Many Chinese parents go across the border to United States in order to give birth to a child. It is estimated that the number of Chinese nationals’ children born on American soil has reached forty to fifty thousand per year. Superior medical environment, advanced medical technology, and US identity are reasons that attract a large number of people. This program records the in-depth visit of expectant mothers, agents, confinement centers, doctors and hospitals in Los Angeles, giving a comprehensive view of the key factors in the industrial chain. From departing to returning home with the new-born baby, what choices would these mothers face? How would they live their life in the US before delivery? Would American society accept their new citizens? The program provides the answer.
Teresa Teng pursued her singing career at an early age and soon became a teen idol. Her dulcet voice and mellow songs have been enchanting her fans the world over. Teresa Teng is one of the most well-known female singers in the Chinese music scene, she has won numerous prizes, and eventually became the best-selling singer in Asia.
Until today, Teresa is still a common topic and memory. In these years, she was presented again on stage through special technology and effects. This program tells her remarkable stories and achievements. Audiences can once again be soothed by the timeless charms of Teng’s songs and fond memories of her life and love.
"Visionaries" invites the world’s top entrepreneurs, innovators and experts to talk about major issues such as economic development, investment opportunities and future trends from global vision and professional perspective. At the same time, the program shows these leading people's philosophy of work and life and reveals their decision-making process to inspire the younger generation. "Visionaries" presents the interview in a creative form. It goes beyond the traditional form of face to face talk with the interspersion of advanced frame.
Survive From the Disaster - A Review of Nepal Earthquake Reconstruction
On April 25, 2015, Nepal witnessed a magnitude 8.1 earthquake. People from all over the world have lent a helping hand to the rescue work. The Chinese government and NGO organizations have also rushed to the ruined area to provide essential assistance. One year after the earthquake, our crew followed UNESCO to visit the hardest hit areas to review the road to reconstruction, exploring the progress of historical monuments restoration and the resettlement of earthquake victims. Through one-year hard work, the Nepalese people's life has been back on track gradually, but social problem such as lack of medical support is still a concern.
Stick to the Tradition - Four Treasures of the Study
The four treasures of the study - writing brushes, ink sticks, paper, and ink stones are China’s unique painting and calligraphy tools, and is a symbol of ancient Chinese traditional culture. From the brushes to hard pens and then to the paperless keyboard, with the extinction of a particular writing manner, the four treasures seem to be disappeared in modern life. However, in fact, they never did. The craftsmen have guarded these ancestral heritages for so long and always try to make them rise again.
The program includes four episodes. The crew goes into the hometown of “Hu Bi” (a kind of writing brush), the Hu Kaiwen ink factory’s confidential workshop, the machinery room of “Xuan Zhi” and “Zhu Zhi” (two kinds of paper), and a well-known ink stone store respectively to reveal the production process of the outstanding craft. This program explores why the four treasures can still own a place in contemporary society and illustrates the sprit and essence of traditional Chinese culture.
Having lasted for nearly 6 years, the flames of the Syrian Civil War have spread through nearly the entire country. Today, the largest city in northern Syria, Aleppo, has been fully liberated. The crew comes to Aleppo and the capital Damascus to have a close observation of the two cities after the war, and listen to the voice of local people. How do they see the war? What kind of influence has the war brought to them? Although the balance of power has begun to tilt towards the government, the ruined homes constantly remind what happened in the past, it is still hard to predict the fate of Syria.
DVD (Mandarin, With English Subtitles) / 2017 / 30 minutes
Overseas Investment of Chinese Enterprises under B&R Strategy
“The Belt and Road”, is a development strategy proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the year of 2013 that focuses on connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries, primarily the People's Republic of China, the land-based "Silk Road Economic Belt" and the oceangoing "Maritime Silk Road".
The program contains five episodes, which tells about the overseas investment stories of Chinese enterprises under “The Belt and Road” development strategy, presents specific cases of China's overseas investment model. Cases include the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as well as twists and turns of Chinese enterprises in Russia, etc.
