[ VO ] Life is an adventure, and it draws some of us to the unknown!
I'm Rick {Repeats his name in Chinese} I was the first American radio
DJ to live and broadcast in China. My voice has travelled to almost
every corner here. China is beautiful, complex, and mysterious.
THIS IS CHINA!
[ VO ] For this episode, I come to the father mountain
of the Chinese, where people are saving a bird known as
the oriental pearl. This is a race of life and death.
And as a result, the number of the birds has gone up
from 7 to 5,000. In the meantime, a beautiful lady
in Beijing is challenging an old habit of 20 million
people. And finally, I will brave the winds and waves
and find out about the dream behind these giant blades.
[ GEO ] YANG COUNTY, HANZHONG, SHAANXI PROVINCE
[ Rick ] Hello [ Zhang ] Hello, I'm Zhang Yueming
[ Zhang ] Welcome! [ Rick ] Thank you
[ Rick ] It's very beautiful here, and so many birds
[ Zhang ] Yes, this is like a bird kingdom
[ Rick ] But there's one I don't recognise [ Zhang ] That one?
[ Rick ] Yes, that's it! It's very pretty
[ Zhang Yueming Senior Engineer, Hanzhong Crested Ibis National
Nature Reserve, Shaanxi Province ] That's a crested ibis!
[ Zhang ] I'm actually here to protect them
[ Rick ] So, you're an expert? [ Zhang ] Yes, that's right
[ Rick O'shea American Dj In China ] The crested ibis is a large bird
peculiar to East Asia and was once
commonly seen in China, Japan, Russia and Korea. With elegant posture and
beautiful feathers, they love to live on tall trees around the rice fields,
thus being close to humans but at the same time keeping a distance from humans.
[ Zhang ] Beautiful!
[ VO ] The crested ibis would rest at the end of the day in the
mountains. But now, they've gotten used to people nearing them.
The conservation is much better. So, you can hear the people, see
the people there, and they are resting behind me. It's harmony.
[ Zhang ] This is my favourite spot
[ Zhang ] Crested ibises are love birds. A pair stays together year round
[ Zhang ] Here come 3 more! Let's take a photo, quick!
[ Zhang ] Amazing, isn't it? So beautiful!
[ Rick ] Yes, very beautiful!
[ Rick ] This man really loves the crested ibis. And I’ve noticed that every time he
speaks about the crested ibis, he has a very big smile, and it's a real smile.
[ Zhang ] Every time a flock of crest ibises flies by, I feel like taking a picture
[ Zhang ] I really enjoy it
[ Zhang ] Watching these birds is the best job in the world
[ VO ] Zhang Yueming has been working with the crested ibis for 40
years. If you don't know what he's been through, you wouldn't be
able to understand how he feels now. Four decades ago, the protection
of the crested ibis was one of the most frustrating jobs in
the world. The crested ibis disappeared in Russia in 1963, and the
last one on the Korean Peninsula was lost in 1975. In 1981, Japan
captured its last five crested ibises and placed them in captivity
to save them. Unfortunately, they all died one after another.
[ Rick ] When the world and the very existence of the crested ibis
plunged into despair, there was a glimmer of hope from China.
[ VO ] Chinese experts, after searching painstakingly for 3 years, and travelling 50,000
kilometers, eventually discovered 7 crested ibises here in the Qinling Mountains.
In Central China, a gigantic dragon-like chain of mountains
stretches across the country. It forms the boundary
of the South and North of China, both geographically and
culturally. It is the Qinling Mountains, which has helped
to nurture the Chinese civilization. Crustal uplift that
happened 400 million years ago created complex landforms
and climate conditions here in the mountains, making
it a kind of “Noah's Ark” for rare birds and animals.
[ VO ] See. This is the picture. Two perfect nests in village’s
trees. One of the crested ibis couples were taking care
of three healthy chicks. Those were the last seven crested
ibises in the world. The news excited the whole country.
The first crested ibis protection station in China
was thus established in Yangxian County. In 1983,
the twenty-something Zhang Yueming also came aboard.
He and his colleagues placed blades on the trees
to keep snakes away, drove away birds of prey and
wild animals, and monitored around the clock in the
observation shed beside the trees. The crested
ibises in China survived and began to produce young.
[ VO ] In the fields 5 kilometers away from Yangxian County stands a huge aviary
in which there are constructed wetlands and woods. That is the first Center
for Rescue and Breeding of the Crested Ibis in China. In 1990, Zhang Yueming
built this aviary and started to work on artificial breeding of crested ibises.
