,579 --> 00:28:57,059
- Europe. - Europe.
- Yes. Europe.
412
00:28:57,219 --> 00:28:59,539
And where does Joanna come from?
413
00:28:59,699 --> 00:29:03,339
- Do you remember?
- Europe. - Europe.
414
00:29:03,499 --> 00:29:05,739
- Which country? Which country?
- England.
415
00:29:05,899 --> 00:29:07,659
Yes, England.
416
00:29:07,819 --> 00:29:10,699
And it is Eu... Europe.
417
00:29:10,859 --> 00:29:12,859
So any questions for Joanna?
418
00:29:13,019 --> 00:29:15,699
- Can you speak Chinese?
- I can't.
419
00:29:15,859 --> 00:29:17,419
I'm gonna say this wrong.
420
00:29:17,579 --> 00:29:19,939
(SPEAKS MANDARIN HESITANTLY)
421
00:29:26,459 --> 00:29:28,339
(LAUGHTER)
422
00:29:32,659 --> 00:29:35,459
- Do you like singing?
- Singing?
423
00:29:35,619 --> 00:29:38,659
Yes. I'm married to a musician.
424
00:29:38,819 --> 00:29:40,939
Can you sing for us?
425
00:29:41,099 --> 00:29:43,859
I strangely can't. No.
426
00:29:44,019 --> 00:29:46,019
I suddenly cannot sing for you.
427
00:29:46,179 --> 00:29:48,859
But I would love to hear you singing.
428
00:29:49,019 --> 00:29:51,659
- Do you want to sing for Joanna?
- Can you sing me a song?
429
00:29:51,819 --> 00:29:55,499
- Any songs? - Is there a Chinese
national anthem you could sing?
430
00:29:55,659 --> 00:29:57,539
Chinese national...? OK.
431
00:29:57,699 --> 00:30:01,139
(SPEAKS MANDARIN)
One, two, three... here we go.
432
00:30:38,619 --> 00:30:41,139
I think that somewhere along
the tops of these hills
433
00:30:41,299 --> 00:30:43,459
I'm going to see bits
of the Great Wall.
434
00:30:43,619 --> 00:30:46,739
I think you can get glimpses
and I'm staring like mad.
435
00:30:46,899 --> 00:30:50,899
And sometimes you see a rock
formation that looks a bit...
436
00:30:51,059 --> 00:30:54,019
I know I'll recognise it when
I see it. I don't know why.
437
00:30:54,179 --> 00:30:57,899
I've been thinking about
the Great Wall all my life.
438
00:31:02,539 --> 00:31:05,299
Oh, my God! There is the Wall.
439
00:31:07,499 --> 00:31:10,299
One of the wonders of the world.
The Great Wall.
440
00:31:10,459 --> 00:31:13,219
It is THE defining symbol of China.
441
00:31:13,379 --> 00:31:16,499
Popularly, but incorrectly, believed
to be the only manmade structure
442
00:31:16,659 --> 00:31:19,299
visible from outer space.
443
00:31:19,459 --> 00:31:22,859
Visitors normally see the well-known
stretch just outside Beijing
444
00:31:23,019 --> 00:31:26,019
but I've driven up into
these wild mountains
445
00:31:26,179 --> 00:31:29,659
to meet an Englishman who lives
here with his Chinese wife.
446
00:31:29,819 --> 00:31:32,219
One of the world's experts
on the Great Wall
447
00:31:32,379 --> 00:31:35,019
is William Lindsay and
he's invited me to stay
448
00:31:35,179 --> 00:31:37,419
to take me up to parts
of the wall that tourists
449
00:31:37,579 --> 00:31:39,699
and visiting statesmen never reach.
450
00:31:39,859 --> 00:31:42,459
Well, let's have a drink,
an appropriate one.
451
00:31:42,619 --> 00:31:44,859
What's it say? Chinggis?