The crew comes to Japan to find the craft that was created by China and was remodeled in the hands of the Japanese craftsmen and explores how did the art from China bloom in Japan generation by generation.
The program is divided into four episodes. We visit Kyoto and Nara respectively to reveal one of Japan’s most prominent ceramic families, master of temmoku glaze and his secret workshop, a time-honored ink family and a centuried writing brush store. The perfect combination of Chinese elements and conventional Japanese crafts is shown in this program. Also, it illustrates Japanese artisans’ pursuit of innovation while upholding the tradition.
Bike-sharing schemes attract a large number of users by easy operation and low cost, over ten million people start cycling in the city. The schemes provide an effective solution of the “last mile” problem, helping a final leg of a person’s journey. And their launch brings a revival to bicycle market, which has declined in the past 30 years.
It has been over a hundred years since the first bicycle entered China, its status in society has undergone great ups and downs. This program uses the functional change of bicycle as the clue to tell the times story, revealing the China’s socio economic and cultural changes during these years. It also shows the vitality and problems behind the rise of bike-sharing schemes.
It’s the natural rule that all things will disappear one day. Have you ever wondered how would you live your life when getting old and how would you like to be treated? This program tells the story of many elderly. We may be able to immerse ourselves to the future, and reflect on current pension condition.
Natural Rule
In the last period of life, some people will encounter disability and dementia. Memory loss, degradation of language function, and difficulty in feeding are common symptoms. 83-year old Mr. Jiang has stayed in five different pension organizations and became physically incapable of taking care himself during past 3 years. 79-year-old Li Baoqiong is physically disabled as well, her husband decided to send her to the pension center. In this episode, we step into community, record the daily life of the elderly, their families and the nurses working in the pension center.
Care for Vulnerable Groups
In most rural areas of China, supporting centers running by government provide shelter for the elderly who are alone. In urban cities, more and more private organizations start to take long-term care for the disabled elderly. The crew visits the pension institutions in Luanping County, Hebei Province, and Tiantongyuan Community in Beijing, revealing the exploration of social care for vulnerable groups. Shortage in nurses and intensive workload are obstacles in the way forward.
Cherish the Fading Twilight
China is entering the golden age of pension industry with open market, high-speed development and great potential. Many foreign enterprises have entered China to serve the rigid demand of the large population and thus share capital dividends. From the research of market needs to the future planning, this episode contains interviews of practitioners from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China, providing a comprehensive interpretation of the current status of pension industry.
DVD (Mandarin, With English Subtitles) / 2016 / 90 minutes
The latest Chinese anti-drug report shows that the number of domestic drug users continued to grow in recent years, as of 2015, the number has reached 234 million, nearly doubled compare to 6 years ago. At the same time, the proliferation of drugs has penetrated to younger generation, they use drug to establish recognition with peers. It has become the third leading cause of death in many countries following cardiovascular disease and cancer, causing extremely serious social problem.
It takes six months to produce this documentary. Our crew illustrates the largest drug trafficking case in 2015 and reports the whole process of the arresting task exclusively. Also, we step into the forced and voluntary drug rehabilitation centers in Beijing to reveal the struggle and confession of drug addicts. What’s more, the crew visits the point of origin of the world’s drug, Golden Triangle, follows professional cruise to expose the evolution of this area after “Mekong tragedy” took place in 2011.
Fighting against drug is the common goal of all mankind, what should we do to win this invisible and lasting battle?
DVD (Mandarin, With English Subtitles) / 2016 / 75 minutes
Shuttling the Border - School Kids between Hong Kong and Shenzhen
According to Hong Kong Government, a total number of 28,100 students travel from Shenzhen to Hong Kong schools every Monday to Friday between 2015 and 2016, and figure is five times higher than it was ten years ago. Numerous students involve in the time-consuming journey, a large proportion of them comes from “doubly non-permanent resident” family.
With the changing times, parents start to pay increasing attention on children’s educational and growing environment. The combining philosophy of Hong Kong education, the diversified educational environment and the relatively fair educational system attract a large number of parents. However, they overcome several obstacles such as cultural difference, fierce competition and intense stress.
