Breakfast in NanJing 南京 …

A documentary series by RT. Text by RT. The Ancient Silk Road was a trade route that began in China in the 2nd century BC and, for more than 1700 years, linked Europe and Asia. As well as goods, it facilitated a cultural exchange between the continents, knowledge, religion, art, philosophy and tradition all passed back and forth between distant nations. Modern China now has the strongest economy in Asia and is a major world power. This series examines the enduring influence of the Silk Road in making the nation what it is today and how its legacy still thrives in China. PART ONE From the 2nd century BC onwards, the great Silk Road was a vital trade route that provided a link between Eurasian countries. It began during China’s Han dynasty and eventually stretched all the way to Rome. Throughout its 17 centuries of existence, it played a crucial role in enabling cultural interaction between nations and peoples all over the continents. As well as establishing economic ties, it also facilitated the exchange between countries of knowledge, religious practice, architectural styles, art, philosophy and traditions. Modern Chinese culture has been heavily influenced by centuries of trade with neighbouring countries. Today, there are still sites in China that preserve the history of the Silk Road and the country’s role in it. Tang West Market Museum in the city of Xi'an marks the ancient starting point of the Silk Road and displays relics unearthed from what used to be a major centre for international trade. The Silk Route Museum in the city of Jiuquan celebrates the first ever customs checkpoint in history. This city served as an outpost on China’s border with unforgiving and perilous nomadic lands. Meanwhile, a network of grottos called the Mogao Caves bears witness to Buddhism arriving and thriving in China. Today, China remains true to the well-established tradition of cultural exchange with its neighbours. 2016-2017 are dedicated to furthering Russo-Chinese relations and bilateral media ties. The history of collaboration between the two countries dates back as far as 400 years, when religious missionaries crossed the borders to introduce the other side to their homeland’s rich cultural practices. PART TWO China is developing a unique blend of socialism and capitalism. The state-owned sector dominates but there has been a sudden surge in privately owned businesses operating in a new market economy. The two systems coexist in apparent harmony despite the seemingly contradictory ideologies of capitalism and communism. Private businesses began to appear after the country’s economic reforms of the late 1970s, ushered in by then premier, Deng Xiaoping. The emergence of private entrepreneurship led to rapid economic development for China. The country is still among the world’s fastest growing economies and is often the first to tap into new markets. To further expand its regional economic influence, China has launched a programme to revive the famous old Silk Road. They are confident that the route will develop new international markets and forge new business alliances. The multifaceted programme involves improving road infrastructure and modernising key cities along the ancient Silk trading route. They are also creating more favourable conditions for business with incentives like company tax breaks and duty-free towns near the borders with neighbouring countries. The project has been dubbed the ‘One Belt, One Road initiative’, and involves cooperation with more than 60, mostly neighbouring countries, with Russia among the major partners. RTD examines examples of Sino-Russian cooperation carried out under the ‘One Belt, One Road’ umbrella, including large-scale government projects and private trade deals with Russian customers. PART THREE - The Ancient Silk Road was a major trade route that linked Europe and Asia between the 2nd century BC and the late 16th AD. - Modern China is a rapidly growing economy. “One Belt, One Road” is an initiative to revive the Silk Road to help the country play a bigger role in global affairs. - Ancient towns that were once key outposts on the Silk Road are undergoing rapid growth both economically and in infrastructure as they are to reprise their roles as major trading waypoints along the route - Citizens now enjoy new business opportunities and contribute further to developing their cities In its heyday, the ancient Silk Road was Eurasia’s most important trade route, connecting two rich continents to facilitate trade and cultural exchange. Modern-day China has seen near constant economic growth. It boasts of several record figures, including the highest number of skyscrapers and the longest railroads. Five years ago, the government announced a new plan, “One Belt, One Road”, an initiative to revive the Silk Road. The strategy seeks to help China play a bigger role in global affairs through developing an infrastructure that will unite the countries of the two continents under a cohesive economic area. Many ancient Chinese cities that were once outposts along the Silk Road, desert oases or transport hubs are now rapidly transforming themselves into megacities, so that they can, once again, service and profit from the trade route. New businesses are opening, facilitated by the development of a reliable transport system, which in turn brings greater tourist flow. Some cities are also grated the status of special economic area, offering attractive tax incentives to foreign investors. We visit two very different cities; Lanchjou and Urumchi, united by the Silk Road’s history. Both are experiencing rapid development. We meet businessmen who tell us how it feels to watch their home towns transform into economically and politically significant conurbations and how it inspires them to aim for international markets and seek new outlets for their businesses to grow.

Moderate Rebels talks with professor Michael Hudson ... Give someone a fish and they can eat for a day. Teach them to fish and they can eat for a lifetime. Loan them enough to buy a fish and one can then take everything they have. Financial control is the new slavery. "New World Order" is neo-liberalism and Western hegemony (empire) - neo-feudalism.

