Sacred Rivers With Simon Reeve (2014) s01e03 Episode Script
The Yangtze
1 I'm going on a series of astonishing adventures Whoa! It's absolutely stunning.
travelling along three of the mightiest rivers on the planet.
These rivers have given rise to some of the world's greatest civilisations.
For centuries, we've worshipped their life-giving waters and feared their awesome, destructive powers.
' The current is a killer On these epic journeys I'll meet some extraordinary characters .
.
and experience the very different cultures, religions and countries that have emerged along our sacred rivers.
In this episode, I'll be travelling 2,000 miles along the legendary Yangtze, Asia's longest river, from the far west of China, to Shanghai where it flows into the sea.
Yay! We're over the Yangtze.
For decades, China's communist leaders tried to eradicate religious beliefs and ancient philosophies.
But China's changed and this journey is a chance for me to learn more about what people here now actually think and believe.
Following the Yangtze will take me into the heart of a country once cut off from the outside world, but that's now being transformed.
Look at what we as a species are capable of.
It's displayed here, I think, like nowhere else I've seen on Planet Earth.
There's no doubt China's growth in recent decades has been remarkable, with hundreds of millions of people lifted out of poverty.
I'm a bit taken aback, frankly.
But with prosperity, has come a search for meaning.
Are there faiths and beliefs here that can help influence the path the country takes in the future? Oh, flipping heck! What a fantastic viewpoint.
It's breathtaking.
Part of the reason I wanted to start the journey along this stretch of the Yangtze, because this is the first bend in the river.
"So what?" I hear you say.
Well, the Yangtze is heading south, this way, and really it should head out of China, but it hits these hills, this mountain range over here that's made of hard limestone that it just can't erode, even over eons of time.
So the river does an abrupt about-turn and it heads thataway back into and across China, and, in doing so, takes water and civilisation and life to hundreds of millions of people.
Without the river, without this bend in the river, China as we know it would not exist.
The Yangtze River basin covers a fifth of China's land surface and is the breadbasket of the nation.
So crucial is the Yangtze to the existence of China, that it features in creation myths about the country.
According to legend, it was a mythical emperor who used an army of dragons to shape the geography here and turn the river towards China.
The local Nakhi people worship nature and the sacred river Yangtze.
Many still believe in dragon gods that are both benevolent and terrifying.
At the Dragon Pool temple, close to the first bend, I was meeting up with He Wenguang, a Nakhi musician, who comes from a long line of local priests.
For thousands of years, powerful dragon gods and the Yangtze River have been part of Chinese folklore.
Could you tell us a little bit about your beliefs in relation to the river? According to Nakhi culture, God had two wives.
The first wife gave birth to the natural world-- the rivers, lakes, seas and all living creatures.
The second wife gave birth to human beings, that's why we believe that man and nature are very closely related.
So we always worship nature and worship the Yangtze River-- these beliefs are the cornerstone of our faith.
What powers does the dragon god have? The dragon god is responsible for the climate and the earth.
If we offend the dragon god there could be a drought or flooding and the villages and fields would be destroyed.
So we must worship and respect him so that we will have a good harvest and a good life.
The ancient city of Lijiang dates back to the 5th century and is home to 60% of the Nakhi people-- one of China's many ethnic minorities.
I think it's this one.
Nakhi musician, Mr.
He, invited me to his home the next day to meet his family.
- Mr.
He.
- Welcome to my family.
- Welcome That's nice.
- Thank you.
- Hello! - Hello! Many Ethnic minorities in China complain they've been marginalized by the majority Han Chinese people, who make up more than 90% of the population.
The Nakhi are keen to try to preserve their culture and beliefs.
Mr.
He's 83-year-old mother, Xiao Rulian, is well-known locally.
Why are you known as the Nakhi Queen? How have you got that title? I was put on this earth to sing.
If I sang for three days and three nights I wouldn't even finish, maybe that's why people call me the Nakhi Singing Queen.
Mr.
He had invited friends over for a traditional singsong.
Some of their outfits appeared to have been inspired by the Village People.
Many Nakhi songs express reverence for the Yangtze and for the creatures that live on its banks, like the frog.
You're going to chuck me in, are you? OK.
I've got a slightly rubbish action.
Are you saying I have to channel my inner frog? - Yes.
- OK.
I can barely move like a human, so moving like a frog is going to be difficult, but Down, down She approves.
Is that part of Nakhi culture?! The Nakhi are one of dozens of ethnic minorities in China.
Some have received help from the authorities to preserve their traditions and beliefs.
But several groups, such as Muslim Uighurs in the far west of the country, are campaigning against what they see as state control.
Separatist groups claiming to represent ethnic minorities have even launched deadly terrorist attacks.
There are a lot of issues with ethnic groups in China.
In some parts of the country, ethnic groups have been agitating for more freedoms and even independence, and their behaviour is considered by the Chinese authorities to be a massive threat to national unity and thus national security as well.
The Chinese state saw what happened in the Soviet Union when communism collapsed there and the Soviet Union fragmented into smaller states, and they are terrified of the same thing happening here.
One of the longest running campaigns for independence has been fought by the people of Tibet, where the Yangtze originates.
In 1950, Chinese soldiers marched into Tibet, and China has treated it as its own territory ever since.
The source of the river is generally agreed to be high in the mountains of Tibet, which is governed by China as an autonomous province.
Many Tibetans and many in the international community as well would say that China has colonized and is controlling Tibet.
The Chinese government has a history of blocking film crews and foreign journalists from entering Tibet, another reason for us to start further downstream.
I travelled east, following the Yangtze, to a small historic site close to the river and just outside the booming city of Chongqing.
I'm on my way to meet a guide who is going to take me across the rest of China.
I'm meeting her at a sacred mountain.
This must be Li Li.
- Li Li? - Hi.
Hi.
- Thank you so much for coming to meet us here.
- My pleasure.
But where? You've brought us here, what are we going to see? Some beautiful carvings.
Let's go.
Hidden in a gorge close to the river, the Dazu Rock Carvings are some of the few religious artefacts in China not to have been destroyed during communist rule.
Dating back to 650AD, there are more than 50,000 statues hewn out of the rock here.
These are magnificent.
This is quite overwhelming.
So these are all representations of Buddha? Yeah.
It shows how important is the Buddha.
- Look at the fingers.
- Yes.
Actually each posture of the fingers has a special meaning.
What a beautiful sight.
Buddhism originated in India, but flourished in China for centuries, until China's drive for modernity in the early 20th century, and the rise of communism, resulted in the destruction or conversion of hundreds of thousands of temples.
Now Buddhism's making a massive comeback with an estimated 250 million followers in China today.
The Sleeping Buddha.
Look at this! Enormous! In fact, Li Li is one of the huge numbers of young Chinese who are once again embracing Buddhism.
That's really spectacular.
Beautiful, right? - Yeah.
- And so close.
You're so close to the Buddha.
And so close to the 800 years' history.
- It's lovely to see how excited you are by it.
- Yeah.
Did you choose to be a Buddhist, or did Buddhism choose you? I think both.
Of course, I make the decision, I found the way, but I was attracted by Buddhism and finally persuaded by the Buddhism.
So I could say Buddhism chose me.
I think Buddhism is not just a belief or wish, it's a path to the truth of the universe.
The teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, are also depicted in the Dazu Rock Carvings.
This is a typical carving to show the Confucius' thoughts, how it applies to people's life.
"Confucian" thoughts? Yeah, a combination of the Buddhism thoughts and the Confucius' thoughts.
