The Story of China

The Story of China (2016)

EndedDocumentary showHistory

Michael Wood embarks on a great historical adventure, exploring the stories, people and landscapes that have helped create China's distinctive character and genius over four thousand years.

Network
Scheduleevery Thursday at 21:00 (60 min)

Last Episode

The Age of Revolution
Season 1Episode 660 min

The Age of Revolution

'Revolution', Michael Wood observes, 'has been a fact of life in Chinese history'. Between 1850 and 1950, three cataclysmic revolutions shook China to the core, but out of them, today's China emerged.

The film begins in Canton with the meeting of a US missionary and a Chinese student. Inspired by the Christian story and calling himself God's second son, Hong unleashed the bloodiest war of the 19th century, the Taiping Rebellion. Wood heads into wild mountain villages in the south, where the revolution began.

As imperial China weakened, foreign influence grew. Treaty ports expanded, bringing growth and wealth, trams, railways and western sensibilities. But this provoked another surge of violence, the Boxer Rebellion, an attack against the foreigners, which was crushed by those same foreigners, who extorted a huge indemnity - $60 billion in today's money.

Then in 1912, the empire fell, and many groups contested China's future. In World War I, China sent 100,000 men to the western front, only to be humiliated at Versailles when German colonies in China were handed to Japan.

Between the two world wars, the disparity between rich and poor, city and countryside increased. We visit Hong Kong's Peninsular Hotel in the jazz age and then follow Mao on the Long March to Yan'an, the heartland of revolution.

World War II came to China two years earlier than it did in the west. Wood talks to a survivor of the Japanese massacre of Nanjing in 1937 and then charts the triumph of the communists, before ending the story with Mao's death and the boom time of the last 30 years. The series ends with the warmth of the Chinese family and, at Beijing's Altar of Heaven, a final haunting glimpse of eternal China.

Feb 25, 2016

Recent Episodes

EpisodeNameAirdate
S01E06The Age of RevolutionFeb 25, 2016
S01E05The Last EmpireFeb 18, 2016
S01E04The MingFeb 11, 2016
S01E03The Golden AgeFeb 4, 2016
S01E02Silk Roads and China ShipsJan 28, 2016
View all episodesView all seasons

Frequently Asked Questions  Warning: Spoilers

When did 'The Story of China' premiere?

'The Story of China' premiered on June 21, 2016.

Who hosts 'The Story of China'?

'The Story of China' is hosted by Michael Wood.

What is the genre of 'The Story of China'?

'The Story of China' is a documentary television series.

How many episodes does 'The Story of China' have?

'The Story of China' has six episodes.

In which country was 'The Story of China' produced?

'The Story of China' was produced in the United Kingdom.

What time period does 'The Story of China' explore?

'The Story of China' explores the 4,000-year story of China, from its earliest beginnings to the present day.

What visual format does 'The Story of China' use?

'The Story of China' uses a blend of stunning landscape photography and dramatic reconstructions to bring the story to life.

Who financed 'The Story of China'?

'The Story of China' was co-produced by the BBC and PBS, with additional financing from a number of international broadcasters.

How does 'The Story of China' explore the country's rich history?

'The Story of China' explores China's rich history through its art, literature, religion, science, and society, showing how each has shaped the course of China's development.

What themes does 'The Story of China' explore?

'The Story of China' explores themes such as power, wealth, war, and culture, and how they have changed over time in China.

What were some of the innovations that originated in China?

Innovations such as paper, gunpowder, and the compass originated in China and changed the world.

What is China's oldest sustained written language called?

China's oldest sustained written language is called oracle bone script.

Cast

Michael Wood

Michael Wood

plays himself
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Characters

Presenter

Presenter

played by Michael Wood
View all characters

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