This program provides a comprehensive view of cross-boundary student families, schools, related government departments and organizations, reveals their challenges and efforts.
DVD (Mandarin, With English Subtitles) / 2016 / 75 minutes
In the 540 years of development, Hankow has become one of the world’s four major towns. This program outlines the history of Hankow from different aspects by illustrating its origin to present status on a time basis. It talks about the changes, the business rise and fall, and the political reformtook place in this city, showing the city’s commercial spirit and pattern. It takes two years to plan and produce this program, 35 historians, writers, and folk history lovers have contributed to the authenticity and authority of this historical documentary.
Aging Society Phenomenon in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong
China is accelerating into the aging society. It is estimated that China will become the world's most serious aging countries in 2050, the elderly population will account for roughly 34% of the total population. With the increasing demand for elderly care services, we step into organizations and interview professionals to explore the current pension situation in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. How to establish a reasonable system? What is the trend of development? How to implement community-based caring services? And how can we utilize social resources to achieve a breakthrough?
Nowadays, the traditional concept of raising children to provide against old age has been changing. Does the evolution of China's pension system successfully fulfill the expectations of elderly people?
DVD (Mandarin, With English Subtitles) / 2016 / 75 minutes
The eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, will finish his term of office and retire on end of December, 2016. The crew heads to the U.N. headquarter in New York, following him on a normal working day to record his working agenda from morning to night and revealing the real life of a Secretary-General. In addition, we interview Ban Ki-moon, his friend and colleagues to have an in-depth understanding of his personal experience and characteristic which lead him to this role. His childhood photos are shown exclusively in this documentary, and his friend An Yeong-su tells the sweet love story between Ban Ki-moon and his wife.
Ban Ki-moon compared his life to a nonstop clock, he has been doing the world's hardest job for nearly ten years, what are his feeling and outcome? What kind of issues and controversies does he face?
DVD (Mandarin, With English Subtitles) / 2016 / 75 minutes
Prophecies Revealed - Decoding the National Fate Prediction of Ancient China
Ranked as the most significant creation among the seven famous Chinese prophecy books, “Tui Bei Tu” is known for predicting the future of China since the Tang dynasty. As a prophecy book combining theology and philosophy, “Tui Bei Tu” is often referred as a masterpiece in prophesying the fate and future of China. Besides accurately predicting the succession of different Chinese dynasties, “Tui Bei Tu” has also predicated the happenings of World War I, Sino-Japanese War and Kuomintang’s retreat to Taiwan, as well as other remarkable events in China’s modern history such as the Cultural Revolution and the Reform and Opening-up policy.
When a book written more than one millennium ago is able to predict the occurrences in modern times, people are left to wonder what abilities did the authors process in prophesying the future, as well as what the book has to tell about China’s fate in the 21st century. By interpreting drawings and poems in each prophecy of the “Tui Bei Tu”, and comparing them to historical events from the Tang dynasty to present day, the programme unveils the mystery of China’s fulfilled prophecies and explains the inference and reasoning behind them.
DVD (Mandarin, With English Subtitles) / 2016 / 75 minutes
Restoring Ancient Monuments at Angkor - China’s Effort in Past 20 Years
In 1998, the Chinese heritage protection team entered Angkor, Cambodia to join in international cooperation of restoring ancient monuments. Through 20-year hard working, China is now recognized as the rotating chairman of the upcoming project. This is the first time that China steps out the country to provide assistance on cultural development. What has the team been through during past 20 years? How did they overcome the challenge? And how did they balance the restoration concept of different experts? Nowadays, the destroyed Angkor has been gradually recovered, and two generations of Chinese people have contributed to the grand project. They will continue their journey, keep working on the sustainable development of Angkor and other world heritages.
National health insurance was implemented in 1995 in Taiwan, currently, 99% of Taiwan’s total population has participated in this system. It completely solves the disparity of medical resources sharing, leads the equal rights of receiving medical treatment. In addition, the interaction mode of patients and doctors has changed through the years in a result. In all, the implementation is a revolution to Taiwan healthcare industry.