And, actually, both of them are not against each other.
People just combine them to their life and also they think these two are connected to each other.
The whole story is about how kids should take care of their parents - and should treat them good.
- Children should look after Mum and Dad.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- That's what people can get-- it's a little lesson.
Yeah, actually it's a big lesson in China.
You're absolutely right, of course.
It shows that centuries and centuries ago, Confucianism and Buddhism existed together, lived together, worked together - in some sort of beautiful harmony.
- Yes.
They are just different paths to the one truth of this universe.
The third great Chinese faith depicted here is Daoism, which emphasises following the laws of nature.
That's also now enjoying a major revival.
The number of Daoist places of worship have tripled in the past 15 years.
Historically, these three religions and philosophies were known in China as The Three Harmonious Faiths.
You think of China today and you think of an economic powerhouse, a place that is perhaps just a little bit soulless.
A place that's less about personal belief and more about a production line.
But Chinese history is full of myths and legends, belief and superstitions.
The communists tried to wipe them out but it never went away.
Communism is just really a short period in the history of a country that is profoundly religious and spiritual.
From Dazu, Li Li and I travelled to the nearby city of Chongqing.
Because of its position in the middle of the Yangtze and the country, it's always been a major transport hub.
Today, it's one of China's fastest-growing cities.
We're just coming into the megalopolis that is Chongqing.
It's late, I'm going to find a bed for the night, but tomorrow we can head out and explore.
Chongqing epitomises China's dizzying economic growth in recent years and its rapid urbanisation.
Look at that! It's a bit like New York.
This is my first experience of a new Chinese megacity.
And I'm blown away.
This country, it's not just advancing, it's advanced.
It's not just rising, it has risen.
Yay! We're over the Yangtze.
We're doing what millions of Chinese migrants have done in recent - decades-- moving, going to the city.
- Yeah.
This has been one of the biggest, if not the biggest, human migration in history.
Millions of people going from the countryside to the cities.
The population of this city is expected to more than double in the next few years to 20 million.
China was traditionally a rural nation, but it's predicted that by 2030, China's cities will be home to one in eight people on the planet.
Here we go.
- Chongqing.
- Yeah.
This country has undergone an economic transformation at ten times the speed of the original Industrial Revolution.
In the centre of Chongqing is the People's Liberation Square, renamed to celebrate the communist conquest of the area.
Look at this! Ironically, it's now home to a roll call of international luxury brands.
I'm a bit taken aback, frankly.
Is this the new Chinese dream, Li Li? Consumerism? Buy stuff? Have a new handbag? Of course, that's a trend of fashion.
Especially when people get richer than before and they want to have such kind of products, just like international products.
It means something to them, like their social status.
Consumerism, it's almost an ideology-- I don't think just necessarily here.
Well, before, China used to be very poor and we didn't even have enough food to eat.
So, you may imagine when people get rich, of course, first thing, they want to eat food and wear good things.
It's really interesting, cos it's so easy to forget that, in living memory, this country has suffered famine.
Yeah, but at the very, very beginning, you have to have money to buy food, to buy a house, but later on you have to find what is important to you.
That's what I think.
There are more than 300 million middle class Chinese now.
They are the world's biggest consumers of luxury goods.
But it seems that even many of those who've obtained at least a degree of material wealth want more meaning in their lives than just the chance to go shopping.
Tens of millions are turning to religious faiths.
Near the centre of Chongqing, not far from the Yangtze, a Buddhist temple stands proud among the skyscrapers and shopping malls.
It's a bit hemmed in this temple, isn't it? There's been a temple here for nearly 1,000 years.
Surrounded by skyscrapers.
Actually, it looks fairly popular.
It's quite the little oasis, isn't it? - Mm-hm.
- Tranquil.
This is a big, happy Buddha.
Although China is officially an atheist country, surveys suggest up to 85% of people here believe in something-- either spiritual or religious.
First, we can light this candle.
- Light the candle - Uh-huh.
According to Buddhism, to light the candle means to light the candle of your heart-- make your heart bright, and the bright can go to everywhere, especially the dark place.
And then you can bring the light to other people in the world.
That's the meaning.
Then you pray.
What do you pray for, Li Li? I pray for three things-- the first, for my parents, the second, for all the people in the world, and the third one is for myself.
Family, planet and self-- I'll go for that.
As China's economy has grown, so has the damage the country is doing to the environment.
When it comes to pollution, China is one of the world's worst offenders.
And many people believe it will take more than just prayers to save the planet.
On the outskirts of Chongqing, Li Li and I met up with a couple of environmental activists.
They're monitoring the damage modern China is doing to the sacred Yangtze.
Many aspects of daily life have clearly improved here-- education, health care, the economy, legal rights, but the environment has taken a hammering.
This small environmental group was started by Yu Jianfeng, with £10,000 of his own money.
He reveres the Yangtze, and says his activism is inspired by China's traditional religious beliefs.
In Chinese traditional culture, Daoism is the philosophy that is more focused on the environment.
Daoism's idea is that nature and the human beings have to be in harmony.
But, for people like us, who are activists, we are also encouraged by Confucianism-- the Confucian idea that every individual is responsible for the state of the world and therefore must get involved in society.
That's a bit revolting, isn't it? That is disgusting.
This is domestic sewage and industrial waste water, mixed.
Is this flowing into the Yangtze? That's for sure.
This whole area is part of the Yangtze River valley.
Is this price of China's economic boom? This is because there isn't enough supporting infrastructure to match the city's rapid development.
The residential areas are expanding, but the sewage system isn't keeping up.
Water and air pollution are major problems in China.
Some reports suggest half of urban water supplies aren't fit to wash in, let alone drink.
It's a controversial subject for a new breed of environmental activist.
Why do you do this? You must get a lot of hassle as a result.
For me, I feel very sad to see the rivers are polluted, very upset.
I grew up in a beautiful place with green hills and a clear river.
I believe we should protect these rivers, so the next generation will still have a chance to develop a close relationship with them and swim in them, play in them and enjoy it.
I worry that the Chinese authorities, like Western democratic leaders, think that we can fix this, we can do whatever damage we want to the environment, but science and engineering will be able to resolve it in the future.
But what if we can't? What if the damage we've done, and we're doing still is irreversible? Then we'll have left a completely destroyed environment to future generations, and that would be completely immoral.
It's time we got out on the river, so we're heading to a port and going to get on a boat.
As China's boomed, so the newly-affluent middle class have started taking holidays around the world.
But, of course, they're also exploring their own vast country and rich history.
There's been a recent trend for taking luxury cruises on the Yangtze.
We drove 300 miles, tracking along the Yangtze, to Wushan, to join one of the cruise boats.
' It's massive.
It's like a floating hotel.
Let's get on board! - This looks great, Li Li.
- Yeah.
It's not even the biggest one.
This ship has 200 luxury cabins and suites that can accommodate more than 400 passengers, paying upwards of £300 a night.
I've never been on a boat like this.
Well, unless you count the ferry across to Denmark.
It's not quite like this.
So, last year they just started their journey.
- So this boat has only been going for one year? - One year only.
- Are you busy? Are the cruises busy? - Yeah, very busy.
More and more people here have proper leisure time and money to spend.
It's estimated that a million Chinese people are now taking cruises along the Yangtze every year.
A million.
Think how life has changed in the UK in recent decades, it's nothing to how life has changed here.
When I was born, this country was basically isolated from the rest of the world.
Within living memory, there were famines here.
Now look at it.
