美丽中国第一集.docx
《美丽中国第一集.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《美丽中国第一集.docx(22页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
![美丽中国第一集.docx](https://file1.bdocx.com/fileroot1/2023-6/22/3117e0ed-fe3e-4e35-9062-4f199d353f41/3117e0ed-fe3e-4e35-9062-4f199d353f411.gif)
美丽中国第一集
第一集龙之心
第一部分
PartI
Thelasthiddenworld,China.
Forcenturies,travellerstoChinahavetoldtalesofmagicallandscapesandsurprisingcreatures.Chinesecivilizationistheworld'soldestandtoday;it’sthelargest,withwelloverabillionpeople.
It'shometomorethan50distinctethnicgroupsandawiderangeoftraditionallifestyles,ofteninclosepartnershipwithnature.WeknowthatChinafacesimmensesocialandenvironmentalproblems.Butthereisgreatbeautyhere,too.Chinaishometotheworld'shighestmountains,vastdesertsrangingfromsearinghottomind-numbingcold.Steamingforestsharbouringrarecreatures.Grassyplainsbeneathvasthorizons.Andrichtropicalseas.Nowforthefirsttimeever,wecanexplorethewholeofthisgreatcountry,meetsomeofthesurprisingandexoticcreaturesthatlivehereandconsidertherelationshipofthepeopleandwildlifeofChinatotheremarkablelandscapeinwhichtheylive.
ThisisWildChina.
OurexplorationofChinabeginsinthewarm,subtropicalsouth.OntheLiRiver,fishermenandbirdsperchonbamboorafts,apartnershipthatgoesbackmorethanathousandyears.Thissceneryisknownthroughouttheworld,arecurringmotifinChinesepaintings.Andamajortouristattraction.
ThesouthofChinaisavastarea,eighttimeslargerthantheUK.It'salandscapeofhillsbutalsoofwater.Itrainshereforupto250daysayear,andstandingwateriseverywhere.InthefloodplainoftheYangtzeRiver,black-tailedgodwitsprobethemudinsearchofworms.Butisn'tjustwildlifethatthrivesinthisenvironment.Theswampygroundprovidesidealconditionsforaremarkablememberofthegrassfamily.Rice.
TheChinesehavebeencultivatingriceforatleast8,000years.Ithastransformedthelandscape.LatewinterinsouthernYunnanisabusytimeforlocalfarmersastheypreparetheage-oldpaddyfieldsreadyforthecomingspring.ThesehillslopesoftheYuanyangCountyplungenearly2,000metrestotheflooroftheRedRivervalley.Eachcontainsliterallythousandsofstackedterracescarvedoutbyhandusingbasicdiggingtools.Yunnan'sriceterracesareamongtheoldesthumanstructuresinChina.Stillploughed,astheyalwayshavebeen,bydomesticatedwaterbuffaloes,whoseancestorsoriginatedintheseveryvalleys.Thisman-madelandscapeisoneofthemostamazingengineeringfeatsofpre-industrialChina.Itseemsasifeverysquareinchoflandhasbeenpressedintocultivation.
Aseveningapproaches,anage-oldritualunfolds.It'sthematingseasonandmalepaddyfrogsarecompetingfortheattentionofthefemales.Butitdoesn'talwayspaytodrawtoomuchattentiontoyourself.TheChinesepondheronisapitilesspredator.Eveninthemiddleofaploughedpaddyfield,natureisredinbeakandclaw.Thismaylooklikeaslaughterbutaseachheroncanswallowonlyonefrogatatime,thevastmajoritywillescapetocroakanotherday.
TerracedpaddieslikethoseoftheYuanyangCountyarefoundacrossmuchofsouthernChina.Thiswholevastlandscapeisdominatedbyricecultivation.InhillyGuizhouProvince,theMiaominorityhavedevelopedaremarkablericeculture.Witheveryinchoffertilelandgivenovertoricecultivation,theMiaobuildtheirwoodenhousesonthesteepestandleastproductivehillsides.InChineserurallife,everythinghasause.Driedinthesun,manurefromthecowshedswillbeusedascookingfuel.
It'smidday,andtheSongfamilyaretuckingintoalunchofriceandvegetables.Oblivioustothedomesticchit-chat,GranddadGuYongXiuhasseriousmattersonhismind.Springisthestartofthericegrowingseason.Thesuccessofthecropwilldeterminehowwellthefamilywilleatnextyear,soplantingattherighttimeiscritical.Theidealdatedependsonwhattheweatherwilldothisyear,nevereasytopredict.Butthereissomesurprisinghelpathand.OntheceilingoftheSongs'livingroom,apairofred-rumpedswallows,newlyarrivedfromtheirwintermigration,isbusyfixinguplastyear'snest.InChina,animalsarevaluedasmuchfortheirsymbolicmeaningasforanygoodtheymaydo.Miaopeoplebelievethatswallowpairsremainfaithfulforlife,sotheirpresenceisafavourandablessing,bringinghappinesstoamarriageandgoodlucktoahome.LikemostMiaodwellings,theSongs'livingroomwindowslookoutoverthepaddyfields.Fromearlyspring,oneofthesewindowsisalwaysleftopentolettheswallowscomeandgofreely.Eachyear,granddadGunotestheexactdaytheswallowsreturn.Miaopeoplebelievethebirds'arrivalpredictsthetimingoftheseasonahead.Thisyear,theywerelate.SoGuandtheothercommunityeldershaveagreedthatriceplantingshouldbedelayedaccordingly.AstheMiaopreparetheirfieldsforplanting,theswallowscollectmudtorepairtheirnestsandchaseafterinsectsacrossthenewlyploughedpaddies.