452
00:31:45,019 --> 00:31:47,059
In the West, we've always
said Genghis Khan
453
00:31:47,219 --> 00:31:50,059
but Chinggis Khan is more like
the Mongolian translation.
454
00:31:50,219 --> 00:31:54,379
Without this man and his descendants,
this wouldn't have been built.
455
00:31:55,539 --> 00:31:58,779
So Genghis Khan united
tribes in Mongolia
456
00:31:58,939 --> 00:32:01,739
and started invading China
in the early 1200s.
457
00:32:01,899 --> 00:32:06,779
And over three generations,
he and his descendants
458
00:32:06,939 --> 00:32:11,179
took the whole of China out of
the hands of the Han Chinese
459
00:32:11,339 --> 00:32:17,819
and established what we can say is
a conquest dynasty to rule China.
460
00:32:17,979 --> 00:32:21,139
It didn't last forever
and in the mid 1300s,
461
00:32:21,299 --> 00:32:24,899
the Chinese started to destabilise
Mongol power and push them back.
462
00:32:25,059 --> 00:32:29,059
And then they knew that they
would face the threat again
463
00:32:29,219 --> 00:32:33,339
so the construction of
the Ming Wall began.
464
00:32:33,499 --> 00:32:35,699
So the wall was built to
keep the Mongolians out?
465
00:32:35,859 --> 00:32:39,179
- To stop them invading again.
- Again. - Yeah.
466
00:32:39,339 --> 00:32:43,579
But it wasn't in place when Genghis
Khan and his descendants invaded.
467
00:32:43,739 --> 00:32:46,219
But even then, building
a wall of these dimensions
468
00:32:46,379 --> 00:32:48,899
is much slower than raising
a colossal army
469
00:32:49,059 --> 00:32:51,179
so and... and where it's built.
470
00:32:51,339 --> 00:32:55,099
I mean, William, look, one
can hardly scramble up there
471
00:32:55,259 --> 00:32:57,059
let alone construct a huge wall
472
00:32:57,219 --> 00:33:00,739
- which, presumably,
armies could march on.
- Yeah.
473
00:33:00,899 --> 00:33:04,139
- Towers. I mean...
- The top tower is... er...
474
00:33:06,299 --> 00:33:08,819
.. 3,400ft above sea level.
475
00:33:08,979 --> 00:33:11,259
- So it's higher than Snowdon.
- Wow.
476
00:33:11,419 --> 00:33:13,779
- (LAUGHS) Yeah.
- Wow.
477
00:33:14,859 --> 00:33:19,779
Er... this wall was recently surveyed
to originally have extended
478
00:33:19,939 --> 00:33:22,579
- for 5,500 miles.
- Oh!
479
00:33:22,739 --> 00:33:26,499
That's... That's more
than London to New York.
480
00:33:26,659 --> 00:33:28,539
And back.
481
00:33:28,699 --> 00:33:31,979
- Yeah.
- It hurts the brain, doesn't it?
- Yeah.
482
00:33:32,139 --> 00:33:35,059
I'm burning to see it.
Will I get up there tonight?
483
00:33:35,219 --> 00:33:38,019
I wouldn't... I don't think we
should set off this evening.
484
00:33:38,179 --> 00:33:40,699
I think tomorrow morning. I think
it's gonna be a fabulous dawn.
485
00:33:40,859 --> 00:33:45,059
- Dawn? - What time's dawn?
- Dawn is about 5:45.
486
00:33:45,219 --> 00:33:51,539
- So if we set off from
home at about 3:30. - Oh.
487
00:33:51,699 --> 00:33:55,699
And you will see the Wall
in its true majesty.
488
00:33:55,859 --> 00:33:59,179
Oh, I'll drink to that. But probably
that's got to be the last drink.
489
00:33:59,339 --> 00:34:01,339
I don't think we should
top up after this.
490
00:34:01,499 --> 00:34:04,819
- I seem to have drunk more than you.
- Cheers.
