Wild China

en
00:00:05 NARRATOR:
00:00:08 China's coast spans 14,500 kilometres
00:00:13 and more than 5,000 years of history.
00:00:19 This is the area which shows
00:00:21 between China's past and its future.
00:00:36 Today China's eastern seaboard
00:00:39 is home to 700 million people,
00:00:42 packed into some of the most
00:00:50 Yet these crowded shores remain hugely
00:01:01 Now, as ancient traditions
00:01:06 is there any room at all for wildlife
00:01:51 In northern China's
00:01:55 a pair of red-crowned cranes
00:01:59 in the stubble of
00:02:06 For centuries,
00:02:08 as symbols of longevity.
00:02:11 Their statues were placed
00:02:22 The cranes have cause to celebrate.
00:02:26 This chick is a sign of hope
00:02:31 Red-crowned cranes are one of
00:02:37 Over the last century,
00:02:39 China has lost nearly half
00:02:43 and most of what remains is managed for
00:02:50 A few months from now,
00:02:52 this chick and its parents will face
00:02:56 to escape the harsh northern winter.
00:03:03 Their route will take them along a coast
00:03:05 which has been greatly affected
00:03:12 Along their journey,
00:03:14 by many thousands
00:03:20 All heading south across the Bohai Gulf
00:03:24 and along the shores of
00:03:28 some even reaching as far as
00:03:31 in search of a safe winter haven.
00:03:39 The annual bird migration has been
00:03:45 Here at Mount Jinping
00:03:48 there is surprising evidence
00:03:50 that people have lived here
00:04:01 Seven thousand years ago,
00:04:02 members of the Shao Hao tribe
00:04:07 representing significant elements
00:04:16 The petroglyphs show wheat sheaves
00:04:22 the first known recordings of
00:04:33 Familiar with the spectacle
00:04:37 the Shao Hao people chose
00:04:46 Mount Jinping lies near
00:04:50 an important wintering site
00:04:53 and even today there are still
00:04:57 who retain a special affinity
00:05:10 Yandun Jiao village,
00:05:12 on the north-eastern shore
00:05:14 is famous for its traditional
00:05:24 On a chilly morning in early spring,
00:05:26 Mr and Mrs Qu venture out at first light
00:05:30 armed with the traditional seaside
00:05:45 As the Qus head down into the harbour,
00:05:47 a flock of whooper swans,
00:05:49 known affectionately here
00:05:52 are waking out in the bay.
00:06:01 The Qus and their neighbours
00:06:04 in the mud at low tide,
00:06:06 the sign of cockles and razor shells
00:06:20 While gathering shellfish
00:06:24 the main business of Yandun Jiao
00:06:37 As the boats set out,
00:06:40 the swans set a parallel course.
00:07:10 The whole of the bay is
00:07:15 The men work all day cleaning
00:07:19 that are grown on ropes linked to
00:07:28 The swans eat native seaweeds
00:07:32 rather than the valuable crop of kelp,
00:07:35 so they do no harm
00:07:51 In the afternoon,
00:07:55 the workers and swans return to shore.
00:08:11 While the culture
00:08:14 goes back a long way in China,
00:08:16 it is rare to see such harmonious
00:08:31 As evening draws on,
00:08:33 the Qu family prepare
00:08:37 steamed bread and seaweed.
00:08:45 (KIDS CHATTERING)
00:08:48 Leftovers are given to
00:08:52 It's fun for the kids and provides
00:08:54 an extra energy boost for the birds
00:09:04 The swans have been using
00:09:06 at as a winter refuge
00:09:14 As long as the tradition
00:09:18 this remarkable association between
00:09:22 and their winter angels
00:09:32 Out in the Bohai Gulf,
00:09:36 a small rocky island provides a quiet
00:09:52 But Shedao Island has hidden dangers.
00:09:59 Pallas' pit vipers trapped here
00:10:05 have evolved a sinister lifestyle.
