Original subtitles

\h\h\h\hNarrator: IN THE FAR EAST, ONE COUNTRY IS GROWING

AT A BREAKNECK PACE, CHINA.

AND THE NATION IS RACING TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND.

\hFROM JAM-PACKED HARBORS TO RAPIDLY GROWING CITIES,

CHANGE IS EVERYWHERE.

IN THIS AERIAL JOURNEY, \h\h\h\hWE’LL SEE CHINA

FROM AN ENTIRELY NEW PERSPECTIVE.

\h\hAS ITS PEOPLE WORK TO KEEP UP WITH AN EXPLODING ECONOMY.

THIS IS A COUNTRY PUSHING \hTHE LIMITS OF TECHNOLOGY

AND INNOVATION.

IT’S ALSO A PLACE GRAPPLING WITH

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST POPULATION.

AFTER CENTURIES IN SECLUSION,

THIS IS CHINA FROM ABOVE.

♪

CHINA, HOME TO A 5,000 YEAR OLD CIVILIZATION

\h\hTHAT’S HURTLING TOWARDS THE FUTURE.

OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS, \h\hIT’S ROCKETED TO THE

SECOND-LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE \hWORLD THANKS TO GLOBAL TRADE

THAT SPARKED DRAMATIC \h\hCHANGE NATIONWIDE,

INCLUDING HERE IN ONE OF ITS \hBIGGEST CITIES, SHANGHAI.

SINCE 2000, THIS MEGACITY HAS \hEXPANDED NEARLY 50 PERCENT.

IT’S NOW CHINA’S FINANCIAL HUB,

\hAND THE BUSIEST PORT IN THE WORLD,

KNOWN AS "THE CITY \hABOVE THE SEA."

24 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE HERE

MORE THAN IN NEW YORK CITY.

AS A RESULT,

EVERYTHING IN SHANGHAI IS \h\hGETTING MORE CROWDED -

INCLUDING ITS SKYLINE.

\h\h\hTHE CITY IS IN THE MIDST OF A GROWTH SPURT,

AND ONE MAN HAS MADE IT \hHIS MISSION TO RECORD

THE TRANSFORMATION.

Zheng Xiangzhang: TO ME \hCITYSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

IS A JOB AS WELL AS A PASSION.

\h\h\hIT EXPRESSES MY AFFINITY FOR THE CITY.

\h\hNarrator: ZHENG ZIANZHANG HAS SPENT 20 YEARS DOCUMENTING

SHANGHAI’S RAPID GROWTH.

\hIN 1993, HE TOOK THIS PHOTO WITH FEW SKYSCRAPERS IN SIGHT.

\h\h\h\hSINCE THEN, HIS LENS HAS CAPTURED A CITY’S COMING-OF-AGE.

Zheng Xiangzhang: STANDING HERE,

YOU CAN SEE THE CITY’S \h\h\h\h\hDEVELOPMENT

AND ITS CULTURE AND HISTORY.

\hON THIS SIDE ARE THE NEW BUILDINGS.

\h\h\hOVER THERE, ARE CENTURY-OLD BUILDINGS.

FROM HERE, WHAT YOU ARE SEEING ARE THE CONTRASTS

WITHIN A CITY.

IT MAY BE GROWING, BUT IT IS ALSO PRESERVING

ITS HERITAGE VERY WELL.

\h\h\hALL THE PICTURES I TAKE TODAY WILL ONE DAY

BE A HISTORICAL RECORD.

THAT IS VERY MEANINGFUL FOR ME.

♪

Narrator: BUT SHANGHAI \hIS JUST ONE EXAMPLE

OF A RAPIDLY CHANGING NATION.

MILLIONS OF CHINESE ARE MOVING FROM RURAL AREAS

TO URBAN ONES.

IN AN EXODUS THAT’S \hEXPECTED TO RIVAL

THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.

TO KEEP PACE, CHINA IS BUILDING WHAT AMOUNTS

\hTO AN AREA THE SIZE OF CHICAGO EACH YEAR.

BUT ALONG WITH GROWTH \hCOME GROWING PAINS.

\h\h\hTHEY’RE FELT MOST WHEN MODERN-DAY CITIZENS ATTEMPT

TO PRESERVE ANCIENT TRADITIONS.

EVERY APRIL BRINGS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY

CALLED "TOMB SWEEPING DAY" - IN WHICH FAMILIES HONOR THE DEAD.

\h\h\hAROUND THREE MILLION PEOPLE LEAVE URBAN CENTERS

LIKE SHANGHAI TO VISIT \h\hRURAL CEMETERIES.

Xu Zhi Hao: TODAY IS \hQINGMING FESTIVAL.

WE’RE ALL FILLED WITH DEEP \h\hEMOTIONS IN OUR HEARTS

AS WE HEAD TO FU SHUO GARDEN TO PAY RESPECTS

TO OUR DECEASED ANCESTORS.

Narrator: EACH YEAR, THE LEE FAMILY MAKES

THE LONG JOURNEY TOGETHER

IN A RENTED VAN.