They come on board with their smartphones and fancy cameras, dosh in the pocket.
Come on, hurry up.
We need to go.
Well behind schedule.
At Wuhan, the river widens, because we were joining a massive reservoir that's filled-up behind the colossal Three Gorges Dam, where we were headed.
Water levels have risen by as much as 300 feet here, and the river's so wide and deep it's capable of accommodating ocean-going ships hundreds of miles inland.
As night fell, Li Li and I naturally felt obliged to get a taste of the on-board entertainment.
Should we share? We're here to celebrate China's ancient culture and I've been given a happy slapper and a lightsaber! Some people think of China as unfriendly and a little dour.
Not a bit of it.
Oh, people have been on the sauce here.
I was proud to see there were some Brits on board, helping to get the party going.
ole, ole, ole, ole ole, ole ole, ole, ole, ole Look what you've started! The next morning, we docked not far from the Three Gorges Dam.
We drove down towards the wall of the huge dam.
That surely ranks alongside the mightiest of human creations.
Look at the size of that.
This is the single biggest power station on the planet.
My God It generates vast amounts of hydroelectricity-- the equivalent of more than half a dozen nuclear power stations.
It's longer than 25 football pitches and higher than a 40-storey building.
Since the 1950s the Chinese have built more than 22,000 large dams, but this is by far the largest.
The government here says it's an engineering miracle.
Critics say it's an unstable and unprecedented environmental disaster.
Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China, championed the dam partly because deadly floods here regularly claimed tens of thousands of lives, and partly because he wanted to prove to the Chinese people that he had the right to rule.
In China, there's something called the Mandate of Heaven, and this is the idea that, for centuries, Chinese leaders rule with the acceptance and mandate of the heavens, of the gods, of the spirit world, of the ancestors.
And any threat to that mandate, any challenge to that mandate can come from things like an earthquake or a flood, because it suggests that the spirit world is somehow unhappy with the leaders in the real, physical world.
If Mao could build this giant edifice, he could prove that the Communist Party could conquer nature, and that it was greater and more powerful than China's ancient gods.
We're being allowed onto the top of the dam.
Hopefully.
This is a sensitive, strategic location, because consequences of the dam being breached could be catastrophic.
Mao didn't live to see the dam built and it wasn't finished and fully functional until 2012.
Yangtze River.
Wow.
Look at that.
It's an inland sea.
I think 13 cities, hundreds of towns, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced to make way for this.
This lake, the reservoir behind the dam, stretches back almost the length of England.
Something like 10% of the population of the planet live in the basin, the wider area around the Yangtze River.
That is how important this water, this river is.
And if we just come over here, look at what we, as a species, are capable of.
This is It's displayed here, I think, like nowhere else I've seen on Planet Earth really.
They have blocked, tamed, controlled the Yangtze.
And look over here.
It's like looking off the side of a mountain.
Li Li's smiling.
You proud? Yes.
Why not? I'm proud of it.
Of course there have been enormous environmental and human costs to this dam.
- Yes.
- I don't think we know our limits.
Yeah, well, I don't think we fully understand nature.
That's absolutely fascinating because here, I suppose, in China, we're confronted, I feel, by the two biggest questions or issues facing us as a species-- how do we make poorer people richer? How do we lift them out of poverty, while at the same time protecting the environment? And on rivers, on our sacred rivers, on our mightiest rivers, we see this issue displayed time and time again.
I feel people are more and more aware of this issue.
Cos in the past 20 years, Chinese people were really focusing on, you now, develop the economy and get rid of the poverty.
And, nowadays, lots of people really start to watch the long, long-term consequences and the environmental protections, natures for the next generation.
I really hope so, Li Li.
I have to hope and pray that there is this growing environmental awareness in China.
Not just for China, but for us all.
From the Three Gorges Dam, we followed the Yangtze for over 200 miles to the city of Wuhan.
Mao apparently thought of religion and faith as poison, but he still wanted to prove that he had the right to rule, the communist equivalent of the Mandate of Heaven, the blessing of the spirit world.
One way he chose to do this was by swimming the breadth of the Yangtze at Wuhan, where it was considered to be at its most dangerous, because of fierce currents and deadly floods.
I met up with Yu Guanrong who runs a local swimming club that trains in the river and celebrates the anniversary of Mao's swim every summer.
Mr.
Yu, why do you do this, why do you swim in the Yangtze? We Wuhan people crossed the Yangtze River, are obsessed with crossing the river, because Chairman Mao crossed it 17 times here.
That makes us love the river.
I dare say that there isn't any other world leader who has crossed rivers like this.
This is unique, number one.
What's this chap got? He's a calligrapher, a great artist.
Chairman Mao was a great calligrapher, too.
"China and British friendly.
" Let us hope so.
That's rather lovely.
Perhaps inevitably, I'd been volunteered to take part in the practice swim in the freezing waters.
This should inspire a bit of confidence-- rescue team.
He's abseiling, but, you know He does mountaineering as well-- he's climbed Everest.
He's been about.
He'll look after us.
Are you expecting me to wear this? Why have I been given this? That's to protect him against the sun.
I don't like what Mr.
Yu is planning here.
This does not look even vaguely acceptable.
Surely this is illegal in China.
Just don't leave me alone with Mr.
Yu, OK? This is quite possibly one of the most embarrassing things I've done.
This is like being in a zoo-- look around.
Let's take a dip in the Yangtze.
It's for you? I have to go first? OK.
Across the Yangtze! It's very refreshing! Mao's swim across the Yangtze here was a clever bit of publicity that helped his strongman image.
President Putin does these sort of stunts all the time, of course.
I was only supposed to be pottering around, having a quick dip.
The current here is astonishing.
I'm really feeling the power of it.
But after ten minutes or so, I found myself a third of the way across.
A mad thought struck me.
Meanwhile, Mr.
Yu was getting a bit chilly.
Mr.
Yu seems to be getting out of the river and I'm just left here with the rescue swimmers.
With stronger swimmers around me and our crew boat alongside, I thought I was safe to keep going.
I hadn't realised just how busy the dangerous shipping channel could be, and there were a few near-misses with passing freighters.
I bet they stopped the shipping for Chairman Mao! Mr.
Yu seemed to be relaying the highlights of my ordeal to his missus over the phone.
My hands are so cold.
I don't feel like I'm making any progress.
The current's too strong.
Where? Mao swam the Yangtze several times.
If I could do it, it can't be the toughest swim.
But the last time he swam the river was in 1966, when he was 72 years old.
It might seem surprising now, but his feats really did help him to take and keep control of the country.
I swam the Yangtze! Many historians have concluded that Mao was a monster to rival Stalin or Hitler.
Tens of millions perished under his rule.
He wanted to obliterate Chinese culture, destroying traditional faiths and religious beliefs.
He remains a complicated figure in China today.
What do most people in China think of Chairman Mao? Is he seen as a controversial figure at all, or is he generally seen as the creator of modern China? Well, two sides.
On one side, people still think he is a national hero and he is a great person in Chinese history.
On the other side, I think today, China's people also talk about the mistakes he made.
It's more and more open for people to talk about this.
After Mao's death in 1976, China's leaders were able to start slowly reforming the economy.
And, in recent years, the Chinese have begun rediscovering the more spiritual and philosophical side to their lives, which Mao and communism sought to suppress.
The sense I have is that faith and belief and tradition and custom is something that a lot of Chinese people now are searching for.
Yeah, I think so.
Actually, we have so many years of history and we have such great culture and traditions that never fade away from Chinese people's lives.