491
00:34:15,299 --> 00:34:18,659
Tonight is the Festival of the Moon
here in China.
492
00:34:18,819 --> 00:34:22,779
And in my hand, I'm holding the moon.
Well, it's a moon cake, actually.
493
00:34:22,939 --> 00:34:25,179
And I'm gonna take a bite of it.
494
00:34:25,339 --> 00:34:29,899
And I hope that tonight,
when the moon has gone down,
495
00:34:30,059 --> 00:34:32,819
and I start my walk,
by the time the sun has come up,
496
00:34:32,979 --> 00:34:35,739
I shall be on the Great Wall.
497
00:34:35,899 --> 00:34:38,259
But tonight... Nessun Dorma!
498
00:34:41,019 --> 00:34:43,019
(PUCCINI'S TURANDOT PLAYS)
499
00:34:48,939 --> 00:34:50,779
So it's just before
four in the morning.
500
00:34:50,939 --> 00:34:53,139
The moon is still up
but it's sinking down.
501
00:34:53,299 --> 00:34:55,259
I can hear cocks beginning to crow.
502
00:34:55,419 --> 00:34:59,099
We've got an hour's walk ahead of us.
You can see it's quite cold.
503
00:34:59,259 --> 00:35:01,339
The path is wet with dew.
504
00:35:01,499 --> 00:35:04,699
So this is onwards and upwards
to the Great Wall of China.
505
00:35:13,779 --> 00:35:17,779
- I think it would be best to
keep left here, Joanna. - OK.
506
00:35:17,939 --> 00:35:21,979
Yeah, it's a bit...
This is the steepest part
507
00:35:22,139 --> 00:35:25,379
and... er... once we're through here.
508
00:35:25,539 --> 00:35:28,019
Is this the steepest part? Good.
509
00:35:31,619 --> 00:35:33,739
The next corner, we may have a view.
510
00:35:33,899 --> 00:35:37,499
Oh, wonderful. The sky is
beginning to become paler.
511
00:35:38,939 --> 00:35:41,499
("TURANDOT" CHORUS SWELLS)
512
00:35:43,539 --> 00:35:46,139
Oh, my God! There is the wall.
513
00:35:56,139 --> 00:35:59,699
"TURANDOT" CHORUS CONTINUES
514
00:36:43,139 --> 00:36:45,139
This is extraordinary.
515
00:36:47,179 --> 00:36:49,939
Even though I've seen this
hundreds of times,
516
00:36:50,099 --> 00:36:52,699
it's still magnificent.
517
00:36:52,859 --> 00:36:55,659
Worth getting up in the middle
of the night to see.
518
00:36:55,819 --> 00:36:58,019
I would say so.
519
00:37:02,659 --> 00:37:05,699
As you walk through the bush,
be careful with the branches.
520
00:37:05,859 --> 00:37:08,219
This is the wilderness wall.
521
00:37:10,139 --> 00:37:13,419
On here you. You can just imagine
the amount of people it took
522
00:37:13,579 --> 00:37:15,739
to build all this.
523
00:37:15,899 --> 00:37:21,019
So we can say it's the result
of roughly 276 years of labour.
524
00:37:22,139 --> 00:37:27,299
And, on average, a million military
personnel were engaged per year
525
00:37:27,459 --> 00:37:31,979
- in its construction.
- A million? It's just extraordinary.
526
00:37:32,979 --> 00:37:35,579
Gosh, this looks a bit
ribbly, rubbly here.
527
00:37:35,739 --> 00:37:38,379
Yeah. We're OK, though.
I'll lead the way.
528
00:37:38,539 --> 00:37:40,539
Is that best? OK.
529
00:37:42,339 --> 00:37:45,139
- How are you doing?
- I'm doing good.
530
00:37:48,219 --> 00:37:50,099
A beautiful tower up ahead.
531
00:37:50,259 --> 00:37:52,499
It's fantastic.