AS TRAFFIC HELICOPTERS \h\h\hCIRCLE OVERHEAD,

\h\h\h\hPEOPLE CLOG THE STREETS OUT OF SHANGHAI

IN A MASS EXODUS TO THE COUNTRY.

IT’S AN ADDED CHALLENGE \h\h\h\hFOR CITY POLICE

WHO ALREADY STRUGGLE TO PATROL \h\hSOME OF THE WORST TRAFFIC

IN CHINA.

Inspector Wu: DURING THIS TIME \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEACH YEAR,

WE DISPATCH POLICE CHOPPERS \hTO THE VARIOUS CEMETERIES

SO WE CAN MONITOR THE TRAFFIC.

\hAND RELAY INFORMATION TO THE GROUND TRAFFIC POLICE.

\hMan: I’M AT SECTOR S32 CEMETERY SITE RIGHT NOW.

\h\hTHE LEVEL OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION IS CRITICAL.

Narrator: TOMB SWEEPING \hBEGAN 2,500 YEARS AGO

AS ELABORATE CEREMONIES \h\h\hTO HONOR THE DEAD.

\h\hTODAY, IT’S A TIME TO RESTORE FAMILY GRAVESTONES

AND SPEND TIME WITH LOVED ONES.

Xu Zhi Hao: THE IDEA OF FILIAL PIETY AND PAYING YOUR RESPECTS

\hHAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF CHINA’S CONFUCIAN SOCIETY

SINCE THE ANCIENT TIMES.

PEOPLE ARE USUALLY TOO \hBUSY SO IT IS GREAT

WE HAVE A PUBLIC HOLIDAY

\h\hAS IT ALLOWS THEM TO PAY REMEMBRANCE TO THEIR ELDERS.

Narrator: PEOPLE ARRIVE \hAT MASSIVE CEMETERIES

AND GARDENS LIKE THESE.

ON THEIR JOURNEY, MANY \hVISITORS CARRY GIFTS

FOR THEIR ANCESTORS.

A CENTURIES-OLD TRADITION.

THE HOPE IS THE OFFERINGS \h\h\hWILL BRING BLESSINGS

TO THE LIVING AND \hTHEIR FAMILIES.

\h\hPEOPLE NAVIGATE THE MASSIVE ROWS OF CAREFULLY KEPT MEMORIALS

TO FIND THEIR FAMILY PLOT.

\hXu Zhi Hao: WE ARE BUYING FLOWERS TO PUT ON THE TOMBS

AS A SIGN OF REMEMBRANCE AND ALSO TO SHOW OUR SINCERITY.

I REMEMBER THAT MY GRANDPARENTS LOVED CHRYSANTHEMUMS

AND LILIES.

THESE FLOWERS ALSO SYMBOLIZE \h\h\h\hTHE LIVING’S RESPECT

FOR THEIR ANCESTORS \hAND FILIAL PIETY.

♪

WE BROUGHT OUR ANCESTORS’ FAVORITE FOOD AS OFFERINGS

\h\hSO THEY CAN ENJOY THEM IN THE AFTERLIFE.

Inspector Wu: WE CANNOT FORGET \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOUR ROOTS.

\hOUR ANCESTORS GAVE US A PHYSICAL BODY,

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, A SOUL.

SUCH A TRADITION ALLOWS GOOD \h\hVALUES TO BE PASSED DOWN

TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.

\hNarrator: DESPITE CHINA’S HECTIC PACE,

TOMB SWEEPING IS PRACTICED \h\h\h\hACROSS THE COUNTRY

BY NEARLY ALL ITS ETHNIC GROUPS.

IT’S A RARE MOMENT AS THIS \hFAST-PACED NATION PAUSES

TO OBSERVE THE PAST.

EACH SPRING, CHINA CELEBRATES \h\h\h\h\hITS BIGGEST HOLIDAY,

THE CHINESE NEW YEAR.

\h200 MILLION PEOPLE LEAVE THE CITIES IN THE WORLD’S

BIGGEST HUMAN MIGRATION.

\h\h\h\hCOMPARABLE TO CHRISTMAS IN THE WEST,

\hTHIS IS A TIME FOR FAMILIES TO REUNITE,

REGARDLESS OF THE CROWDS.

\hONE YEAR, SNOW DELAYS STRANDED 100,000 PEOPLE

IN A SINGLE TRAIN STATION.

WHEN THE WEATHER IS \hMORE COOPERATIVE,

\h\hMANY TREK HOME ON THE MOST ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

IN THE WORLD.

THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL WAS BUILT \h\hIN 2007 AND KEEPS GROWING.

AT 6,000 MILES, IT’S NOW THE LONGEST BULLET TRAIN NETWORK

IN THE WORLD.

BEFORE THE TRAIN, AN 800 MILE TRIP FROM SHANGHAI TO BEIJING

USED TO TAKE 14 HOURS.

\h\h\hTODAY, TRAVELERS CAN GET THERE IN JUST OVER FIVE HOURS

\hBY TRAVELING SPEEDS OF 180 MILES AN HOUR.

\hFOR FAMILIES LIKE THE WANGS, THIS CUTTING-EDGE

TRANSPORTATION IS A LIFE SAVER.