[ Zhang ] This centre serves two main purposes: to rescue and breed birds
[ Zhang ] Where do these birds come from?
[ Zhang ] Initially, they are just rescued from the wild
[ Zhang ] A lot of locals inform us about birds that need rescuing
[ Zhang ] They've always been close to the crested ibises,
so they report sick or injured birds to us whenever they see them
[ VO ] The injured crested ibises are well cared for here. The weaker ones are left
here for breeding and those who have recovered will be released into the wild.
[ Rick ] Wow. The crested ibises are so beautiful. There
are about 5,000 in the world and they all come from here.
[ VO ] In 2000, Zhang Yueming escorted the crested ibis “Meimei” to Japan as a “bride”
for a male one there and was warmly welcomed.
In a gesture of appreciation, the Japanese
gave him a camera so that he can take more pictures of the birds. As was wished for,
Zhang Yueming has become a very influential photographer and expert on crested ibises.
There is a rice harvest festival here today in the
Qinling Mountains. And Zhang Yueming invited me.
[ Zhang ] This rice field is a an experimental site for a project named:
[ Zhang ] 'Part of the Field for the Crested Ibis'
[ Zhang ] It has a total area of about 6.7 hectares
[ Zhang ] As part of this project, we allocate one-tenth of the land for the birds
[ Zhang ] No crops are grown here,
but there's water all year round, so the ibises can find food
[ Zhang ] So, part of the field is left for the crested ibises
[ VO ] People are helping the crested ibises, and they are being paid back. The
organic rice is grown with zero use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers
and is purchased by these partner enterprises. Farmers have had their
income increased and the crested ibises have their foraging areas expanded.
[ Rick ] The crested ibis doesn't really have a
passport. We don't know exactly where they come
from. But China is taking upon themselves to
protect this bird for the world. I respect that.
[ Yan Ming ] Protecting crested ibises is very
important to the whole ecosystem and each of us
Look! A crested ibis has taken flight there, see?
[ VO ] With more and more people coming together to protect the crested
ibises, their habitat is expanding rapidly. Zhang Yueming took me to
Hanzhong, a city with a population of 3 million, where 19 crested ibises
found their home here thanks to people's efforts of cleaning the water.
[ Rick ] I've always loved living near water. I grew
up surrounded by the Great lakes. I've lived near the
Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. And here in Hanzhong,
you can see I'm on a boat. This water is very pure
because of the efforts from men like the guy standing
behind me. Pure water and rice fields without pesticides
is very important for the crested ibis. But what about
people? We'll find out her story next. And This is China.
[ GEO ] HANZHONG BEIJING
[ VO ] Beijing, the political and cultural center of China, is a super
city covering 16,000 square kilometers. I came to Beijing in 1997.
[ VO ] I share the city with 21 million people. I take
walks, ride the subway and even roller-blade
sometimes, finding my way through the modern and
historical parts of the city. It's an amazing place!
[ Nie Yijing ] Each of us produces about 1.3kg of garbage per day
That's why a 7th ring has appeared around Beijing:
an invisible ring of garbage
[ VO ] This graceful lady is Nie Yijing. She's been giving
such science popularization lectures for 7 years. At 6:30
every evening, she will appear on the TV of the households
in this city with her sweet voice and smile. She works
as the Environmental Protection Ambassador of Beijing, and
is well aware how challenging it is for 21 million people
to develop the habit of garbage sorting. It’s a marathon
goal, and only those with a willing heart can make it.
[ Li Yue, head of the neighborhood committee ]
We initially had 13 garbage bin spots here
[ Li Yue ] Then we started to educate the residents
to help them understand and gain their support
[ Li Yue ] So, now there's one big drop-off site where the trash can be sorted
[ Li Yue ] Here's food waste, other waste, recyclables, and hazardous waste
[ Nie Yijing ] The community looks tidier now with only 1 drop-off site
[ VO ] The standards for garbage sorting vary in cities in China.
It depends on the garbage disposal system the city adopts.
[ Rick ] And this is… - I'm not sure where to…
[ Nie Yijing ] Those are corn husks, right? [ Rick ] Yes, here?
[ Nie Yijing ] Yes, they're considered kitchen waste
[ Rick ] Thanks for helping me
[ Rick ] It's not easy to remember all the rules for sorting the waste.
But people like Nie Yijing and volunteers are helping make it happen.
[ Woman ] This is hazardous waste
[ Rick ] Jane knows a lot about sorting waste because she has
an armband that says ‘Waste Sorting’. You know, how much do
you know about sorting the waste? You’ve been doing this…You've
lived here for over 20 years, right, in this community?