We still respect our ancestor.
We respect our philosophies and religion.
I think that's great things.
From Wuhan, we travelled another 300 miles east to Nanjing, a former capital of China right on the Yangtze.
We've just come to a viewing platform next to a bridge over the Yangtze, because we are heading into the city of Nanjing.
In the 1930s, this city, then known as Nanking, was invaded by the Japanese, who carried out a notorious massacre here.
But nearly 100 years earlier, it had also been invaded by the British.
In the 1800s, China lost the so-called Opium Wars.
This was a particularly shameful episode in British and Western history, when we went to war against China, basically because we wanted to have the right to sell the Chinese people drugs.
As a result of the Opium Wars, this city and many others like it, were opened to foreign trade, with large areas effectively under British control.
Christian missionaries also began arriving in the country and it was said that Christianity came here on a cannonball.
British and American missionaries used the Yangtze to access the interior of the country.
In the second half of the 20th century, Christianity was ruthlessly suppressed by China's communist leaders.
But it's now making an extraordinary comeback.
When the Communist Party took over in 1949, there were thought to be about one million Christians in the country.
Today, there are anything up to 100 million Christians in China.
More Christians, in fact, than there are members of the Communist Party.
By some estimates, there could be 400 million Christians in China in 30 years' time, making it the biggest Christian nation on earth.
What's this queue of traffic for? We'd arrived in Nanjing on Easter Sunday and we were heading to a newly-built church to see this phenomenon for ourselves.
- You don't think the traffic's here for the church, do you? - I think so.
This is a traffic jam for people trying to get to church! Let's walk.
Hang on, that can't all be a church.
- The whole thing? - Yeah.
It's like a stadium.
This brand-new church can hold up to 5,000 people-- most of the seats were taken.
The service included a dramatic re-enactment of the entire Easter story, with some colourful dancing thrown in for good measure.
OK.
Now I see why they draw a crowd! It's now possible to be both a Christian and a member of the Communist Party.
In fact, some government officials apparently think Christianity could help to protect the masses from the lure of selfishness and capitalist greed.
Have you been a Christian for a long time, or are you a new convert? I was a member of the Communist Party in the past.
I also believed in God but I didn't dare go to church.
Later on, I heard that Communist Party members can go to church too.
Now even the Communist Party believes in Christianity.
I was surprised to see that the re-enactment of the crucifixion inspired a really emotional response in people.
After the service, I had a few minutes with minister Li Lancheng.
Thank you for letting us come and see the service.
So, people in China have said that with the rise of capitalism, that China has become a tougher, harder place.
With the development of the economy, people are less connected to one another and family ties are getting weaker.
Obviously, the church is very new.
Were the authorities, was the government, a help or a hindrance to you when you were building it? This piece of land was allocated to the church by the government.
This church wouldn't exist without the government's permission.
The government also covered some of the costs of construction.
Can I ask how much? Did they pay a percentage, or can you tell us a figure? It cost £10 million and the government provided £3 million in total.
In other words, just less than a third of the cost.
The government paid a third of the money towards the church?! That's incredible.
The state will often support churches that toe the line, but not all of them do.
There are thousands of underground churches in China that reject state control and suffer harassment as a result.
- So we're off to Shanghai! - Yeah.
Most of the population here say they believe in something, and hundreds of millions are Christians, Buddhists, Daoists, or Muslims.
But religious Chinese are only allowed to practise their faith with state approval.
This is still a country of control.
On this journey along the Yangtze, we've only really encountered the official religions in China.
In the far west of the country, there are Islamic separatist groups, and many Muslims in China say they suffer oppression.
And then, of course, rather famously or infamously, the Chinese state cracked down very heavily on the Falun Gong movement, which many of its practitioners see as being a spiritual or religious organisation.
So if you are a member or if you're a practitioner of one of the official religions, it seems there is a lot of increased openness and awareness and people are turning to those religions.
But if you fall outside that framework, then it seems you can encounter a lot of problems with the state.
It would take about four hours to drive the 200 miles from Nanjing to Shanghai, but on China's super modern bullet trains I hardly had time for a nap.
We're in Shanghai! With a population of more than 24 million, Shanghai is, by some measurements, not just the biggest city on the Yangtze, but one of the biggest on earth.
Flipping heck! - It's like a cathedral.
- It's the biggest in China.
China could soon overtake America to become the largest economy in the world.
So the moral and ethical values chosen by people here to guide them, and, by extension, their country, will have an enormous impact on the entire planet.
It was our last night on the road, and Li Li wanted to take me to one of her favourite restaurants.
- New Age Veggie.
- New Age Veggie! A vegetarian restaurant? Yeah, you will see something really different.
Come on.
I'm a committed carnivore.
- It's not a Buddhist restaurant, is it? - Um connected.
- Really? - Yes.
Very nice, Li Li.
Yes, we're right by the window.
And menu on an iPad.
Very 21st century.
It's just menu.
Do you want to explore the new dishes? I see.
OK.
So the dishes, they look like meat.
Stewed veggie pork balls.
That's meant to be vegetarian salmon sashimi.
Looks quite real, right? That looks pretty real.
After this meal, you will you will have more possibilities to become a vegetarian, too.
- Oh, you think so? - Yeah.
You're looking to convert me to vegetarianism now, are you? Um, we will see.
We should have the salmon.
Is that the meaty one? Should we have that? Yeah.
What is the Buddhist connection here? Well, in China, most of the vegetarians are still like Buddhist.
So being a vegetarian means not just care about yourself but also caring about the world, about Earth.
Is it a growing movement then? Yeah.
The number of vegetarians in China, going up very quickly.
I read an article that says today we have more than 50 million.
- Meatballs! - Meatballs, yes.
Xie xie.
A veggie version.
Oh, wow! That really does look like salmon.
That's really impressive.
I'm looking forward to trying this.
That's really good.
This is really fascinating, Li Li.
People worry about rising China, the Chinese dragon, but actually, if half the country turns to Buddhism, you're not going to be a much-feared military empire that many in the West think it could be if half the population are peace-loving Buddhists, is it? Mm.
Here in China, we say this century is a century about the waking up of the soul.
Waking up of the soul? - Yes.
- I haven't heard that ever before.
It's really interesting.
Thanks, Li Li.
Cheers, m'dear.
Thank you for bringing us here.
It's been an amazing and a very, very eye-opening journey.
Thank you! The waking-up of the soul that is clearly happening here will have enormous implications.
This isn't just about religion.
This is a transformation that will affect politics.
It could help to re-define China's relationship with the rest of the world.
The next day, having said goodbye to Li Li, I headed out to the point where the mighty Yangtze finally flows out into the sea.
As I come towards the end of this journey, it's really clear to me that huge numbers of people in this country are turning to religion and faith.
And the reason they're doing that is, in my view, cos this country has advanced even further and even faster than many of us in the West realise.
Hundreds of millions of people here have been lifted out of poverty.
Often, their material needs are being met, but now they want new purpose and meaning in their lives that neither communism nor capitalism seem able to provide.
Here we are.
This is a sort of memorial, monument, or just a marker, really, for the end of the Yangtze.
Ha-ha! Look! The end of the Yangtze.
You can see for miles, look-- right out to sea.
Ah! It's been an amazing series of journeys.
It's been thrilling and surprising for me, actually, just how much I feel I've learnt from following these sacred rivers, about the cultures and the countries that the rivers flow through.
These rivers are polluted, they're battled over, but they're still life-giving arteries that support hundreds of millions of people.