EVERY YEAR, THEY TRAVEL NEARLY A THOUSAND MILES

ON THE CHINESE NEW YEAR,

A TRIP THAT ONCE TOOK \h\hA DAY AND A HALF.

\h\hTODAY, THE BULLET TRAIN ZIPS THEM ALONG

A HIGH-TECH ELECTRIFIED TRACK.

\hTHE TRAINS CONNECT 200 CHINESE CITIES,

\h\hAND CARRY AROUND 2.5 MILLION RIDERS.

\h\hENGINEERS DESIGNED THE TRAINS OUT OF LIGHTWEIGHT

\h\hCOMPOSITE MATERIAL SO THEY CAN REACH TOP SPEEDS.

♪

She Peng: AS AN ENGINEER, I HAVE BEEN WITH CHINA’S HIGH SPEED

RAIL DEVELOPMENT FROM \h\h2004 UNTIL TODAY.

IT HAS BEEN AN EXCITING JOURNEY.

IT PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE \hTO ROAD AND AIR TRAVEL.

THROUGH THIS DEVELOPMENT, \hOUR WORK HAS TRANSFORMED

HOW WE CHINESE COMMUTE.

\hNarrator: THE TRAIN HAS CUT THE WANGS’ ANNUAL TRIP

FROM 36 HOURS TO 15.

Mr. Wang: THIS JOURNEY MAY \h\h\h\h\hHAVE BEEN LONG,

BUT IT FEELS SHORT IN MY HEART.

SEEING THE SNOW OUTSIDE REMINDS ME OF THE TIMES

I SPENT WITH MY PARENTS \hCELEBRATING NEW YEAR.

IT IS A VERY HAPPY FEELING.

♪

Wang Zhi You: ME AND HIS MOTHER,

AND EVEN HIS AUNT REALLY MISS THEM.

\h\hTHEY HAVE BEEN GONE FOR TOO LONG.

\h\hNOW THAT THEY ARE BACK FOR THE NEW YEAR,

\h\h\hWE ARE VERY HAPPY TO BE TOGETHER AS ONE FAMILY AGAIN.

\hNarrator: THE DAY ENDS WITH FIREWORKS.

AN ANCIENT TRADITION BELIEVED \hTO SCARE AWAY EVIL SPIRITS.

\hTHEY’LL GO OFF ACROSS CHINA THIS FESTIVE WEEK

\hAS MILLIONS OF OTHER FAMILIES ARRIVE HOME.

THE CHINESE RELISH \hOLD TRADITIONS,

\hBUT THEY’RE ALSO STARTING NEW ONES.

HERE IN CENTRAL CHINA, HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM THE COAST

IS A MASSIVE COMPLEX THAT BRINGS A TRIP TO THE BEACH INLAND.

♪

THIS IS KNOWN AS CHINA’S \h\hDEAD SEA, A MANMADE

SALTWATER RESORT WITH A CAPACITY OF 10,000.

RECREATIONAL AREAS LIKE THIS ARE POPPING UP ACROSS CHINA

THANKS TO A GROWING \h\h\hMIDDLE CLASS.

Ye Ming: WE’RE FRIENDS, AND WE \h\h\h\hOFTEN TRAVEL TOGETHER.

\h\h\hShu Ping: OTHER FRIENDS RECOMMENDED THIS PLACE TO US.

\hWE DID MORE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT

THE WATER HERE IS GOOD FOR OUR BODY AND SKIN.

\h\hWOMEN OUR AGE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SKIN.

Narrator: PARK DESIGNERS \h\hTAPPED INTO THE RICH

\h\h\hSALT RESOURCES IN THE REGION TO CREATE THE RESORT.

\h\h\hBECAUSE OF THE HIGH SALINE CONTENT, SWIMMERS FREELY FLOAT,

JUST AS THEY DO ON THE DEAD SEA.

ALL THAT IS A BIG DRAW \hFOR THE MIDDLE CLASS

WHICH HAS QUADRUPLED \h\hHERE SINCE 2000,

AND TURNED CHINA INTO \h\hA CONSUMER GIANT.

WITH MORE MONEY AND \hMORE LEISURE TIME,

\h\h\hPEOPLE HAVE THE MEANS FOR RECREATION,

\h\hLIKE THIS GIANT WAVE POOL, ITS NICKNAME IS DUMPLING SOUP.

Ye Ming: THAT WAS TOO EXCITING.

\h\hShu Ping: WE HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN DECADES.

Ye Ming: IT’S LIKE GOING BACK TO THE TIME WHEN I WAS IN MY 20’S.

THIS PLACE IS A PLAYGROUND.

Shu Ping: IT REALLY ALLOWS US TO RELIVE OUR CHILDHOOD.

\hNarrator: THE GROWING MIDDLE CLASS IS LOOKING

\h\hFOR THINGS TO DO AND THINGS TO WATCH.

CHINA’S MOVIE MARKET IS NOW THE SECOND-LARGEST IN THE WORLD.

\h\h\h\hAND HOMEGROWN FILMMAKING IS BOOMING.