00:10:11 For 10 months of the year
00:10:12 there is nothing substantial to eat
00:10:15 so the reptiles conserve their energy
00:10:23 (BIRDS CAWING)
00:10:26 As the sun warms their rocky home,
00:10:28 the snakes climb up
00:10:33 But they aren't here to sunbathe.
00:10:41 More and more vipers appear
00:10:42 until virtually every perch
00:10:46 has been booby-trapped.
00:10:50 Then the waiting game begins.
00:10:55 The serpents' camouflage is remarkable,
00:10:59 but so are the birds' reactions,
00:11:02 as this high-speed shot reveals.
00:11:14 The birds will only stay on the island
00:11:17 But although the snakes
00:11:20 their only hope of bagging a meal
00:11:24 and sit tight.
00:11:45 The slightest miscalculation
00:11:47 and the snake is left with
00:11:56 The dropped meal is tracked down
00:11:59 the viper using its forked tongue
00:12:01 to taste the air until
00:12:09 The final challenge is to swallow a meal
00:12:14 It does so by dislocating its jaws
00:12:19 so the beak is pointing backwards.
00:12:29 For the reptiles,
00:12:33 In a couple of weeks,
00:12:35 and the birds will have moved on.
00:12:38 This could be the snake's last meal
00:12:45 But it isn't just islands
00:12:47 that experience cycles
00:12:50 The sea, too, has its seasons,
00:12:52 a fact well known to fishing communities
00:13:03 In Chuwang harbour,
00:13:05 the start of a new fishing season
00:13:13 But for boat owner Mr Zhao,
00:13:15 it's a day of prayer
00:13:21 Zhao hopes that by presenting gifts
00:13:26 he can help ensure a prosperous
00:13:29 for him and his crew.
00:13:42 Meanwhile, drums, firecrackers and
00:13:47 that loud noises will frighten off
00:14:00 Occupying centre stage
00:14:05 mythical ruler of water and weather.
00:14:39 In the calm of the evening,
00:14:40 Mr Zhao and his family
00:14:50 Each flickering flame
00:14:54 a tradition passed on from parents
00:15:14 On China's crowded coasts,
00:15:17 fishermen need to be
00:15:20 Hauling in the nets is hard work,
00:15:23 and so far there's not a fish in sight.
00:15:30 Only jellyfish.
00:15:36 Each year, millions of jellyfish
00:15:38 are carried south with the currents
00:15:43 The ecological story
00:15:47 but by no means unique to China.
00:15:51 Jellyfish are fast-breeding
00:15:55 In recent years, human sewage and
00:16:00 have increased plankton blooms
00:16:03 providing extra jellyfish food.
00:16:06 While over-fishing has reduced
00:16:15 It's a phenomenon that has become
00:16:19 across the world's seas.
00:16:22 However, what is seen elsewhere
00:16:26 in China is perceived as an opportunity.
00:16:40 Back on shore,
00:16:41 mule carts transport the jellyfish
00:16:45 where they will be processed
00:17:06 Four generations tuck into
00:17:11 the recipe for a long and healthy life.
00:17:27 Leaving the Bohai Gulf behind,
00:17:30 migrating cranes,
00:17:32 spoonbills and ducks
00:17:35 all heading south
00:17:49 The birds' migration route follows
00:17:53 down into Jiangsu Province,
00:17:56 a fertile agricultural landscape
00:17:59 with some of the last remaining
00:18:10 At Dafeng,
00:18:12 a small salt marsh reserve is home
00:18:19 The Chinese see these Milu as
00:18:23 with a horse's head,
00:18:25 cow's feet,
00:18:27 a tail like a donkey
00:18:29 and backwards-facing antlers.
00:18:35 In the West, we know it as
00:18:38 after the first European to describe it.
00:18:47 During the rut,
00:18:48 stags decorate themselves
00:18:52 collected in their antlers.
00:19:02 Fierce battles decide mating rights.
00:19:06 The females still have
00:19:13 They haven't been weaned
00:19:16 and band together in large crèches,
00:19:19 only returning to their mothers to feed.