These rivers have shaped civilisations, and they'll continue to shape our modern world.
October 19th, 2014
travelling along three of the mightiest rivers on the planet.
These rivers have given rise to some of the world's greatest civilisations.
For centuries, we've worshipped their life-giving waters and feared their awesome, destructive powers.
' The current is a killer On these epic journeys I'll meet some extraordinary characters .
.
and experience the very different cultures, religions and countries that have emerged along our sacred rivers.
In this episode, I'll be travelling 2,000 miles along the legendary Yangtze, Asia's longest river, from the far west of China, to Shanghai where it flows into the sea.
Yay! We're over the Yangtze.
For decades, China's communist leaders tried to eradicate religious beliefs and ancient philosophies.
But China's changed and this journey is a chance for me to learn more about what people here now actually think and believe.
Following the Yangtze will take me into the heart of a country once cut off from the outside world, but that's now being transformed.
Look at what we as a species are capable of.
It's displayed here, I think, like nowhere else I've seen on Planet Earth.
There's no doubt China's growth in recent decades has been remarkable, with hundreds of millions of people lifted out of poverty.
I'm a bit taken aback, frankly.
But with prosperity, has come a search for meaning.
Are there faiths and beliefs here that can help influence the path the country takes in the future? Oh, flipping heck! What a fantastic viewpoint.
It's breathtaking.
Part of the reason I wanted to start the journey along this stretch of the Yangtze, because this is the first bend in the river.
"So what?" I hear you say.
Well, the Yangtze is heading south, this way, and really it should head out of China, but it hits these hills, this mountain range over here that's made of hard limestone that it just can't erode, even over eons of time.
So the river does an abrupt about-turn and it heads thataway back into and across China, and, in doing so, takes water and civilisation and life to hundreds of millions of people.
Without the river, without this bend in the river, China as we know it would not exist.
The Yangtze River basin covers a fifth of China's land surface and is the breadbasket of the nation.
So crucial is the Yangtze to the existence of China, that it features in creation myths about the country.
According to legend, it was a mythical emperor who used an army of dragons to shape the geography here and turn the river towards China.
The local Nakhi people worship nature and the sacred river Yangtze.
Many still believe in dragon gods that are both benevolent and terrifying.
At the Dragon Pool temple, close to the first bend, I was meeting up with He Wenguang, a Nakhi musician, who comes from a long line of local priests.
For thousands of years, powerful dragon gods and the Yangtze River have been part of Chinese folklore.
Could you tell us a little bit about your beliefs in relation to the river? According to Nakhi culture, God had two wives.
The first wife gave birth to the natural world-- the rivers, lakes, seas and all living creatures.
The second wife gave birth to human beings, that's why we believe that man and nature are very closely related.
So we always worship nature and worship the Yangtze River-- these beliefs are the cornerstone of our faith.
What powers does the dragon god have? The dragon god is responsible for the climate and the earth.
If we offend the dragon god there could be a drought or flooding and the villages and fields would be destroyed.
So we must worship and respect him so that we will have a good harvest and a good life.
The ancient city of Lijiang dates back to the 5th century and is home to 60% of the Nakhi people-- one of China's many ethnic minorities.
I think it's this one.
Nakhi musician, Mr.
He, invited me to his home the next day to meet his family.
- Mr.
He.
- Welcome to my family.
- Welcome That's nice.
- Thank you.
- Hello! - Hello! Many Ethnic minorities in China complain they've been marginalized by the majority Han Chinese people, who make up more than 90% of the population.
The Nakhi are keen to try to preserve their culture and beliefs.
Mr.
He's 83-year-old mother, Xiao Rulian, is well-known locally.
Why are you known as the Nakhi Queen? How have you got that title? I was put on this earth to sing.
If I sang for three days and three nights I wouldn't even finish, maybe that's why people call me the Nakhi Singing Queen.
Mr.
He had invited friends over for a traditional singsong.
Some of their outfits appeared to have been inspired by the Village People.
Many Nakhi songs express reverence for the Yangtze and for the creatures that live on its banks, like the frog.
You're going to chuck me in, are you? OK.
I've got a slightly rubbish action.
Are you saying I have to channel my inner frog? - Yes.
- OK.
I can barely move like a human, so moving like a frog is going to be difficult, but Down, down She approves.
Is that part of Nakhi culture?! The Nakhi are one of dozens of ethnic minorities in China.
Some have received help from the authorities to preserve their traditions and beliefs.
But several groups, such as Muslim Uighurs in the far west of the country, are campaigning against what they see as state control.
Separatist groups claiming to represent ethnic minorities have even launched deadly terrorist attacks.
There are a lot of issues with ethnic groups in China.
In some parts of the country, ethnic groups have been agitating for more freedoms and even independence, and their behaviour is considered by the Chinese authorities to be a massive threat to national unity and thus national security as well.
The Chinese state saw what happened in the Soviet Union when communism collapsed there and the Soviet Union fragmented into smaller states, and they are terrified of the same thing happening here.
One of the longest running campaigns for independence has been fought by the people of Tibet, where the Yangtze originates.
In 1950, Chinese soldiers marched into Tibet, and China has treated it as its own territory ever since.
The source of the river is generally agreed to be high in the mountains of Tibet, which is governed by China as an autonomous province.
Many Tibetans and many in the international community as well would say that China has colonized and is controlling Tibet.
The Chinese government has a history of blocking film crews and foreign journalists from entering Tibet, another reason for us to start further downstream.
I travelled east, following the Yangtze, to a small historic site close to the river and just outside the booming city of Chongqing.
I'm on my way to meet a guide who is going to take me across the rest of China.
I'm meeting her at a sacred mountain.
This must be Li Li.
- Li Li? - Hi.
Hi.
- Thank you so much for coming to meet us here.
- My pleasure.
But where? You've brought us here, what are we going to see? Some beautiful carvings.
Let's go.
Hidden in a gorge close to the river, the Dazu Rock Carvings are some of the few religious artefacts in China not to have been destroyed during communist rule.
Dating back to 650AD, there are more than 50,000 statues hewn out of the rock here.
These are magnificent.
This is quite overwhelming.
So these are all representations of Buddha? Yeah.
It shows how important is the Buddha.
- Look at the fingers.
- Yes.
Actually each posture of the fingers has a special meaning.
What a beautiful sight.
Buddhism originated in India, but flourished in China for centuries, until China's drive for modernity in the early 20th century, and the rise of communism, resulted in the destruction or conversion of hundreds of thousands of temples.
Now Buddhism's making a massive comeback with an estimated 250 million followers in China today.
The Sleeping Buddha.
Look at this! Enormous! In fact, Li Li is one of the huge numbers of young Chinese who are once again embracing Buddhism.
That's really spectacular.
Beautiful, right? - Yeah.
- And so close.
You're so close to the Buddha.
And so close to the 800 years' history.
- It's lovely to see how excited you are by it.
- Yeah.
Did you choose to be a Buddhist, or did Buddhism choose you? I think both.
Of course, I make the decision, I found the way, but I was attracted by Buddhism and finally persuaded by the Buddhism.
So I could say Buddhism chose me.
I think Buddhism is not just a belief or wish, it's a path to the truth of the universe.
The teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, are also depicted in the Dazu Rock Carvings.
This is a typical carving to show the Confucius' thoughts, how it applies to people's life.
"Confucian" thoughts? Yeah, a combination of the Buddhism thoughts and the Confucius' thoughts.
And, actually, both of them are not against each other.
People just combine them to their life and also they think these two are connected to each other.