Finally,afterweeksofpreparation,theordainedtimeforplantinghasarrived.Butfirsttheseedlingsmustbeuprootedfromthenurserybedsandbundledupreadytobetransportedtotheirnewpaddyhigherupthehillside.AlltheSongs'neighbourshaveturnedouttohelpwiththetransplanting.It'showthecommunityhasalwaysworked.Whenthetimecomes,theSongswillreturnthefavour.Whilethefarmersarebusyinthefields,theswallowsflybackandforthwithmaterialfortheirnest.Manyhandsmakelightwork.Plantingthenewpaddytakeslittlemorethananhour.Jobdone,thevillagerscanrelax,atleastuntiltomorrow.Butforthenestingswallows,theworkofraisingafamilyhasonlyjustbegun.
Inthenewlyplantedfields,littleegretshuntforfood.Thericepaddiesharbourtadpoles,fishandinsectsandtheegretshavechickstofeed.ThiscolonyinChongqingProvincewasestablishedin1996,whenafewdozenbirdsbuiltnestsinthebamboogrovebehindYangGuangvillage.Believingtheywereasignofluck,localpeopleinitiallyprotectedtheegretsandthecolonygrew.Buttheirattitudechangedwhentheheadofthevillagefellill.Theyblamedthebirdsandwereallsettodestroytheirnests,whenthelocalgovernmentsteppedintoprotectthem.Bendybamboomaynotbethesafestnestingplace,butatleastthisyoungsterwon'tendupassomeone'sdinner.Thesechickshavejusthadaneeldeliveredbytheirmum,quiteachallengeforlittlebeaks.Providingtheircoloniesareprotected,wadingbirdslikeegretsareamongthefewwildcreatureswhichbenefitdirectlyfromintensivericecultivation.
Growingriceneedslotsofwater.Butevenintherainysouth,therearelandscapeswherewaterissurprisinglyscarce.ThisvastareaofsouthwestChina,thesizeofFranceandSpaincombined,isfamousforitsclustersofconicalhills,likegiantupturnedeggcartons,separatedbydryemptyvalleys.Thisisthekarst,alimestoneterrain,whichhasbecomethedefiningimageofsouthernChina.Karstlandscapesareoftenstuddedwithrockyoutcrops,forcinglocalfarmerstocultivatetinyfields.ThepeoplewholivehereareamongthepoorestinChina.
InneighbouringYunnanProvince,limestonerockshavetakenoverentirely.ThisisthefamousStoneForest,theproductofcountlessyearsoferosion,producingamazeofdeepgulliesandsharp-edgedpinnacles.Limestonehasthestrangepropertythatitdissolvesinrainwater.Overmanythousandsofyearswaterhascorrodeditswaydeepintotheheartofthebedrockitself.Thisnaturalwonderisafamoustouristspot,receivingclosetotwomillionvisitorseachyear.TheChinesearefondofcuriously-shapedrocksandmanyhavebeengivenfancifulnames.Noprizesforguessingwhatthisoneiscalled!
Butthere'smoretothislandscapethanmeetstheeye.Chinahasliterallythousandsofmysteriouscavernsconcealedbeneaththevisiblelandscapeofthekarst.Muchofthishiddenworldhasneverbeenseenbyhumaneyesandisonlyjustnowbeingexplored.ForagrowingbandofintrepidyoungChineseexplorers,cavesrepresenttheultimateadventure.Exploringacaveisliketakingajourneythroughtime.Ajourneywhichendlessraindropswillhavefollowedovercountlesscenturies.Fedbycountlessdripsandtrickles,thesubterraneanrivercarveseverdeeperintotherock.Thecaveriver'scourseischanneledbythebedsoflimestone.Aweaknessintherockcanallowtherivertoincreaseitsgradientandflow-rate,providingarealchallengeforthecaveexplorers.Thedownwardrushishaltedwhenthewatertableisreached.Heretheslow-flowingrivercarvestunnelswithamoreroundedprofile.Thistranquilworldishometospecialisedcavefishes,liketheeyelessgoldenbarb.Chinamayhavemoreuniquekindsofcave-evolvedfishesthananywhereelseonearth.Abovethewatertable,ancientcavernsabandonedbytheriverslowlyfillupwithstalactitesandstalagmites.Stalactitesformastricklingwaterdepositstinyquantitiesofrockoverhundredsorthousandsofyears.Stalagmitesgrowupwherelime-ladendripshitthecavefloor.Sofar,onlyafractionofChina'scaveshavebeenthoroughlyprospectedandcaversareconstantlydiscoveringnewsubterraneanmarvels,manyofwhicharesubsequentlydevelopedintocommercialshowcaves.Finallyescapingthedarkness,thecaveriveranditshumanexplorersemergeinavalleyfarfromwheretheirjourneybegan.Fornow,theadventureisover.Riverswhichissuefromcavesarethekeytosurvivalinthekarstcountry.
最后的隐世净土,中国。
数世纪来,去过中国的旅人传诵着关于这片神奇土地,以及那些神奇生物的传说。
中国文明是世界最古老的文明,而如今是最大的,拥有超过十亿的人口。
它不仅是超过五十个民族在此生活,以及各式各样贴近自然的传统生活方式我们都知道中国面对着着众多社会、环境问题。
但这里也存在着令人窒息的美丽:
中国有着世界最高峰从无垠的炙热沙漠到麻木大脑的寒冷地带,以及那蒸笼般的森林中隐匿的各种珍稀生物,天际下广阔无垠的草原以及富饶的热带海洋。
现在,我们第一次有机会深入探索这片伟大的土,接触栖息于此的珍奇生物,目睹中国这片神奇土地上人与野生世界的关系。
这就是美丽中国。
我们的中国探索之旅始于亚热带中国南方。
漓江的渔夫和鸬鹚栖坐在竹筏上,而这种组合已延续千年之久。
这景致已