This program takes you into the evolution and current operation of this healthcare system by illustrating the development and regulation from different aspects, such as medical education, resource allocation and hospital accreditation. Also, it reveals various problems and challenges derived from exiting mechanism.
The name Sun Yat-sen is extraordinary significant to Chinese people, many roads, parks and memorial sites throughout the world are named after his name. His great spirit still inspires Chinese generations in contemporary society. The year 2016 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun, our crew takes 150 days and visits 17 different cities to reveal the real life of Sun Yat-sen.
Where did his curiosity come from? What kind of experience led him grown up to be a pioneer? He has connected Chinese people around the world closely, what were his strategy and practice in rejuvenating China? On the way to implement his ideas, Sun Yat-sen have gained numerous supporters by his charisma and revolutionary tactic. However, dangers and failures surrounded him at the same time. Living in the whirlpool of politics, how did he survive from the crises?
From Landlord to President and Emperor - The Secret Story of Yuan Shikai Family
A century ago, Yuan family became the top political family because of the rising of Yuan Shikai. However, their destiny has reversed after the abdication of Yuan. They have suffered from different tragedies, and their life was hopeless at a certain time. After been through those dark years, the family have gradually eased their identity that given by history, and live an ordinary life nowadays. In this program, we interview some of the family members as well as a couple of prestige scholars, to reveal the fate of Yuan family in the past hundred years, explore their unknown stories and complex sentiments.
Riding the Pacific - The PLA Navy RIMPAC 2016 Exercise Log
Our crew follows the Chinese Navy Fleet Taskforce 153 for 69 days and nights to record the whole procedures for its participation in the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. More than 1,200 Chinese military personnel hold firm willpower, demonstrate a high level of cohesion and strong teamwork. When met US Navy, what kind of chemistry has been sparked? How would our commanders respond to sudden occurrence? How did the Chinese force perform in the multi-country battleships of live ammunition shooting?
In addition, the program closely records the ship life of the officers and soldiers, uncover their inner world. The new force member works hard to adapt the seasickness, the senior member expresses how he treasures the navy experience, and the female member talks about her relationship status. In all, the new generation of naval force shows their attitude and loyalty as military personnel.
DVD (Mandarin, With English Subtitles) / 2016 / 75 minutes
North Korea celebrated the 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party with a military parade in Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Square On 10th October 2015. It appeared to be the largest military parade the country has ever thrown. International media were also invited to cover the celebration. In the programme, the crew arrives at Pyongyang to witness this country-wide celebration with extravagant military parade and performances.
Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the only North Korean university that is jointly operated with parties outside the country uses English as its medium of instruction. Only the most outstanding students will be admitted into this university and all its faculty members are foreign educators who came to teach voluntarily without compensation. In a visit to this modern university with a heavy political atmosphere, our crew takes the opportunity to explore its teaching and learning environment as well as its influence to the future of the country.
To learn more about the food crisis that has been troubling North Korea for two decades, our crew initiates a tour to Jangchon cooperative farm to take a look at the latest developments of the country’s agriculture. Meanwhile, the crew also goes to Mansugyo Meat and Fish Shop to get a better picture of the food rationing system of North Korea as well as the unreasonable price of the non-rationed food.
Just like its leader Kim Jong-un who has demonstrated improved level of confidence and motivation in his speech at the military parade, North Korea itself is indeed also showing numerous changes and improvements in these years. The crew’s journey to North Korea this year captures not only the latest differences seen in the country compared to the past, but also the little known facts behind all its portrayed magnificence and unity.
The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide on 26th June 2015, marking a new milestone for homosexuality rights. Whereas in China, the ways homosexuals are treated may have improved after the removal of homosexuality from the list of psychiatric disorders in 2001, their lives continue to be filled with numerous difficulties. By gathering stories from 9 different cities and interviewing over a dozen homosexuals as well as their family members, the programme thoroughly reveals the truest sides of the homosexual community in China.