The whole story is about how kids should take care of their parents - and should treat them good.
- Children should look after Mum and Dad.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- That's what people can get-- it's a little lesson.
Yeah, actually it's a big lesson in China.
You're absolutely right, of course.
It shows that centuries and centuries ago, Confucianism and Buddhism existed together, lived together, worked together - in some sort of beautiful harmony.
- Yes.
They are just different paths to the one truth of this universe.
The third great Chinese faith depicted here is Daoism, which emphasises following the laws of nature.
That's also now enjoying a major revival.
The number of Daoist places of worship have tripled in the past 15 years.
Historically, these three religions and philosophies were known in China as The Three Harmonious Faiths.
You think of China today and you think of an economic powerhouse, a place that is perhaps just a little bit soulless.
A place that's less about personal belief and more about a production line.
But Chinese history is full of myths and legends, belief and superstitions.
The communists tried to wipe them out but it never went away.
Communism is just really a short period in the history of a country that is profoundly religious and spiritual.
From Dazu, Li Li and I travelled to the nearby city of Chongqing.
Because of its position in the middle of the Yangtze and the country, it's always been a major transport hub.
Today, it's one of China's fastest-growing cities.
We're just coming into the megalopolis that is Chongqing.
It's late, I'm going to find a bed for the night, but tomorrow we can head out and explore.
Chongqing epitomises China's dizzying economic growth in recent years and its rapid urbanisation.
Look at that! It's a bit like New York.
This is my first experience of a new Chinese megacity.
And I'm blown away.
This country, it's not just advancing, it's advanced.
It's not just rising, it has risen.
Yay! We're over the Yangtze.
We're doing what millions of Chinese migrants have done in recent - decades-- moving, going to the city.
- Yeah.
This has been one of the biggest, if not the biggest, human migration in history.
Millions of people going from the countryside to the cities.
The population of this city is expected to more than double in the next few years to 20 million.
China was traditionally a rural nation, but it's predicted that by 2030, China's cities will be home to one in eight people on the planet.
Here we go.
- Chongqing.
- Yeah.
This country has undergone an economic transformation at ten times the speed of the original Industrial Revolution.
In the centre of Chongqing is the People's Liberation Square, renamed to celebrate the communist conquest of the area.
Look at this! Ironically, it's now home to a roll call of international luxury brands.
I'm a bit taken aback, frankly.
Is this the new Chinese dream, Li Li? Consumerism? Buy stuff? Have a new handbag? Of course, that's a trend of fashion.
Especially when people get richer than before and they want to have such kind of products, just like international products.
It means something to them, like their social status.
Consumerism, it's almost an ideology-- I don't think just necessarily here.
Well, before, China used to be very poor and we didn't even have enough food to eat.
So, you may imagine when people get rich, of course, first thing, they want to eat food and wear good things.
It's really interesting, cos it's so easy to forget that, in living memory, this country has suffered famine.
Yeah, but at the very, very beginning, you have to have money to buy food, to buy a house, but later on you have to find what is important to you.
That's what I think.
There are more than 300 million middle class Chinese now.
They are the world's biggest consumers of luxury goods.
But it seems that even many of those who've obtained at least a degree of material wealth want more meaning in their lives than just the chance to go shopping.
Tens of millions are turning to religious faiths.
Near the centre of Chongqing, not far from the Yangtze, a Buddhist temple stands proud among the skyscrapers and shopping malls.
It's a bit hemmed in this temple, isn't it? There's been a temple here for nearly 1,000 years.
Surrounded by skyscrapers.
Actually, it looks fairly popular.
It's quite the little oasis, isn't it? - Mm-hm.
- Tranquil.
This is a big, happy Buddha.
Although China is officially an atheist country, surveys suggest up to 85% of people here believe in something-- either spiritual or religious.
First, we can light this candle.
- Light the candle - Uh-huh.
According to Buddhism, to light the candle means to light the candle of your heart-- make your heart bright, and the bright can go to everywhere, especially the dark place.
And then you can bring the light to other people in the world.
That's the meaning.
Then you pray.
What do you pray for, Li Li? I pray for three things-- the first, for my parents, the second, for all the people in the world, and the third one is for myself.
Family, planet and self-- I'll go for that.
As China's economy has grown, so has the damage the country is doing to the environment.
When it comes to pollution, China is one of the world's worst offenders.
And many people believe it will take more than just prayers to save the planet.
On the outskirts of Chongqing, Li Li and I met up with a couple of environmental activists.
They're monitoring the damage modern China is doing to the sacred Yangtze.
Many aspects of daily life have clearly improved here-- education, health care, the economy, legal rights, but the environment has taken a hammering.
This small environmental group was started by Yu Jianfeng, with £10,000 of his own money.
He reveres the Yangtze, and says his activism is inspired by China's traditional religious beliefs.
In Chinese traditional culture, Daoism is the philosophy that is more focused on the environment.
Daoism's idea is that nature and the human beings have to be in harmony.
But, for people like us, who are activists, we are also encouraged by Confucianism-- the Confucian idea that every individual is responsible for the state of the world and therefore must get involved in society.
That's a bit revolting, isn't it? That is disgusting.
This is domestic sewage and industrial waste water, mixed.
Is this flowing into the Yangtze? That's for sure.
This whole area is part of the Yangtze River valley.
Is this price of China's economic boom? This is because there isn't enough supporting infrastructure to match the city's rapid development.
The residential areas are expanding, but the sewage system isn't keeping up.
Water and air pollution are major problems in China.
Some reports suggest half of urban water supplies aren't fit to wash in, let alone drink.
It's a controversial subject for a new breed of environmental activist.
Why do you do this? You must get a lot of hassle as a result.
For me, I feel very sad to see the rivers are polluted, very upset.
I grew up in a beautiful place with green hills and a clear river.
I believe we should protect these rivers, so the next generation will still have a chance to develop a close relationship with them and swim in them, play in them and enjoy it.
I worry that the Chinese authorities, like Western democratic leaders, think that we can fix this, we can do whatever damage we want to the environment, but science and engineering will be able to resolve it in the future.
But what if we can't? What if the damage we've done, and we're doing still is irreversible? Then we'll have left a completely destroyed environment to future generations, and that would be completely immoral.
It's time we got out on the river, so we're heading to a port and going to get on a boat.
As China's boomed, so the newly-affluent middle class have started taking holidays around the world.
But, of course, they're also exploring their own vast country and rich history.
There's been a recent trend for taking luxury cruises on the Yangtze.
We drove 300 miles, tracking along the Yangtze, to Wushan, to join one of the cruise boats.
' It's massive.
It's like a floating hotel.
Let's get on board! - This looks great, Li Li.
- Yeah.
It's not even the biggest one.
This ship has 200 luxury cabins and suites that can accommodate more than 400 passengers, paying upwards of £300 a night.
I've never been on a boat like this.
Well, unless you count the ferry across to Denmark.
It's not quite like this.
So, last year they just started their journey.
- So this boat has only been going for one year? - One year only.
- Are you busy? Are the cruises busy? - Yeah, very busy.
More and more people here have proper leisure time and money to spend.
It's estimated that a million Chinese people are now taking cruises along the Yangtze every year.
A million.
Think how life has changed in the UK in recent decades, it's nothing to how life has changed here.
When I was born, this country was basically isolated from the rest of the world.
Within living memory, there were famines here.
Now look at it.
They come on board with their smartphones and fancy cameras, dosh in the pocket.
Come on, hurry up.
We need to go.
