BBC美丽中国1BBCWildChina.docx

BBC美丽中国1BBCWildChina.docx

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BBC美丽中国1BBCWildChina

NARRATOR:

Thelasthiddenworld,

China.

Forcenturies,travellerstoChinahavetoldtalesofmagicallandscapes

andsurprisingcreatures.

Chinesecivilisationistheworld'soldest

andtoday,itslargest,

withwelloverabillionpeople.

It'shometomorethan50distinctethnicgroups

andawiderangeoftraditionallifestyles,

ofteninclosepartnershipwithnature.

WeknowthatChinafacesimmensesocialandenvironmentalproblems.

Butthereisgreatbeautyhere,too.

Chinaishometotheworld'shighestmountains,

vastdesertsrangingfromsearinghot

tomind-numbingcold.

Steamingforestsharbouringrarecreatures.

Grassyplainsbeneathvasthorizons.

Andrichtropicalseas.

Nowforthefirsttimeever,

wecanexplorethewholeofthisgreatcountry,

meetsomeofthesurprisingandexoticcreaturesthatlivehere

andconsidertherelationshipofthepeopleandwildlifeofChina

totheremarkablelandscapeinwhichtheylive.

ThisisWildChina.

OurexplorationofChinabeginsinthewarm,subtropicalsouth.

OntheLiRiver,fishermenandbirdsperchonbamboorafts,

apartnershipthatgoesbackmorethanathousandyears.

Thissceneryisknownthroughouttheworld,

arecurringmotifinChinesepaintings.

Andamajortouristattraction.

ThesouthofChinaisavastarea,

eighttimeslargerthantheUK.

It'salandscapeofhillsbutalsoofwater.

（THUNDERRUMBLING）

Itrainshereforupto250daysayear,

andstandingwateriseverywhere.

（THUNDERRUMBLING）

InthefloodplainoftheYangtzeRiver,

black-tailedgodwitsprobethemudinsearchofworms.

Butisn'tjustwildlifethatthrivesinthisenvironment.

Theswampygroundprovidesidealconditions

foraremarkablememberofthegrassfamily.

Rice.

TheChinesehavebeencultivatingriceforatleast8,000years.

Ithastransformedthelandscape.

LatewinterinsouthernYunnanisabusytimeforlocalfarmers

astheypreparetheage-oldpaddyfieldsreadyforthecomingspring.

ThesehillslopesoftheYuanyangCountyplungenearly2,000metres

totheflooroftheRedRivervalley.

Eachcontainsliterallythousandsofstackedterraces

carvedoutbyhandusingbasicdiggingtools.

Yunnan'sriceterracesareamongtheoldesthumanstructuresinChina.

Stillploughed,astheyalwayshavebeen,

bydomesticatedwaterbuffaloes,

whoseancestorsoriginatedintheseveryvalleys.

Thisman-madelandscape

isoneofthemostamazingengineeringfeats

ofpre-industrialChina.

Itseemsasifeverysquareinchofland

hasbeenpressedintocultivation.

Aseveningapproaches,anage-oldritualunfolds.

It'sthematingseason

andmalepaddyfrogsarecompetingfortheattentionofthefemales.

Butitdoesn'talwayspaytodrawtoomuchattentiontoyourself.

TheChinesepondheronisapitilesspredator.

（SQUAWKS）

Eveninthemiddleofaploughedpaddyfield,

natureisredinbeakandclaw.

Thismaylooklikeaslaughter

butaseachheroncanswallowonlyonefrogatatime,

thevastmajoritywillescapetocroakanotherday.

TerracedpaddieslikethoseoftheYuanyangCounty

arefoundacrossmuchofsouthernChina.

Thiswholevastlandscapeisdominatedbyricecultivation.

InhillyGuizhouProvince,

theMiaominorityhavedevelopedaremarkablericeculture.

Witheveryinchoffertilelandgivenovertoricecultivation,

theMiaobuildtheirwoodenhouses

onthesteepestandleastproductivehillsides.

InChineserurallife,everythinghasause.

Driedinthesun,manurefromthecowsheds

willbeusedascookingfuel.

（WOMENCHATTERINGINCHINESE）

It'smidday,andtheSongfamily

aretuckingintoalunchofriceandvegetables.

（SPEAKINGINCHINESE）

Oblivioustothedomesticchit-chat,

GranddadGuYongXiuhasseriousmattersonhismind.

Springisthestartofthericegrowingseason.

Thesuccessofthecropwilldeterminehowwellthefamilywilleatnextyear,

soplantingattherighttimeiscritical.

Theidealdatedependsonwhattheweatherwilldothisyear,

nevereasytopredict.

Butthereissomesurprisinghelpathand.

OntheceilingoftheSongs'livingroom,apairofred-rumpedswallows,

newlyarrivedfromtheirwintermigration,

isbusyfixinguplastyear'snest.

InChina,animalsarevaluedasmuchfortheirsymbolicmeaning

asforanygoodtheymaydo.

Miaopeoplebelievethatswallowpairsremainfaithfulforlife,

sotheirpresenceisafavourandablessing,

bringinghappinesstoamarriageandgoodlucktoahome.

LikemostMiaodwellings,theSongs'livingroomwindows

lookoutoverthepaddyfields.

Fromearlyspring,oneofthesewindowsisalwaysleftopen

tolettheswallowscomeandgofreely.

Eachyear,granddadGunotestheexactdaytheswallowsreturn.

Miaopeoplebelievethebirds'arrivalpredictsthetimingoftheseasonahead.