00:19:22 This unique behaviour helps to keep
00:19:33 Today, there are just
00:19:39 but it is remarkable that
00:19:44 In the early 1900s
00:19:49 but luckily, some of the Imperial herd
00:19:54 Those at Woburn Abbey,
00:19:58 And in the early 1980s, 40 of the deer
00:20:03 where they continue to thrive.
00:20:23 The migrating cranes
00:20:25 over 2,000 kilometres southwards
00:20:37 Passing the Milu Deer Reserve at Dafeng,
00:20:40 they are approaching another salt marsh
00:20:43 which will provide the perfect
00:20:57 This is Yancheng,
00:21:02 visited by an estimated
00:21:06 (SQUAWKING)
00:21:10 Crane chicks that were only born
00:21:14 have now completed the first leg
00:21:17 which they will repeat every year.
00:21:21 The hardy cranes can cope
00:21:24 which may drop below freezing.
00:21:29 However, other migrating birds, like
00:21:34 are less cold-tolerant
00:21:36 and will continue even further south
00:21:46 (SQUAWKING)
00:21:57 At this point,
00:22:00 are barely halfway along
00:22:04 Ahead of them lies a new challenge,
00:22:07 China's greatest river, the Yangtze,
00:22:10 and the venue for
00:22:20 Each year, millions of tons of cargo
00:22:24 making this one of
00:22:38 These are Chinese mitten crabs,
00:22:40 named for their strange hairy claws.
00:22:50 They may migrate as much as
00:22:53 from tributaries and lakes
00:22:56 where they gather to breed.
00:23:06 A similar migration is made
00:23:09 which can reach four metres long
00:23:14 In recent years,
00:23:17 as its migration is impeded
00:23:25 But it isn't just animals like
00:23:29 the entire Yangtze River
00:23:36 In spite of being the subject
00:23:39 today the river is
00:23:42 single source of pollution
00:23:55 Situated right at the mouth
00:23:58 Chongming Island provides
00:24:01 for migrating shorebirds,
00:24:04 and a place which offers
00:24:06 of changing attitudes towards
00:24:15 For centuries these coastal
00:24:19 like Mr Jin,
00:24:20 who have honed
00:24:24 to put rare birds on the tables
00:24:41 For 40 years Mr Jin has used a net,
00:24:44 simple decoy birds and a bamboo whistle
00:24:48 to lure passing birds towards his nets.
00:24:51 (WHISTLING)
00:25:06 It takes both patience
00:25:33 But all is not as it seems.
00:25:36 Mr Jin, like many of
00:25:40 is poacher turned gamekeeper,
00:25:43 using his hunting skills
00:25:52 The staff here at Dongtan Bird Reserve
00:25:55 will measure, ring
00:25:59 before releasing them unharmed.
00:26:02 The information gathered
00:26:06 helps to protect
00:26:10 which visit the island each year.
00:26:20 Just south of Chongming Island
00:26:23 lies China's largest coastal city,
00:26:38 Situated on a major migration route
00:26:44 Shanghai is now preparing
00:26:50 Barges loaded with building materials
00:26:55 feeding one of the greatest
00:27:02 Last year, half the world's concrete
00:27:07 all in preparation for
00:27:11 in the history of the world.
00:27:20 In the next 25 years,
00:27:24 are predicted to move from
00:27:32 The migration of people
00:27:35 is being mirrored around the world,
00:27:39 over half of the world's population
00:27:49 As night falls,
00:28:16 China's fastest-growing financial centre
00:28:19 is in the midst of a massive boom.
00:28:35 With an estimated population
00:28:39 Shanghai is officially China's largest
00:28:43 and certainly its most dazzling city.
00:28:49 But there is an environmental cost.
00:28:52 Shanghai residents now use two and
00:28:57 than their rural cousins.
00:29:08 The city's seemingly
00:29:11 currently require the output
00:29:23 South of Shanghai
00:29:27 as we enter an ancient world.