Well behind schedule.
At Wuhan, the river widens, because we were joining a massive reservoir that's filled-up behind the colossal Three Gorges Dam, where we were headed.
Water levels have risen by as much as 300 feet here, and the river's so wide and deep it's capable of accommodating ocean-going ships hundreds of miles inland.
As night fell, Li Li and I naturally felt obliged to get a taste of the on-board entertainment.
Should we share? We're here to celebrate China's ancient culture and I've been given a happy slapper and a lightsaber! Some people think of China as unfriendly and a little dour.
Not a bit of it.
Oh, people have been on the sauce here.
I was proud to see there were some Brits on board, helping to get the party going.
ole, ole, ole, ole ole, ole ole, ole, ole, ole Look what you've started! The next morning, we docked not far from the Three Gorges Dam.
We drove down towards the wall of the huge dam.
That surely ranks alongside the mightiest of human creations.
Look at the size of that.
This is the single biggest power station on the planet.
My God It generates vast amounts of hydroelectricity-- the equivalent of more than half a dozen nuclear power stations.
It's longer than 25 football pitches and higher than a 40-storey building.
Since the 1950s the Chinese have built more than 22,000 large dams, but this is by far the largest.
The government here says it's an engineering miracle.
Critics say it's an unstable and unprecedented environmental disaster.
Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China, championed the dam partly because deadly floods here regularly claimed tens of thousands of lives, and partly because he wanted to prove to the Chinese people that he had the right to rule.
In China, there's something called the Mandate of Heaven, and this is the idea that, for centuries, Chinese leaders rule with the acceptance and mandate of the heavens, of the gods, of the spirit world, of the ancestors.
And any threat to that mandate, any challenge to that mandate can come from things like an earthquake or a flood, because it suggests that the spirit world is somehow unhappy with the leaders in the real, physical world.
If Mao could build this giant edifice, he could prove that the Communist Party could conquer nature, and that it was greater and more powerful than China's ancient gods.
We're being allowed onto the top of the dam.
Hopefully.
This is a sensitive, strategic location, because consequences of the dam being breached could be catastrophic.
Mao didn't live to see the dam built and it wasn't finished and fully functional until 2012.
Yangtze River.
Wow.
Look at that.
It's an inland sea.
I think 13 cities, hundreds of towns, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced to make way for this.
This lake, the reservoir behind the dam, stretches back almost the length of England.
Something like 10% of the population of the planet live in the basin, the wider area around the Yangtze River.
That is how important this water, this river is.
And if we just come over here, look at what we, as a species, are capable of.
This is It's displayed here, I think, like nowhere else I've seen on Planet Earth really.
They have blocked, tamed, controlled the Yangtze.
And look over here.
It's like looking off the side of a mountain.
Li Li's smiling.
You proud? Yes.
Why not? I'm proud of it.
Of course there have been enormous environmental and human costs to this dam.
- Yes.
- I don't think we know our limits.
Yeah, well, I don't think we fully understand nature.
That's absolutely fascinating because here, I suppose, in China, we're confronted, I feel, by the two biggest questions or issues facing us as a species-- how do we make poorer people richer? How do we lift them out of poverty, while at the same time protecting the environment? And on rivers, on our sacred rivers, on our mightiest rivers, we see this issue displayed time and time again.
I feel people are more and more aware of this issue.
Cos in the past 20 years, Chinese people were really focusing on, you now, develop the economy and get rid of the poverty.
And, nowadays, lots of people really start to watch the long, long-term consequences and the environmental protections, natures for the next generation.
I really hope so, Li Li.
I have to hope and pray that there is this growing environmental awareness in China.
Not just for China, but for us all.
From the Three Gorges Dam, we followed the Yangtze for over 200 miles to the city of Wuhan.
Mao apparently thought of religion and faith as poison, but he still wanted to prove that he had the right to rule, the communist equivalent of the Mandate of Heaven, the blessing of the spirit world.
One way he chose to do this was by swimming the breadth of the Yangtze at Wuhan, where it was considered to be at its most dangerous, because of fierce currents and deadly floods.
I met up with Yu Guanrong who runs a local swimming club that trains in the river and celebrates the anniversary of Mao's swim every summer.
Mr.
Yu, why do you do this, why do you swim in the Yangtze? We Wuhan people crossed the Yangtze River, are obsessed with crossing the river, because Chairman Mao crossed it 17 times here.
That makes us love the river.
I dare say that there isn't any other world leader who has crossed rivers like this.
This is unique, number one.
What's this chap got? He's a calligrapher, a great artist.
Chairman Mao was a great calligrapher, too.
"China and British friendly.
" Let us hope so.
That's rather lovely.
Perhaps inevitably, I'd been volunteered to take part in the practice swim in the freezing waters.
This should inspire a bit of confidence-- rescue team.
He's abseiling, but, you know He does mountaineering as well-- he's climbed Everest.
He's been about.
He'll look after us.
Are you expecting me to wear this? Why have I been given this? That's to protect him against the sun.
I don't like what Mr.
Yu is planning here.
This does not look even vaguely acceptable.
Surely this is illegal in China.
Just don't leave me alone with Mr.
Yu, OK? This is quite possibly one of the most embarrassing things I've done.
This is like being in a zoo-- look around.
Let's take a dip in the Yangtze.
It's for you? I have to go first? OK.
Across the Yangtze! It's very refreshing! Mao's swim across the Yangtze here was a clever bit of publicity that helped his strongman image.
President Putin does these sort of stunts all the time, of course.
I was only supposed to be pottering around, having a quick dip.
The current here is astonishing.
I'm really feeling the power of it.
But after ten minutes or so, I found myself a third of the way across.
A mad thought struck me.
Meanwhile, Mr.
Yu was getting a bit chilly.
Mr.
Yu seems to be getting out of the river and I'm just left here with the rescue swimmers.
With stronger swimmers around me and our crew boat alongside, I thought I was safe to keep going.
I hadn't realised just how busy the dangerous shipping channel could be, and there were a few near-misses with passing freighters.
I bet they stopped the shipping for Chairman Mao! Mr.
Yu seemed to be relaying the highlights of my ordeal to his missus over the phone.
My hands are so cold.
I don't feel like I'm making any progress.
The current's too strong.
Where? Mao swam the Yangtze several times.
If I could do it, it can't be the toughest swim.
But the last time he swam the river was in 1966, when he was 72 years old.
It might seem surprising now, but his feats really did help him to take and keep control of the country.
I swam the Yangtze! Many historians have concluded that Mao was a monster to rival Stalin or Hitler.
Tens of millions perished under his rule.
He wanted to obliterate Chinese culture, destroying traditional faiths and religious beliefs.
He remains a complicated figure in China today.
What do most people in China think of Chairman Mao? Is he seen as a controversial figure at all, or is he generally seen as the creator of modern China? Well, two sides.
On one side, people still think he is a national hero and he is a great person in Chinese history.
On the other side, I think today, China's people also talk about the mistakes he made.
It's more and more open for people to talk about this.
After Mao's death in 1976, China's leaders were able to start slowly reforming the economy.
And, in recent years, the Chinese have begun rediscovering the more spiritual and philosophical side to their lives, which Mao and communism sought to suppress.
The sense I have is that faith and belief and tradition and custom is something that a lot of Chinese people now are searching for.
Yeah, I think so.
Actually, we have so many years of history and we have such great culture and traditions that never fade away from Chinese people's lives.
We still respect our ancestor.
We respect our philosophies and religion.
I think that's great things.