Episode 1 Why Me
It has been a constant debate whether homosexuality is born or made, and most homosexuals tend to feel the same frustration at first – why am I different? Yue Jianbo regards a childhood experience as the cause of his homosexuality, while Tao Tao realized his interest in the same sex only after he was married and has children. In this episode, they share what they have been through from the fear and denial of discovery to self-recognition.
Episode 2 Surround Me
“Coming out of the closet” is a figure of speech describing homosexuals’ self-disclosure of their sexual orientation. In China, many homosexuals are still hesitated to come out. Li Peng chose to lie to his family because he is afraid of letting them down. Xiao Tao, on the other hand, told his mother the truth out of no choice and was relieved by her acceptance. Let Xiao Tao’s mother tell you how she coped with the news.
Episode 3 Marry Me
Many traditional families in China think marriage is essential and parental involvement is needed to expedite the process. Under such pressure, Zhang Xiaoyu and Yue Jianbo who compromised and married the opposite sex both have their marriages ended miserably. Lily used “marriage of convenience” to satisfy her parents’ request. On the contrary, Xiao Tao and his boyfriend, Xiao Xin have the blessings from their families to get married in the United States.
Episode 4 Save Me
How can the voices of the homosexuals be heard when ignorance and discrimination are all around? The ones featured in this episode have found their own ways to fight for their own rights. Liu Shi is an AIDS patient, but it did not stop him from flying all the way to Cleveland to join the Gay Games 2014. Yan Zi won the lawsuit against the clinic that performed “gay conversion therapy” on him, and the verdict marked another important step in proving homosexuality is not mental illness.
Following the rapid development of India in recent years, it is predicted to be the third largest economy in the world by 2024. Meanwhile in this particular country, the extreme contrast between the poor and rich is distinctively shown from the side-by-side existence of slums and modern cosmopolitan buildings. In the programme, host Lu Chen visits Mumbai, the most significant microcosm of India’s development to discover the boundless energy of this mysterious ancient land.
Being the first country in Asia to own a train, railway remains the most important mean of transportation in India today. The history of rail transport has also played an important role in shaping the Indian cultures. However, with the population density continues to surpass the carrying capacity, the terrifying scene of train surfing is still very common here. Let Lu Chen show you some of its truest facts through a train ride around Mumbai.
Despite the fact that Mumbai is showing the charms of a vibrant metropolis, half of its citizens are actually residing in slums. Among the 2000 slums that spread all over the city, Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum is definitely the one that most known in the world. Apart from serving as a shelter for a million residents there, Dharavi is also a hub of small-scale industries initiated by the poor. Inside its seemingly disorganized exteriors, there is in fact a well arranged environment for the poor to work for their lives. Lu Chen walks through the streets and lanes of Dharavi to learn more about this slum and its inseparable connection with the urbanization of Mumbai.
What’s more, Lu Chen visits the sites of two iconic traditional industries in Mumbai, Dabbawala and open air laundromat before she drops by some residences to get a sense of the living condition of the locals. Here you will discover the energetic sides of this incredible nation.
In the extreme northeast of North Korea, there is a rarely mentioned city called Rason. With its advantageous geographical location near the borders of China and Russia, Rason Special City was among the first to become North Korea’s special economic zone in 1991. Domestic economic reforms and foreign investment projects are in full swing in this special area.
Aquatic products processing activity contributed much to the domestic economic development of Rason Special City. Workers of Suchobong Aquatic Products Company worked extremely hard to process the aquatic products to be ready for export in return for an annual foreign earning of USD 1 million for North Korea.
Rason Special City welcomes foreign investment. Among the foreign investors, Russia had leased a pier on Rajin Port for 49 years, while China had constructed a highway connecting Wonjeong Customs and Rajin Port. China also sent experts and modern equipment to Rason Special City to teach the local farmers how to improve farming methods and increase yields.
Since Kim Jong-un became the leader of North Korea, he had been trying to show a new and modern image of the country to the world. Though the diplomatic relations are still tense, Rason Special City is conducting economic reforms at its own pace. Following the entertaining and fashionable music performed by Moranbong Band, an all-female westernised band set up by Kim Jong-un, the programme reveals the current situation in this experimenting economic zone.