JiuZhaiGou ('Nine Villages Valley') in south west China is a UNESCO World Heritage site, nature reserve and scenic area. A great film by Sticker Travel ...

A selection of songs from the China Central TV Gala, Beijing TV (BTV), Hunan TV, and more ...

With Stef Hoffer : Here’s a brief overview of some of the places visited in this video. After a short introduction, we begin this journey near the spectacular rice terraces of Yuanyang, before moving on to the captivating Buddhist temples of Dali. Via the peculiar Shilin Stone Forest and the ‘Rainbow Mountains’ of Zhangye, we arrive in Guangzhou (Canton), one of China’s largest cities. After the Yellow Mountains national park, and the intriguing ‘tulou’ buildings, we visit the Great Wall and the Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest such statue in the world. After flying through the ice and snow city of Harbin, where people enjoy a unique Winter event, we take a brief look at the imposing Yellow River, Hukou waterfall, Zhengzhou and Changsha cities, before stopping at the breathtaking Jiuzhaigou national park, filled with crystal clear blue lakes. The next place is the countryside in between rural Yangshuo and urban Guilin, easily one of the most popular tourist destinations in China, where the Li river meanders through bizarre karst scenery. For more diversity, we travel to Dunhuang to visit the arid Gobi Desert. We also have a look at a solar panel field and windmill park, before we fly over some heavy industry, including a steel factory, coal mine, oil refinery, concrete dam, shipyard, an oil rig, and a massive bridge. Hong Kong is our next destinations, before moving on to several places along the Yangtze river (or its distributaries), including Tiger Leaping Gorge, Chongqing, and Wuhan. On Hainan island we see the ‘tropical’ side of China, while in Xiahe and Tibet we visit the country’s highlands. From the frozen cities of Jilin and Xining we arrive in Qingdao, with its German colonial architecture and coastal vibe. In Macau we fly over the famous casinos, but also visit the Portuguese quarters, and after the rice fields of Longji (Dragon’s Backbone), we increase our altitude in the Yulong national park. After Hangzhou and Shenyang, we briefly look at one of China’s many ‘ghost towns’ and construction sites, before flying on to the surreal pillars of Zhangjiajie, and the (perhaps) equally stunning skyline of Shanghai. After showing the modern part of the city and the port (harbor), we also explore some of the disappearing neighborhoods, destroyed factories, and the strange looking ‘bicycle graveyard’. From the freezing ‘Xuexiang’ village and walled city of Pingyao we continue our journey in Xian, Shenzhen, Suzhou, and Changzhou. Finally, we take a look at the mesmerizing Yuanmou ‘Earth Forest’, Kunming city, and Lijiang, one of China’s most famous historic towns. Video chapters / timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 3:29 Yuangyang rice terraces 4:59 Chengkan 5:17 Dali 6:08 Shilin stone forest 6:50 Zhangye national park 7:55 Guangzhou 10:22 Huangshan national park 11:24 Fujian ‘tulou’ 12:03 The Great Wall 12:33 Leshan 12:55 Harbin 15:00 Yellow River 15:28 Hukou waterfall 15:50 Zhengzhou 16:20 Changsha 16:31 Jiuzhaigou national park 17:26 Yangshuo 20:25 Dunhuang 21:42 Qinghuangdao 21:58 Guazhou 22:47 Benxi, Fushun, Guangzhou, Hainan 24:19 Danjiangkou 25:12 Aizhai bridge 25:39 Hong Kong 29:19 Tiger Leaping Gorge 29:44 Chonqging 31:45 Yangtze River 33:03 Wuhan 35:41 Hainan island 38:02 Xiahe 38:51 Tibet 40:26 Jilin 40:44 Xining 41:25 Linxia 41:51 Qingdao 48:22 Macau 49:34 Longji rice terraces 49:59 Shexian 50:21 Yulong national park 51:42 Hangzhou 53:06 Shenyang 53:32 Shenfu ‘ghost town’ 54:26 Chengdu 54:46 Zhangjiajie national park 56:12 Shanghai 1:04:26 Xuexiang 1:05:49 Pingyao 1:06:28 Shenzhen 1:06:54 Xian 1:07:12 Suzhou 1:10:05 Changzhou 1:10:44 Yuangmou Earth forest 1:11:23 Kunming 1:12:43 Lijiang

The Bund | WaiTan | HuangPu River | PuXi & PuDong Pudong | Lujiazui Financial Zone | Oriental Pearl TV Tower IFC Mall

Between GuiLin and YangShuo, GuangXi province.

Bonus film - autumn in BeiJing ...

In GuangXi province. Beautiful ...

HuNan province.

Near the border with Vietnam.

A BeiJingBuzzz special. Including DaLi 大力, LiJiang 丽江, Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡 and ChengDu 成都. A great film - don't miss it ...