00:29:40 This is Fujian Province,
00:29:43 a rugged terrain
00:29:45 guarded by sheer granite mountains
00:29:50 some of China's most ancient sites
00:29:55 Towering above the coast,
00:30:01 are known to the Chinese
00:30:13 Moist sea breezes condense
00:30:17 and combine with well-drained acid soils
00:30:21 to produce
00:30:23 for acid-loving plants
00:30:32 It's also home to camellias,
00:30:37 the tea plant.
00:30:41 Similar growing conditions
00:30:44 make this the treasure chest
00:30:48 the heart of an industry dating back
00:30:56 One of the most traditional
00:31:00 is that of the Kejia people.
00:31:07 Every morning, goats are let loose
00:31:12 a centuries-old tradition.
00:31:15 This might seem surprising
00:31:17 for eating anything green,
00:31:20 but tea isn't as defenceless
00:31:26 Tea leaves are loaded
00:31:29 designed to repel browsing animals.
00:31:32 It works on the goats,
00:31:35 who leave the tea untouched
00:31:39 fertilising the tea plants
00:31:45 The surprise is that we humans
00:31:47 should find the same
00:31:51 utterly irresistible.
00:31:55 Among the Kejia people,
00:32:00 Women do the picking,
00:32:07 Mrs Zhang belongs to a Kejia family
00:32:09 that has lived and worked
00:32:12 among these same tea terraces.
00:32:24 The finest tea needs to be
00:32:28 as this brings out the flavour-enhancing
00:32:45 This sustainable industry has protected
00:32:50 and one of its most
00:33:03 At the end of the morning's picking,
00:33:06 Mrs Zhang returns home to drop off
00:33:38 This fort-like design
00:33:42 when the Kejia needed to
00:33:45 against hostile local tribes.
00:33:52 Each house has three or four levels
00:33:54 designed to accommodate
00:34:01 The ground floor houses
00:34:04 with access to a well for water.
00:34:09 The first floor rooms
00:34:12 and the upper floors are bedrooms.
00:34:20 Some of these remarkable buildings
00:34:24 and have survived earthquakes
00:34:41 Once enough tea has been gathered in,
00:34:47 Turning green leaves into saleable tea
00:34:49 involves at least
00:34:52 including drying, bruising,
00:34:57 before the finished product
00:35:11 The Zhang's village produces
00:35:14 or oolong tea,
00:35:16 so called because of the way
00:35:20 when water is poured over them.
00:35:23 Tea plays a vital part in Kejia life,
00:35:26 not only as a source of income,
00:35:31 and bring people together.
00:35:34 In traditional Chinese life,
00:35:36 even the simplest cup of tea is poured
00:35:49 In the past,
00:35:51 the Kejia people's other main income
00:35:56 across the treacherous topography
00:36:08 Their route was suddenly
00:36:12 this remarkable bridge was built.
00:36:18 Made from massive
00:36:21 it is one of China's lesser-known
00:36:27 Luoyang Bridge has withstood
00:36:44 Known as "10,000 ships launching",
00:36:47 the bridge's 46 piers
00:36:49 have withstood time and tide
00:36:56 According to folklore,
00:36:58 its success is due to a far-sighted
00:37:03 Oysters were seeded on the piers
00:37:05 and ever since,
00:37:09 the granite blocks together.
00:37:18 Today, oysters are still cultivated here
00:37:21 in the traditional way by Hui'an women.
00:37:26 Stones are stood in the mudflats
00:37:29 to encourage the oysters to grow.
00:38:14 Luoyang Bridge
00:38:17 carrying goods across the estuary
00:38:28 For more than 2,000 years,
00:38:30 coastal trade in China has depended
00:38:32 on a remarkable and
00:38:36 known to us as the junk.