\h\h\h\hTHE INDUSTRY HAS FUELED THE CONSTRUCTION

OF THIS ENTIRE AREA, CHINA’S \h\h\hVERSION OF HOLLYWOOD.

\h\hOFFICIALLY, THIS IS HENGIDAN WORLD STUDIOS,

\h\hBUT IT’S BETTER KNOWN AS CHINAWOOD.

ITS SETS SPAN 2,500 ACRES \h\hAND FEATURE EVERYTHING

\h\hFROM ANCIENT TEMPLES TO MODERN CITY STREETS.

IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT IN THE 90’S, THIS WAS FARMLAND.

\hTODAY, IT’S THE BIGGEST FILM STUDIO IN THE WORLD,

\hTHE SIZE OF PARAMOUNT AND UNIVERSAL COMBINED.

AND THE ENTIRE THING WAS \hTHE VISION OF A FARMER

WHO SLOWLY BEGAN CONVERTING \hTHE LAND INTO MOVIE SETS.

\h\hGRADUALLY, CREWS STARTED COMING AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY

BEGAN TO BOOM.

\h\h\h\h\hMANY ARRIVE IN CHINAWOOD WITH A DREAM.

THIS DIRECTOR LEFT HIS LIFE AS A KUNG-FU MONK

\hTO PURSUE HIS TRUE PASSION, FILMMAKING.

Wang Ying: I FIRST STARTED IN \h\h\h\h\hMARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL

\hBEFORE ENLISTING AT SHAOLIN TEMPLE.

I WAS TOO YOUNG.

\h\hI WENT BECAUSE MY FAMILY TOLD ME TO GO.

IT WAS TOUGH AND I WANTED TO GO HOME,

BUT AFTER TRAINING FOR A FEW YEARS AND GOING

FOR COMPETITIONS, I DEVELOPED \h\h\h\hA PASSION THAT ENDURES

UNTIL TODAY.

Narrator: CHINAWOOD SETS HAVE SERVED AS BACKDROPS

FOR MORE THAN A THOUSAND \h\hMOVIES AND TV SHOWS.

\h\hTHE 2002 EPIC MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE "HERO" WAS FILMED HERE,

ALONG WITH "CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON."

THE FILMS REQUIRE COMPLEX \h\h\hPROPS AND PLANNING.

Wang Ying: WE WILL FIRST FILM \h\h\h\hTHE ACTOR’S CLOSEUPS,

BUT THE FIGHT SEQUENCES WILL \h\hBE DONE BY OUR STUNTMEN.

OUR STUNTMEN WILL WEAR THIS HARNESS,

AND THEY’LL BE HAULED \h\h\hUP INTO THE AIR.

\h\h\h\hTHIS REQUIRES PROFESSIONAL TRAINING,

LIKE HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR \h\hPOSTURE AMONG OTHERS.

♪

THE CHALLENGE IS COORDINATION.

IF THE COORDINATION IS OFF,

OUR STUNTMAN MAY FALL \hAND INJURE HIMSELF.

\h\hNarrator: AMAZINGLY, THE SETS HERE ARE FREE TO CREWS.

\hCHINAWOOD MAKES MONEY FROM HOTELS, RESTAURANTS

AND PRODUCTION VENUES ALONG \h\hWITH 11 MILLION TOURISTS

\h\h\hWHO COME ANNUALLY TO WATCH THE ARTISTS AT WORK.

Wang Ying: I WOULD LIKE TO \h\h\h\h\hCREATE SOMETHING

EVEN MORE EXQUISITE SO THAT \h\hWHEN AUDIENCES WATCH IT

THEY WILL FEEL THAT IT IS \h\h\h\h\hVERY BEAUTIFUL.

I WANT TO CREATE THAT \h\hFEELING FOR THEM.

\hNarrator: HOLLYWOOD STILL DOMINATES THE MOVIE MARKET,

BUT CHINAWOOD IS GAINING GROUND.

THE QUALITY OF FILMS \h\hKEEPS IMPROVING,

AND PEOPLE HAVE NOTICED.

13 NEW FILMS PREMIERE IN THEATERS EVERYDAY.

CHINA’S CITIES ALONG WITH \hITS ECONOMY ARE BOOMING.

\h\hTHE POPULATION NOW STANDS AT 1.4 BILLION.

\hFOUR TIMES THAT OF THE U.S. IN AN AREA

THAT’S ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.

\h\h\hBUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE STRAINING

THE NATION’S INFRASTRUCTURE,

ESPECIALLY ITS ELECTRICAL GRIDS.

\h\hIN SOUTHEAST CHINA, THE NATION HAS LAUNCHED

\h\h\h\hAN AMBITIOUS ENGINEERING PROJECT,

\h\hINSTALLING WHAT’S CALLED AN ULTRA HIGH VOLTAGE CABLE NETWORK

OR UHV.

Xu Xiaoming: I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THIS FIELD FOR NINE YEARS.

\h\hIT CAN BE DANGEROUS DUE TO THE HEIGHTS WE HAVE TO SCALE.

\h\h\h\hDURING RAINY DAYS, THE CABLES CAN GET VERY SLIPPERY.