532
00:37:52,659 --> 00:37:56,859
So these towers are the places
where the guards were garrisoned.
533
00:37:57,419 --> 00:37:59,419
Gosh. Do we go in?
534
00:38:16,219 --> 00:38:18,739
Remember, before this wall was built,
535
00:38:18,899 --> 00:38:23,219
the Chinese gave the Mongols
the hardest ever fight.
536
00:38:24,259 --> 00:38:26,379
The numbers that died are staggering.
537
00:38:26,539 --> 00:38:29,619
Exceeding the numbers
that died in First World
538
00:38:29,779 --> 00:38:31,699
and Second World War combined.
539
00:38:31,859 --> 00:38:35,499
And some researchers have
actually suggested that
540
00:38:35,659 --> 00:38:39,939
each Mongol warrior in the 1200s
541
00:38:40,099 --> 00:38:46,859
killed about 210 men before he
himself was killed or he died.
542
00:38:47,019 --> 00:38:49,779
Where is Mongolia from here, William?
543
00:38:49,939 --> 00:38:52,859
Erm... due north. This direction.
544
00:38:53,939 --> 00:38:56,819
And as the crow flies,
about 750 miles.
545
00:39:15,579 --> 00:39:17,699
We're about to enter
a different world -
546
00:39:17,859 --> 00:39:20,379
the land of Genghis Khan.
547
00:39:31,459 --> 00:39:34,459
At the border, we have
to have a wheel change.
548
00:39:34,619 --> 00:39:37,899
The railway gauge in Mongolia
is wider than in China
549
00:39:38,059 --> 00:39:40,219
so each carriage has to
be laboriously raised up
550
00:39:40,379 --> 00:39:42,659
for this massive operation.
551
00:39:45,579 --> 00:39:47,739
Isn't it funny?
These things are called bogies.
552
00:39:47,899 --> 00:39:50,379
It strikes me that the English
language which is so rich
553
00:39:50,539 --> 00:39:56,739
in so many things, has the
same word for a nostril event,
554
00:39:56,899 --> 00:40:00,459
a golfing term
and the wheels on a carriage.
555
00:40:01,699 --> 00:40:04,859
It couldn't be something else
other than bogie? Anyway.
556
00:40:06,379 --> 00:40:08,899
I do rather love
the bureaucracy of borders.
557
00:40:09,059 --> 00:40:11,459
So many forms to be filled in.
558
00:40:12,299 --> 00:40:16,019
(READS)
Prohibited and restricted goods -
559
00:40:16,179 --> 00:40:18,739
narcotics, psychotropic substances...
560
00:40:21,939 --> 00:40:23,979
Dictionary, please.
561
00:40:24,139 --> 00:40:26,979
.. printed materials - books, movies,
audio and video recordings,
562
00:40:27,139 --> 00:40:29,899
photo and other items of pornography.
563
00:40:30,499 --> 00:40:34,739
Wild fauna, flora, minerals
and items of anatomy,
564
00:40:34,899 --> 00:40:39,339
archaeology, palaeontology,
ethnography...
565
00:40:40,859 --> 00:40:42,859
.. or numismatics.
566
00:40:43,659 --> 00:40:46,059
That, my friends, means coins.
567
00:40:51,939 --> 00:40:56,339
From one currency, language,
culture and empire to another.
568
00:41:00,459 --> 00:41:02,979
We were visited by endless
people in uniform.
569
00:41:03,139 --> 00:41:05,339
First Chinese, then Mongolian.
570
00:41:05,499 --> 00:41:07,419
Inspecting documents and goods.
571
00:41:07,579 --> 00:41:10,859
And in the case of the Mongolians,
all rather charmingly.
572
00:41:11,299 --> 00:41:13,779
- How are you? Hello.
- Hello.
573
00:41:14,259 --> 00:41:16,139
- Deutsch?
- English.
574
00:41:16,299 --> 00:41:17,299
- English?
- Yeah.