00:38:39 (MEN SINGING)
00:38:44 This working vessel follows
00:38:47 that's been in use in Fujian
00:38:52 Its bows take the form of a beak,
00:38:57 evoking the traditional
00:39:00 that the bird's image
00:39:04 like the migrants that return
00:39:14 Tea and other goods
00:39:17 each waterproofed and separated
00:39:26 This innovation, introduced
00:39:30 spurred on the improvement
00:39:34 but Western ones, too.
00:39:40 The distinctive rigging of
00:39:42 allows easy handling in bad weather,
00:39:45 essential along
00:39:52 Each year from July to November,
00:39:57 a corruption of the Chinese word
00:40:01 head northwest towards China.
00:40:07 Typhoons are becoming more frequent
00:40:12 aided by a global increase
00:40:15 such as carbon dioxide.
00:40:22 But satellite pictures have revealed
00:40:26 It seems that typhoons can pull
00:40:31 up to the surface
00:40:35 which in turn soak up
00:40:51 When a typhoon strikes,
00:40:53 one of the best places to be
00:40:57 with its sheltered anchorage.
00:41:11 A centre of international trade,
00:41:14 the city is famous
00:41:17 and its bustling commercial centre.
00:41:22 But there's a side to Hong Kong
00:41:32 Behind the urban sprawl
00:41:34 lies a swathe of wetlands
00:41:37 which include the Mai Po Nature Reserve.
00:41:41 Managed principally for the benefit
00:41:45 the reserve maintains a series
00:41:49 known as gei wais,
00:41:51 and their adjoining mangroves
00:41:58 Every two weeks from November to March,
00:42:00 one of the gei wais is drained
00:42:17 As the water level falls,
00:42:21 Herons, egrets and cormorants
00:42:24 mingle with a far rarer visitor,
00:42:29 the black-faced spoonbill.
00:42:35 These endangered migrants
00:42:37 have travelled the length of
00:42:40 from Northern China and Korea.
00:42:43 Mai Po marks the end of
00:42:47 during which the birds may have lost
00:42:52 Four hundred black-faced spoonbills,
00:42:55 a quarter of the world's population,
00:42:58 pass the winter here.
00:43:05 At low water,
00:43:06 trapped shrimps and fish
00:43:10 a life saver for these endangered birds.
00:43:29 The Mai Po marshes
00:43:33 whose muddy shores abound with crabs,
00:43:55 Exposed at low tide,
00:43:57 this smorgasbord of mud-life attracts
00:44:01 and the gei wai birds.
00:44:19 Here on the mudflats of Inner Deep Bay,
00:44:22 each kind of bird has
00:44:25 defined by the depth of the water,
00:44:28 the length of its beak
00:44:41 Once refuelled,
00:44:43 they revel in synchronised
00:45:14 More than any other place
00:45:17 Inner Deep Bay
00:45:20 resilient nature can still thrive,
00:45:23 even when boxed in
00:45:25 and overshadowed by
00:45:36 Another successful example of
00:45:39 on behalf of nature
00:45:41 can be glimpsed in the waters
00:45:50 While egrets make the most of
00:45:53 other creatures have their eye on
00:46:06 Chinese white dolphins
00:46:16 Found widely in
00:46:19 this species is rare in China.
00:46:23 The young are born dark grey
00:46:30 finally turning creamy white as adults,
00:46:34 though on some occasions
00:46:52 Three groups of dolphins
00:46:56 As the tide comes in, they move with it
00:47:02 which travel with the currents,
00:47:04 using echolocation to see their prey
00:47:12 They also use sound to communicate.
00:47:17 But they face a deafening problem.
00:47:20 (LOUD WHIRRING)
00:47:26 The Pearl Estuary has become one of
00:47:31 and the dolphins are constantly
00:47:40 New research suggests that
00:47:44 into shorter calls in a bid to be heard.
00:47:49 Local conservationists have now set up
00:47:56 So, for now, China's white dolphins
00:48:08 South of Hong Kong
00:48:11 studded with more than
00:48:17 Potential reserves of fish, oil and gas
00:48:20 make each one strategic,
00:48:23 and the whole region has become
00:48:26 as territorial disputes simmer
00:48:36 The waters themselves
00:48:38 and would be poor in life
00:48:40 if it wasn't for the other resource
00:48:45 Sunlight.