\hSTRONG WINDS CAN ALSO BLOW US OFF.

Narrator: THE HIGH-TECH NETWORK CAN EFFICIENTLY

\h\hTRANSMIT ELECTRICITY OVER THOUSANDS OF MILES.

\hWITH THIS HIGH-WIRE ACT, PRECISION IS KEY.

Xu Xiaoming: IF THIS SPACER \hIS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY

\hAND A TYPHOON HITS, THE CABLES MAY COLLIDE

AND CUT EACH OTHER OFF, CAUSING THE STEEL TOWERS

TO COLLAPSE.

\h\h\hTHIS IS BECAUSE THE CABLES PROVIDE A TRACTION

\h\hTHAT KEEPS THE TOWERS IN BALANCE.

IF THE CABLES SNAP, THE TOWERS WILL NOT BE ABLE

\hTO WITHSTAND THE RESULTING TENSION.

Narrator: BUT WITH BIG RISKS,

CHINA HOPES TO REAP BIG REWARDS.

\h\h\h\hTHE UHV WILL TRANSMIT ELECTRICITY FIVE TIMES FASTER

THAN THE OLD GRID.

\hAND IS FAR BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

\hTHEY’LL ALSO MOVE SURPLUS ELECTRICITY FROM ONE REGION

TO ANOTHER.

OVERALL, THE IMPROVEMENTS \h\h\hARE EXPECTED TO COST

ABOUT 4 BILLION IN U.S. DOLLARS.

WHEN IT’S FINISHED IN 2020, \h\hTHIS SYSTEM WILL STRETCH

\h\hMORE THAN 12,000 MILES, HALF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE EARTH.

AS CHINA WORKS TO POWER ITS PEOPLE,

IT’S ALSO LOOKING FOR WAYS TO CUT BACK ON POLLUTION.

FOR DECADES, COAL AND CARS \hHAVE COUGHED OUT TOXINS,

DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT.

\h\h\h\hNOW CITIES LIKE SHANGHAI AND BEIJING ARE

IN A PERMANENT TWILIGHT.

\hON THE WORST DAYS, PEOPLE ARE TOLD NOT TO GO OUTSIDE.

\hNOW CHINA IS SCRAMBLING FOR WAYS TO GENERATE CLEAN ENERGY.

\h\h\h\h\hTHIS CONTAINER SHIP IS TRANSPORTING LIQUID NATURAL GAS,

OR LNG.

\hLNG WAS DEVELOPED IN 1964 AS A BETTER WAY TO TRANSPORT GAS.

\h\hTHE GAS IS LIQUEFIED, WHICH MAKES IT 1/600TH OF THE VOLUME.

THEN, PUT INTO CONTAINER \h\hSHIPS LIKE THIS ONE.

LNG IS THE FASTEST GROWING \h\h\hMAJOR ENERGY MARKET

\hAND CHINA IS ITS BIGGEST CONSUMER.

MUCH OF CHINA’S LNG COMES \hFROM THE UNITED STATES,

ITS BIGGEST EXPORTER.

\hONCE THE PRODUCT ARRIVES IN CHINA, IT’S REGASSIFIED

AND DELIVERED TO THE MASSES.

\h\hTHE SHIPS THAT TRANSPORT IT ARE COMPLEX PIECES OF MACHINERY

RUN BY SPECIALIZED CREWS.

THEY USE SPACE-AGE \h\hINSTALLATIONS,

CRYOGENIC PIPELINES

AND GIANT VAPOR STRUCTURES \h\hTO MOVE THE GAS FREELY

AND EFFICIENTLY.

\h\h\hAT A DIFFERENT SHIPYARD, ENGINEERS

HAVE THE DIFFICULT TASK

\hOF CONSTRUCTING A BRAND-NEW LNG SHIP.

\hTHE ESTIMATED COST FOR ONE THESE SHIPS IS $230 MILLION.

AND CHINA IS BUILDING \h\h\hDOZENS OF THEM.

THEY HOPE THE NEW FLEET \h\h\hWILL BOTH CUT DOWN

ON CARBON EMISSIONS AND BOOST \hTHE SHIPPING INDUSTRY HERE.

\h\h\hDe Quan: LNG VESSELS ARE COMMONLY KNOWN TO BE THE MOST

DIFFICULT VESSELS TO BUILD.

PRECISION, RELIABILITY, \h\h\h\hAND SYSTEMS ARE

THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA.

AND WE HAVE TO ENSURE \h\h\hTHAT EVERY STEP

IN THE BUILDING PROCESS \hMEETS THESE STANDARDS.

\h\hTHE SLIGHTEST OF ERRORS WILL RESULT IN GREAT LOSSES.

\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: WHEN IT’S FINISHED, THE SHIP WILL BE ABLE

TO HAUL ENOUGH GAS TO FILL 64 OLYMPIC POOLS.

\hTHE LNG INDUSTRY IS ONLY EXPECTED TO KEEP GROWING.

\hCHINA, ALONE, PLANS TO PUT ANOTHER $10 BILLION

INTO THE INDUSTRY.

\h\h\hTHAT INVESTMENT WILL BOOST TRADE ON AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE.