From Wuhan, we travelled another 300 miles east to Nanjing, a former capital of China right on the Yangtze.
We've just come to a viewing platform next to a bridge over the Yangtze, because we are heading into the city of Nanjing.
In the 1930s, this city, then known as Nanking, was invaded by the Japanese, who carried out a notorious massacre here.
But nearly 100 years earlier, it had also been invaded by the British.
In the 1800s, China lost the so-called Opium Wars.
This was a particularly shameful episode in British and Western history, when we went to war against China, basically because we wanted to have the right to sell the Chinese people drugs.
As a result of the Opium Wars, this city and many others like it, were opened to foreign trade, with large areas effectively under British control.
Christian missionaries also began arriving in the country and it was said that Christianity came here on a cannonball.
British and American missionaries used the Yangtze to access the interior of the country.
In the second half of the 20th century, Christianity was ruthlessly suppressed by China's communist leaders.
But it's now making an extraordinary comeback.
When the Communist Party took over in 1949, there were thought to be about one million Christians in the country.
Today, there are anything up to 100 million Christians in China.
More Christians, in fact, than there are members of the Communist Party.
By some estimates, there could be 400 million Christians in China in 30 years' time, making it the biggest Christian nation on earth.
What's this queue of traffic for? We'd arrived in Nanjing on Easter Sunday and we were heading to a newly-built church to see this phenomenon for ourselves.
- You don't think the traffic's here for the church, do you? - I think so.
This is a traffic jam for people trying to get to church! Let's walk.
Hang on, that can't all be a church.
- The whole thing? - Yeah.
It's like a stadium.
This brand-new church can hold up to 5,000 people-- most of the seats were taken.
The service included a dramatic re-enactment of the entire Easter story, with some colourful dancing thrown in for good measure.
OK.
Now I see why they draw a crowd! It's now possible to be both a Christian and a member of the Communist Party.
In fact, some government officials apparently think Christianity could help to protect the masses from the lure of selfishness and capitalist greed.
Have you been a Christian for a long time, or are you a new convert? I was a member of the Communist Party in the past.
I also believed in God but I didn't dare go to church.
Later on, I heard that Communist Party members can go to church too.
Now even the Communist Party believes in Christianity.
I was surprised to see that the re-enactment of the crucifixion inspired a really emotional response in people.
After the service, I had a few minutes with minister Li Lancheng.
Thank you for letting us come and see the service.
So, people in China have said that with the rise of capitalism, that China has become a tougher, harder place.
With the development of the economy, people are less connected to one another and family ties are getting weaker.
Obviously, the church is very new.
Were the authorities, was the government, a help or a hindrance to you when you were building it? This piece of land was allocated to the church by the government.
This church wouldn't exist without the government's permission.
The government also covered some of the costs of construction.
Can I ask how much? Did they pay a percentage, or can you tell us a figure? It cost £10 million and the government provided £3 million in total.
In other words, just less than a third of the cost.
The government paid a third of the money towards the church?! That's incredible.
The state will often support churches that toe the line, but not all of them do.
There are thousands of underground churches in China that reject state control and suffer harassment as a result.
- So we're off to Shanghai! - Yeah.
Most of the population here say they believe in something, and hundreds of millions are Christians, Buddhists, Daoists, or Muslims.
But religious Chinese are only allowed to practise their faith with state approval.
This is still a country of control.
On this journey along the Yangtze, we've only really encountered the official religions in China.
In the far west of the country, there are Islamic separatist groups, and many Muslims in China say they suffer oppression.
And then, of course, rather famously or infamously, the Chinese state cracked down very heavily on the Falun Gong movement, which many of its practitioners see as being a spiritual or religious organisation.
So if you are a member or if you're a practitioner of one of the official religions, it seems there is a lot of increased openness and awareness and people are turning to those religions.
But if you fall outside that framework, then it seems you can encounter a lot of problems with the state.
It would take about four hours to drive the 200 miles from Nanjing to Shanghai, but on China's super modern bullet trains I hardly had time for a nap.
We're in Shanghai! With a population of more than 24 million, Shanghai is, by some measurements, not just the biggest city on the Yangtze, but one of the biggest on earth.
Flipping heck! - It's like a cathedral.
- It's the biggest in China.
China could soon overtake America to become the largest economy in the world.
So the moral and ethical values chosen by people here to guide them, and, by extension, their country, will have an enormous impact on the entire planet.
It was our last night on the road, and Li Li wanted to take me to one of her favourite restaurants.
- New Age Veggie.
- New Age Veggie! A vegetarian restaurant? Yeah, you will see something really different.
Come on.
I'm a committed carnivore.
- It's not a Buddhist restaurant, is it? - Um connected.
- Really? - Yes.
Very nice, Li Li.
Yes, we're right by the window.
And menu on an iPad.
Very 21st century.
It's just menu.
Do you want to explore the new dishes? I see.
OK.
So the dishes, they look like meat.
Stewed veggie pork balls.
That's meant to be vegetarian salmon sashimi.
Looks quite real, right? That looks pretty real.
After this meal, you will you will have more possibilities to become a vegetarian, too.
- Oh, you think so? - Yeah.
You're looking to convert me to vegetarianism now, are you? Um, we will see.
We should have the salmon.
Is that the meaty one? Should we have that? Yeah.
What is the Buddhist connection here? Well, in China, most of the vegetarians are still like Buddhist.
So being a vegetarian means not just care about yourself but also caring about the world, about Earth.
Is it a growing movement then? Yeah.
The number of vegetarians in China, going up very quickly.
I read an article that says today we have more than 50 million.
- Meatballs! - Meatballs, yes.
Xie xie.
A veggie version.
Oh, wow! That really does look like salmon.
That's really impressive.
I'm looking forward to trying this.
That's really good.
This is really fascinating, Li Li.
People worry about rising China, the Chinese dragon, but actually, if half the country turns to Buddhism, you're not going to be a much-feared military empire that many in the West think it could be if half the population are peace-loving Buddhists, is it? Mm.
Here in China, we say this century is a century about the waking up of the soul.
Waking up of the soul? - Yes.
- I haven't heard that ever before.
It's really interesting.
Thanks, Li Li.
Cheers, m'dear.
Thank you for bringing us here.
It's been an amazing and a very, very eye-opening journey.
Thank you! The waking-up of the soul that is clearly happening here will have enormous implications.
This isn't just about religion.
This is a transformation that will affect politics.
It could help to re-define China's relationship with the rest of the world.
The next day, having said goodbye to Li Li, I headed out to the point where the mighty Yangtze finally flows out into the sea.
As I come towards the end of this journey, it's really clear to me that huge numbers of people in this country are turning to religion and faith.
And the reason they're doing that is, in my view, cos this country has advanced even further and even faster than many of us in the West realise.
Hundreds of millions of people here have been lifted out of poverty.
Often, their material needs are being met, but now they want new purpose and meaning in their lives that neither communism nor capitalism seem able to provide.
Here we are.
This is a sort of memorial, monument, or just a marker, really, for the end of the Yangtze.
Ha-ha! Look! The end of the Yangtze.
You can see for miles, look-- right out to sea.
Ah! It's been an amazing series of journeys.
It's been thrilling and surprising for me, actually, just how much I feel I've learnt from following these sacred rivers, about the cultures and the countries that the rivers flow through.
These rivers are polluted, they're battled over, but they're still life-giving arteries that support hundreds of millions of people.
These rivers have shaped civilisations, and they'll continue to shape our modern world.
October 19th, 2014