Thisyear,theywerelate.

SoGuandtheothercommunityeldershaveagreed

thatriceplantingshouldbedelayedaccordingly.

AstheMiaopreparetheirfieldsforplanting,

theswallowscollectmudtorepairtheirnests

andchaseafterinsectsacrossthenewlyploughedpaddies.

Finally,afterweeksofpreparation,

theordainedtimeforplantinghasarrived.

Butfirsttheseedlingsmustbeuprootedfromthenurserybeds

andbundledupreadytobetransportedtotheirnewpaddy

higherupthehillside.

AlltheSongs'neighbourshaveturnedouttohelpwiththetransplanting.

It'showthecommunityhasalwaysworked.

Whenthetimecomes,theSongswillreturnthefavour.

Whilethefarmersarebusyinthefields,

theswallowsflybackandforthwithmaterialfortheirnest.

Manyhandsmakelightwork.

Plantingthenewpaddytakeslittlemorethananhour.

Jobdone,thevillagerscanrelax,

atleastuntiltomorrow.

Butforthenestingswallows,theworkofraisingafamily

hasonlyjustbegun.

Inthenewlyplantedfields,littleegretshuntforfood.

Thericepaddiesharbourtadpoles,fishandinsects

andtheegretshavechickstofeed.

ThiscolonyinChongqingProvincewasestablishedin1996,

whenafewdozenbirdsbuiltnestsinthebamboogrove

behindYangGuangvillage.

Believingtheywereasignofluck,

localpeopleinitiallyprotectedtheegretsandthecolonygrew.

Buttheirattitudechangedwhentheheadofthevillagefellill.

Theyblamedthebirdsandwereallsettodestroytheirnests,

whenthelocalgovernmentsteppedintoprotectthem.

Bendybamboomaynotbethesafestnestingplace,

butatleastthisyoungsterwon'tendupassomeone'sdinner.

Thesechickshavejusthadaneeldeliveredbytheirmum,

quiteachallengeforlittlebeaks.

（CHIRPING）

Providingtheircoloniesareprotected,

wadingbirdslikeegretsareamongthefewwildcreatures

whichbenefitdirectlyfromintensivericecultivation.

Growingriceneedslotsofwater.

Butevenintherainysouth,

therearelandscapeswherewaterissurprisinglyscarce.

ThisvastareaofsouthwestChina,

thesizeofFranceandSpaincombined,

isfamousforitsclustersofconicalhills,

likegiantupturnedeggcartons,separatedbydryemptyvalleys.

Thisisthekarst,alimestoneterrain

whichhasbecomethedefiningimageofsouthernChina.

Karstlandscapesareoftenstuddedwithrockyoutcrops,

forcinglocalfarmerstocultivatetinyfields.

ThepeoplewholivehereareamongthepoorestinChina.

InneighbouringYunnanProvince,

limestonerockshavetakenoverentirely.

ThisisthefamousStoneForest,

theproductofcountlessyearsoferosion,

producingamazeofdeepgulliesandsharp-edgedpinnacles.

Limestonehasthestrangepropertythatitdissolvesinrainwater.

Overmanythousandsofyearswaterhascorrodeditsway

deepintotheheartofthebedrockitself.

Thisnaturalwonderisafamoustouristspot,

receivingclosetotwomillionvisitorseachyear.

TheChinesearefondofcuriously-shapedrocks

andmanyhavebeengivenfancifulnames.

Noprizesforguessingwhatthisoneiscalled!

Butthere'smoretothislandscapethanmeetstheeye.

Chinahasliterallythousandsofmysteriouscaverns

concealedbeneaththevisiblelandscapeofthekarst.

Muchofthishiddenworldhasneverbeenseenbyhumaneyes

andisonlyjustnowbeingexplored.

（MANSPEAKINGCHINESE）

ForagrowingbandofintrepidyoungChineseexplorers,

cavesrepresenttheultimateadventure.

Exploringacaveisliketakingajourneythroughtime.

Ajourneywhichendlessraindropswillhavefollowedovercountlesscenturies.

Fedbycountlessdripsandtrickles,

thesubterraneanrivercarveseverdeeperintotherock.

Thecaveriver'scourseischannelledbythebedsoflimestone.

Aweaknessintherockcanallowtheriver

toincreaseitsgradientandflow-rate,

providingarealchallengeforthecaveexplorers.

Thedownwardrushishaltedwhenthewatertableisreached.

Heretheslow-flowingrivercarvestunnelswithamoreroundedprofile.

（MENCHATTERING）

Thistranquilworldishometospecialisedcavefishes,

liketheeyelessgoldenbarb.

Chinamayhavemoreuniquekindsofcave-evolvedfishes

thananywhereelseonearth.

Abovethewatertable,

ancientcavernsabandonedbytheriverslowlyfillup

withstalactitesandstalagmites.

Stalactitesformastricklingwaterdepositstinyquantitiesofrock

overhundredsorthousandsofyears.

Stalagmitesgrowupwherelime-ladendripshitthecavefloor.

Oi!

Whoo-hoo!

Sofar,onlyafractionofChina'scaveshavebeenthoroughlyprospected

andcaversareconstantlydiscoveringnewsubterraneanmarvels,

manyofwhicharesubsequentlydevelopedintocommercialshowcaves.

Finallyescapingthedarkness,

thecaveriveranditshumanexplorersemergeinavalley

farfromwheretheirjourneybegan.

Fornow,theadventureisover.

Riverswhichissuefromcaves

arethekeytosurvivalinthekarst