♪

TO MEET ASIA’S DEMAND, LNG \hPLANTS ARE ALSO PLANNED

\h\h\h\hFOR THE U.S., AUSTRALIA, AND RUSSIA.

De Quan: THE FACT THAT \h\h\hWE ARE NOW ABLE

TO BUILD AN LNG CARRIER,

\hONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST COMPLEX SHIPS,

PROVES WE HAVE REACHED A GLOBAL MILESTONE IN ENGINEERING.

\h\h\hNarrator: CHINA IS ALSO WORKING TO HARNESS

THE POWER OF THE WIND.

HERE IN THE NORTHWEST, ONE WIND FARM HAS 300 TURBINES

SPREAD ACROSS 50 MILES.

\hOVERALL, CHINA CAN NOW POWER 110 MILLION HOMES

PURELY WITH WIND POWER.

♪

IN FIVE YEARS, THE COUNTRY \h\hPLANS TO DOUBLE THAT,

PART OF THE NATIONWIDE PUSH TO \hCOMBAT DECADES OF POLLUTION.

WITH WIDESPREAD WIND \h\hFARM PRODUCTION,

THE COUNTRY IS SCRAMBLING TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME.

Gao Yang: CHINA MAY \hHAVE STARTED LATE

WHEN IT COMES TO \h\hWIND ENERGY,

\hBUT SINCE 2006, OUR PRODUCTION CAPABILITY

HAS BEEN INCREASING RAPIDLY.

\h\hNarrator: THE WEATHER ON THE FARM IS MILD TODAY,

BUT THESE GIANT WINDMILLS \h\hARE BUILT TO WITHSTAND

\h\h\hNEARLY ANYTHING NATURE THROWS AT THEM.

\hEACH STRUCTURE IS MADE OF SPACE-AGE COMPOSITE MATERIAL

ABLE TO WITHSTAND TEMPERATURE \h\h\h\hSWINGS OF 130 DEGREES.

\h\h\hAND EVEN THOUGH THE BLADES ARE 200 FEET LONG,

THEY’RE BUILT TO WEATHER \hHURRICANE FORCE WINDS,

ALONG WITH THE TEST OF TIME.

THE FACILITY TRANSPORTS EACH \hBLADE ACROSS THEIR CAMPUS

TO PUT IT THROUGH RIGOROUS TESTING.

\hGao Yang: WE ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING THE FATIGUE TEST.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE FATIGUE TEST STIMULATES THE EQUIVALENT

OF 20 YEARS OF USAGE \hON THE WIND BLADE

TO ASSESS ITS DURABILITY.

Narrator: ONCE THE BLADES ARE TESTED,

THEY’RE READY TO BE INSTALLED.

AN EPIC FEAT IN AND OF ITSELF.

\h\hSPECIALIZED TRUCKS TRANSPORT THREE BLADES

ACROSS THE WIND FARM TO THE BASE

OF THE ALREADY ERECTED TOWER.

♪

NEAR THE GROUND, THE WORKERS \h\h\hMUST INSERT THE BLADES

INTO THE ROTOR.

AND A SINGLE BLADE \hWEIGHS SIX TONS.

\hUNFORTUNATELY, THE SAME WIND THAT WILL POWER THE WINDMILLS

MAKES ASSEMBLING THEM A HERCULEAN CHALLENGE.

Sun Jiang: THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR THE INSTALLATION

IS THE WEATHER.

\hWE ARE IN AN AREA WHERE WIND SPEEDS ARE VERY HIGH.

UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS, \hIT IS VERY DIFFICULT

\hTO FINISH THE INSTALLATIONS, ESPECIALLY OF THE WIND BLADES.

Narrator: DESPITE THE GUSTS, THE CREW MOVES

THE THIRD BLADE INTO POSITION.

STANDING INSIDE THE ROTOR, \hTHEY LOCK IT INTO PLACE.

NEXT, THE CREW WORKS TOGETHER \hFROM THE AIR AND THE GROUND

TO GUIDE THE ENTIRE MECHANISM \h\h\h\h230 FEET INTO THE AIR.

IT WEIGHS 32 TONS.

♪

ONCE IN PLACE, WIND WILL \hTURN THE BLADES AROUND

THE CENTRAL ROTOR.

\hTHE ROTOR, IN TURN, WILL SPIN A GENERATOR

INSIDE THE TOWERING SHAFT \h\hTO CREATE ELECTRICITY.

TWO MEN STAND INSIDE THE \hDOCKING HEAD TO GUIDE

THE ROTOR INTO PLACE.

A JIGSAW PUZZLE AT SKYSCRAPER HEIGHT.

IT’S ANOTHER REMARKABLE \h\hFEAT OF ENGINEERING

\h\h\h\hIN A COUNTRY ALWAYS LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE.

2,000 MILES SOUTHEAST \h\h\hOF THE WINDMILLS

IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF FARM,

ONE THAT’S FOCUSED ON SEAFOOD.

\hTHIS HARBOR TOWN IS A MAJOR FISH EXPORTER

FOR THE REST OF CHINA.

