Wild-China字幕

NARRATOR:Thelasthiddenworld,China.Forcenturies,travellerstoChinahavetoldtalesofmagicallandscapesandsurprisingcreatures.Chinesecivilisationistheworld'soldestandtoday,itslargest,withwelloverabillionpeople.It'shometomorethan50distinctethnicgroupsandawiderangeoftraditionallifestyles,ofteninclosepartnershipwithnature.WeknowthatChinafacesimmensesocialandenvironmentalproblems.Butthereisgreatbeautyhere,too.Chinaishometotheworld'shighestmountains,vastdesertsrangingfromsearinghottomind-numbingcold.Steamingforestsharbouringrarecreatures.Grassyplainsbeneathvasthorizons.Andrichtropicalseas.Nowforthefirsttimeever,wecanexplorethewholeofthisgreatcountry,meetsomeofthesurprisingandexoticcreaturesthatlivehereandconsidertherelationshipofthepeopleandwildlifeofChinatotheremarkablelandscapeinwhichtheylive.iThisisWildChina./iOurexplorationofChinabeginsinthewarm,subtropicalsouth.OntheLiRiver,fishermenandbirdsperchonbamboorafts,apartnershipthatgoesbackmorethanathousandyears.Thissceneryisknownthroughouttheworld,arecurringmotifinChinesepaintings.Andamajortouristattraction.ThesouthofChinaisavastarea,eighttimeslargerthantheUK.It'salandscapeofhillsbutalsoofwater.(THUNDERRUMBLING)Itrainshereforupto250daysayear,andstandingwateriseverywhere.(THUNDERRUMBLING)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.(SQUAWKS)Eveninthemiddleofaploughedpaddyfield,natureisredinbeakandclaw.Thismaylooklikeaslaughterbutaseachheroncanswallowonlyonefrogatatime,thevastmajoritywillescapetocroakanotherday.TerracedpaddieslikethoseoftheYuanyangCountyarefoundacrossmuchofsouthernChina.Thiswholevastlandscapeisdominatedbyricecultivation.InhillyGuizhouProvince,theMiaominorityhavedevelopedaremarkablericeculture.Witheveryinchoffertilelandgivenovertoricecultivation,theMiaobuildtheirwoodenhousesonthesteepestandleastproductivehillsides.InChineserurallife,everythinghasause.Driedinthesun,manurefromthecowshedswillbeusedascookingfuel.(WOMENCHATTERINGINCHINESE)It'smidday,andtheSongfamilyaretuckingintoalunchofriceandvegetables.(SPEAKINGINCHINESE)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,whenafew