575
00:41:17,459 --> 00:41:18,459
- Sorry.
- OK.
576
00:41:22,379 --> 00:41:24,379
(TANNOY IN BACKGROUND)
577
00:41:27,619 --> 00:41:31,019
And at last,
after a four-hour border stop,
578
00:41:31,179 --> 00:41:34,699
a time to dream about
the next leg of my journey.
579
00:41:46,984 --> 00:41:50,784
Well, I've just woken up and I'm
looking out at the Gobi Desert
580
00:41:50,944 --> 00:41:53,624
and I'm thundering through Mongolia.
581
00:41:54,304 --> 00:41:57,104
Slept well. Underneath
my blankets it was cosy.
582
00:41:57,264 --> 00:41:59,744
Quite narrow but you just
sleep, sleep, sleep.
583
00:41:59,904 --> 00:42:03,144
And I woke up thinking,
"Somebody has switched the light on."
584
00:42:03,304 --> 00:42:06,584
And in fact, it was just the light
of this extraordinary countryside
585
00:42:06,744 --> 00:42:09,064
blazing in.
586
00:42:09,224 --> 00:42:13,544
This is the Gobi Desert.
It's as remote as Timbuktu.
587
00:42:14,864 --> 00:42:16,864
Remoter.
588
00:42:19,784 --> 00:42:22,184
I realise that I'm in
a very different country.
589
00:42:22,344 --> 00:42:25,344
Sparsely populated
and full of mysticism.
590
00:42:25,504 --> 00:42:29,424
When Genghis Khan ruled, it was
a land of warriors and shamans.
591
00:42:30,744 --> 00:42:35,424
Shamanism is an ancient belief system
that is returning to modern Mongolia.
592
00:42:35,584 --> 00:42:38,984
It's in at the deep end for
this leg of the adventure.
593
00:42:39,144 --> 00:42:41,424
Straight off the train
and into the woods
594
00:42:41,584 --> 00:42:44,744
to join a group of followers
of a celebrated young shaman.
595
00:43:05,904 --> 00:43:08,624
The young shaman gets
himself in a trance.
596
00:43:08,784 --> 00:43:12,224
enabling him, alarmingly,
to lick flame.
597
00:43:38,584 --> 00:43:41,584
He's channelling an ancestor
from the 13th Century
598
00:43:41,744 --> 00:43:44,424
who is obviously quite a character.
599
00:44:02,744 --> 00:44:05,144
For the disciples,
no important decision is made
600
00:44:05,304 --> 00:44:07,704
without consulting the shaman.
601
00:44:10,304 --> 00:44:12,184
It seems I'm up next.
602
00:44:12,344 --> 00:44:14,224
I'm a bit nervous.
603
00:44:23,584 --> 00:44:25,584
No.
604
00:44:30,344 --> 00:44:32,624
Erm... nearly 10 years ago.
605
00:44:46,024 --> 00:44:47,624
Yes. She was.
606
00:45:22,744 --> 00:45:24,984
Well, it was interesting
that he picked on my mother
607
00:45:25,144 --> 00:45:28,304
as the person who taught about
nature and animals and plants.
608
00:45:28,464 --> 00:45:30,144
That's exactly what she did.
609
00:45:30,304 --> 00:45:33,504
Taught me to love and care
for the natural worlds.
610
00:45:36,184 --> 00:45:38,664
Then getting the future badness
spanked out of me
611
00:45:38,824 --> 00:45:40,064
which was quite good.
612
00:45:42,344 --> 00:45:45,704
The back didn't hurt but the front
hurt a little bit on the leg.
613
00:45:46,744 --> 00:45:48,624
Thank you.
614
00:45:48,784 --> 00:45:52,664
Next time,
it's nomads, giant statues,
615
00:45:52,824 --> 00:45:55,744
gold and a spot of bother
at the border.
616
00:46:21,024 --> 00:46:23,424
Captions C SBS Australia 2018
51144
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