THE DAILY CATCHES COME FROM THE ANCIENT FLOATING VILLAGE

OF SANDU-AO.

HERE, PEOPLE HAVE USED BAMBOO AND WOOD TO CREATE FISH FARMS

IN THE OPEN WATER.

THOUGHT IT’S SMALL, HOME \hTO ONLY 8,000 PEOPLE,

THIS IS THE LARGEST COMMUNITY \h\h\h\h\hON THE SEA IN CHINA.

ON THE WATER, THE VILLAGE HAS \h\hTHE HALLMARKS OF ANY TOWN.

A POST OFFICE, POLICE STATION, \h\h\hMEDICAL CENTER AND MORE.

THE VILLAGE SITS IN A HUGE \h\hBAY, SO IT’S PROTECTED

FROM HARSH CONDITIONS.

\h\h\h\hIT’S ALSO THE DEEPEST ICE-FREE HARBOR IN THE WORLD,

MAKING IT IDEAL FOR MARINE LIFE.

\hTHIS MAN’S FAMILY HAS BEEN BREEDING FISH HERE

FOR SIX GENERATIONS.

Sang: MY FATHER USED TO TEACH \h\h\h\hUS FISHING TECHNIQUES

AND WHAT FISH TO CATCH.

\h\hFISHING OUT ON THE SEA WAS TOUGH,

\hSO MY FATHER DECIDED TO REAR FISH INSTEAD.

THIS IS THE GROUPER, CURRENTLY \h\h\hOUR MOST VALUABLE FISH.

MY CHILDREN LIKE REARING SEAFOOD.

THEY, TOO, PREFER BREEDING \h\h\h\hSTOCK THAN FISHING

OUT ON THE SEA.

\h\hNarrator: CHINA IS ALSO ATTEMPTING TO USE

THE POWER OF THE SUN.

THIS SOLAR FARM IS IN \hSOUTHWESTERN CHINA,

\hON WHAT’S KNOWN AS THE TIBETAN PLATEAU,

\h\hA REGION OF MOUNTAINS AND UPLANDS REACHING 15,000 FEET.

\hAT THIS ALTITUDE, THE SUN IS INTENSE,

\hMAKING IT AN IDEAL SPOT FOR A SEA OF SOLAR PANELS.

THEY GENERATE ENOUGH ENERGY TO \hPOWER AN AVERAGE-SIZED CITY.

CHINA IS ALSO WORKING ON THE BIGGEST SOLAR ENERGY

PRODUCTION BASE IN THE WORLD.

AND THIS IS ITS HEADQUARTERS.

Man: SOLAR ARCHITECTURE, OR \hRENEWABLE ENERGY BUILDINGS

WILL BECOME A POPULAR \hTREND IN THE FUTURE.

\hTHE CONCEPT WILL BE TAKEN UP BY EVERY COUNTRY AND CULTURE.

THE DESIGN PRINCIPLES \h\hOF THESE BUILDINGS

WILL BECOME A WORLD TREND.

\hNarrator: DEVELOPERS HOPE THIS WILL BECOME A WORLD HUB

OF CLEAN TECH MANUFACTURING.

♪

ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING \h\hEXAMPLES OF CHINA’S

EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IS THE CITY OF SHENZHEN NEAR HONG KONG.

\h\h40 YEARS AGO, THIS WAS A TOWN OF 300,000.

\h\hTODAY, IT’S KNOWN AS CHINA’S SILICON VALLEY,

HOME TO 12 MILLION.

PEOPLE HAVE FLOCKED HERE \hFOR JOBS IN TECHNOLOGY

AND DESIGN,

\hPUSHING THE CITY TO EXPAND UP WITH DOZENS

OF NEW SKYSCRAPERS.

BUT ALONG WITH PEOPLE COME CARS,

WHICH HAVE CLOGGED THE CITY’S ROADS AND POLLUTED ITS SKIES.

Wang Yan Man: CARS ARE THE MAIN SOURCE OF POLLUTION IN SHENZHEN

AS THERE ARE VERY FEW FACTORIES.

IF THE CITY CAN SOLVE \h\h\hTHE CAR PROBLEM,

\h\h\hIT CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF EMISSIONS.

\h\h\h\hNarrator: TO CURB THE POLLUTION, THE CITY HAS BUILT

A FLEET OF ELECTRIC BUSES.

THE TECHNOLOGY ISN’T NEW,

\hBUT THE SCALE OF IMPLEMENTATION IS.

Zhao Jingbo: I CAME \h\h\hHERE IN 2006,

BACK THEN THERE WEREN’T \h\h\h\h\hAS MANY CARS,

AND TRAFFIC WASN’T AS CONGESTED.

NOW, MAYBE BECAUSE OF THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT,

EVERYONE WANTS TO BUY A CAR.

BUT TRAFFIC JAMS ARE AN \hEVERYDAY FACT OF LIFE,

IT’S JUST LIKE FOOD, YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT.

\h\h\h\hNarrator: 3,000 OF THESE ZERO-EMISSIONS BUSES

NOW OPERATE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

\hFULLY CHARGED, THEY CAN RUN FOR 150 MILES.