00:48:51 In the shallows of the coral atolls,
00:48:53 small jellyfish point their tentacles
00:48:58 Like many animals here,
00:49:00 they depend on a close partnership
00:49:04 which turn solar power into food.
00:49:09 The most famous of these relationships
00:49:14 which provide the foundation of
00:49:23 Their branches provide shelter
00:49:25 for a wealth of small
00:49:28 many of them beautifully camouflaged.
00:49:34 But the ultimate master of disguise
00:49:38 able to change not only
00:49:41 but its skin texture, too.
00:49:52 Where the reefs meet deeper waters,
00:49:55 upwelling currents carry nutrients
00:50:05 Reef fish swim out to gorge themselves
00:50:10 in turn attracting larger predatory
00:50:24 Trevally prowl in dense packs.
00:50:32 Giant rays sweep in on graceful wings
00:50:35 to hoover up the remaining plankton,
00:50:39 which also attracts the king of fish.
00:50:54 Growing up to 12 metres long,
00:50:57 the whale shark is a gentle giant.
00:51:00 And these days, a rare sighting.
00:51:12 As sharks, small and large,
00:51:14 are plundered to supply
00:51:18 the fate of these fabulous creatures
00:51:26 While healthy coral reefs
00:51:31 the situation close to
00:51:42 The waters along the shores of Hainan,
00:51:47 have been fished for thousands of years.
00:52:00 As the reefs become
00:52:03 fishermen from Tanmen harbour
00:52:05 need all their resourcefulness
00:52:22 Dicing with death, they breathe air
00:52:27 in a desperate bid to catch
00:52:33 Over the years, increased sedimentation
00:52:37 means the corals close to shore
00:52:52 Recently the government has
00:52:56 if the local fishery
00:53:05 Fishing is now banned for two months
00:53:07 to allow marine life a chance to breed.
00:53:24 One of the most important
00:53:26 for young fish is mangrove swamps.
00:53:31 In the last 40 years,
00:53:33 eighty percent of China's mangroves
00:53:38 But at the Dongzhaigang Mangrove Reserve
00:53:42 a remarkable conservation initiative
00:53:44 is bringing young
00:53:47 to plant mangrove saplings
00:53:55 For many of these city-born students,
00:53:57 such unglamorous work
00:54:00 to their country's environment.
00:54:05 Like other heavily populated countries,
00:54:08 China today is faced with a challenge.
00:54:11 How best to protect nature
00:54:32 These wild macaques
00:54:37 where they are carefully managed
00:54:46 Most of the island's hillsides are
00:54:51 but there are also
00:54:54 where the monkeys gather to feed.
00:55:08 Each morning,
00:55:11 the macaques head downhill
00:55:18 And what could be more refreshing
00:55:52 To the Chinese,
00:55:55 with a tourist development
00:55:59 and the monkeys don't seem
00:56:09 The question is where to draw the line.
00:56:17 (WOMAN SPEAKING CHINESE)
00:56:21 Like the rest of the world,
00:56:22 China is still feeling its way towards
00:56:32 Six hundred years ago
00:56:35 the people who lived here carved
00:56:39 announcing it to be
00:56:50 In recent years that world has undergone
00:56:55 as tourists from all over China
00:56:57 have discovered the delights
00:57:06 By 2010, China's total tourism revenue
00:57:10 is expected to hit £75 billion a year.
00:57:23 While insensitive development could
00:57:28 well-managed eco-tourism could provide
00:57:37 The issues that face China today,
00:57:42 and living space and
00:57:45 are those that face us all.
00:57:52 If there is any country in the world
00:57:54 equipped to solve environmental problems
00:57:59 it has to be China,
00:58:02 with its tremendous human resources
00:58:07 The path it chooses will affect
00:58:12 and its natural environment,
00:58:15 but the rest of the world, too.