\hTHE DRIVERS REPORT TO A COMMAND CENTER,

WHERE A CENTRAL COMPUTER KEEPS TRACK OF EACH BUS.

Yan Guangxia: THIS ROOM IS THE \h\hCENTRAL MONITORING STATION

FOR ALL OUR ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

\h\hWE HAVE 74 CHARGING DEPOTS ACROSS SHENZHEN.

ON THIS SCREEN, EACH BLUE DOT REPRESENTS A VEHICLE.

\hWE CAN MONITOR EVERY SINGLE BUS AND DEPOT.

\h\hNarrator: BY THE END OF 2017, THE CITY PLANS

\h\h\hTO HAVE A BUS FLEET THAT’S ENTIRELY ELECTRIC.

AS THEY LOOK TO THE FUTURE,

THE CHINESE PEOPLE ARE ALSO SHIFTING THEIR GAZE SKYWARD.

♪

NEAR BEIJING, THEY’VE \hBUILT WHAT’S CALLED

THE "LARGE SKY AREA \hMULTI-OBJECT FIBER

SPECTROSCOPIC TELESCOPE" - \h\hALSO KNOWN AS LAMOST.

OVER FIVE YEARS, IT WILL \h\hMAP 10 MILLION STARS

\hIN THE MILKY WAY ALONG WITH A MILLION GALAXIES

BEYOND OUR OWN.

BUT THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE TOOLS CHINA IS USING

TO STUDY SPACE.

ANOTHER EVEN BIGGER TELESCOPE \hLIES A THOUSAND MILES AWAY.

\h\h\hWITH A DIAMETER OF 1,600 FEET, THIS WILL BE

\h\h\h\h\hTHE WORLD’S BIGGEST TELESCOPE WHEN IT’S COMPLETE.

\h\h\h\hCHINESE SCIENTISTS BELIEVE IT WILL BE A LINK

BETWEEN THEIR ANCIENT \h\h\h\h\hASTRONOMERS

AND THE COUNTRY’S FUTURE

Nan Rendong: DURING THE SONG \hDYNASTY IN THE YEAR 1054,

CHINESE ASTRONOMERS DISCOVERED \h\hA STAR THAT WENT SUPERNOVA

IN A FLASH OF WHITE LIGHT.

\h\h\h\h\hWHEN THIS TELESCOPE IS COMPLETE, MAYBE OUR FIRST TARGET

IS TO LOOK AT THAT STAR AGAIN.

IT WILL BE A WAY OF CONNECTING \h\h\h\h\hOUR FUTURE, PRESENT,

AND ANCIENT PAST.

\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: TO WORK PROPERLY, THE TELESCOPE HAD

TO BE CONSTRUCTED \hIN A REMOTE AREA

WITHOUT ELECTRONIC INTERFERENCE OR NOISE POLLUTION.

ULTIMATELY, IT WILL BE CAPABLE OF SEEING

EXTRAPLANETARY TRANSMISSIONS A THOUSAND LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

Zhang Quoqiang: WE ARE LIKE TINY SPIDERS TRYING TO WEAVE

A 500 METER WIDE WEB.

THIS WEB HAS OVER 6,000 JOINTS, AND WEIGHS OVER 1,500 TONS.

\h\hIF A SINGLE JOINT ISN’T INSTALLED IN PLACE PROPERLY,

\h\h\hWE WON’T BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE SHAPE WE NEED.

THE BIGGEST RISK IS THAT I HAVE OVER 100 WORKERS

AT A HEIGHT OF 200 \hFEET AND ABOVE.

IT’S AN UNIMAGINABLE RISK.

\hYOU MAY THINK TIGHTROPE WALKERS HAVE A RISKY JOB,

BUT MY WORKERS ARE TREADING \h\h\h\hTIGHTROPES EVERYDAY.

\h\h\hWE ENGINEERS DON’T LIKE TO BUILD PROJECTS THAT ARE TOO BIG

AS THEY ARE VERY DIFFICULT.

BUT WHEN FACED WITH NATURAL \h\hCONDITIONS THAT FORCE US

\h\hTO BUILD SOMETHING THIS BIG, WE’RE WILLING TO DO IT.

BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING \h\h\hTO CHALLENGE OURSELVES.

\hWE WANT TO FIND OUT WHETHER WE CAN DO IT,

AND HOW WELL WE CAN DO IT.

\h\hNarrator: CHINA IS A COUNTRY FOCUSED FORWARD

BUT GROUNDED IN THE PAST.

\hONCE RURAL AREAS ARE REDEFINING THEMSELVES.

SOMETIMES WITH THEATRICS.

OTHER TIMES WITH INNOVATION.

THIS IS A COUNTRY CHALLENGING \h\h\h\h\hITSELF TO BE BIGGER,

BETTER, AND BOLDER.

\h\h\hIT’S ALSO A NATION THAT’S GRAPPLING WITH ITS OWN SUCCESS.

MODERN-DAY CHINA, A GROWING \h\h\hWORLD POWER SPEEDING,

\h\hSTUMBLING, AND SOARING TOWARDS THE NEXT CENTURY.