[ Lu Jianfeng ] Well, I think nearly.
[ Rick ] So nearly 20 years. I find the people are very enthusiastic
about sorting waste now. Is that because of you?
[ Lu Jianfeng, garbage sorting volunteer ] Well, we have a lot
of this kind of people. And I'm retired. So, I just want to try
to do something to help the community. So, I think this waste
sorting is a good way. So, I want to try my best to do something.
[ VO ] These trucks are driving kitchen garbage
to the composting plant in the suburbs where the
leftovers will be turned into quality fertilizers
for flowers. The big catering industry and special
diet structure in China hold great business
potential. With strong policy and financial support
from the government, a large number of waste
treatment enterprises are developing in full steam.
[ VO ] This is a sorting line for recyclables in the Changping
District of Beijing. Recyclables from over 500 surrounding
communities are sent here. Workers together with the robotic
arm can sort out more than 50 types of recycled items.
[ Xu Yuanhong Ceo, Ai Fen Lei Environment Company,
Beijing ] This is the first of 6 sorting areas
that process about 800 tonnes of trash a day
[ Nie Yijing ] 800? [ Xu Yuanhong ] Yes
[ Nie Yijing ] It's all calculated in tonnes, right? [ Xu Yuanhong ] Right, actually…
[ Nie Yijing ] That's a huge amount [ Xu Yuanhong ] Yes
[ Xu Yuanhong ] Some of these recyclables are of low value
[ Xu Yuanhong ] If we didn't recycle them, they'd
probably end up in an incinerator or landfill
[ Nie Yijing ] Beijing produces a lot of garbage [ Xu Yuanhong ] 9 million tonnes a year
[ VO ] Nie Yijing first met this confident young man at a public event. His name is Xu
Yuanhong. He is the person in charge at the
company, and he owns three such sorting plants.
The college graduate Xu Yuanhong wanted to modernize this industry with technology.
[ Xu Yuanhong ] Scan this QR-code
[ Nie Yijing ] OK, I'm in the Ai Fen Lei app
[ Xu Yuanhong ] Now you can easily book trash pick-up services [ Nie Yijing ] Great!
[ VO ] Just when we were leaving, we were told that the production line was
soon to be replaced by a new one that would be larger and more advanced
technologically. Surprisingly, Nie Yijing started live broadcasting to
share it with her audience. She took it as something worth remembering.
[ Nie Yijing ] This is the loading area
[ Nie Yijing ] From here, the trash is loaded onto the production line
[ Nie Yijing ] Workers on each segment of the
line sort out different types of recyclables
[ Rick ] I'm impressed by the way that people are definitely
sorting garbage. Because I didn't think about it before,
except at my home where I do sort my garbage, but I'm
not great at it yet, because I'm still learning about it.
[ Nie Yijing ] Well, I'm sure you've learned a lot about garbage sorting today,
and you'll be better at it now
[ Rick ] Old musical instruments, toys, bolts, gloves, stockings,
anything you can think of, are put together incredibly.
[ Rick ] Well, as you look around, you can see
that there is a lot of waste. But people like
Tong Kunniao are making something out of waste. He is a sculptor, and he is very cool.
[ Nie Yijing ] Kunniao! Hello! Allow me to introduce you two
[ Nie Yijing ] This is my friend Rick. Rick, this is Kunniao
[ VO ] Tong Kunniao's works are bringing waste to life and his creations
are getting increasingly popular among European collectors. Our life paths
cross and then separate again. Nie Yijing will continue with her life, and
I will carry on with my journey of finding the huge potential in garbage.
[ Nie Yijing ] Most of the time, I try to be positive
[ Nie Yijing ] This brings me positive energy that I can share with others
[ Nie Yijing ] The world's the same
[ Nie Yijing ] If we take good care of our world, it brings more good to the world
[ Nie Yijing ] It'll pay us back with a better life
[ Rick ] Wow, so much garbage, and all picked up by the crane.
Pay attention to each detail in life. All of us, celebrity or
ordinary people, can make a contribution to environmental protection.
[ Rick ] Well, that is Nie Yijing's inspiring story. Don't just throw the garbage away.
Sort the garbage. It will make the world a better place to live, and it's our future.
[ VO ] Wind energy is one of the first energies used by
humans. China now has the largest installed capacity for
offshore wind power in the world. Today, I’m here at
Xinghua Bay in Fujian Province. There are 14 high-power
offshore wind turbines from different countries currently
in operation here, among which the Chinese 10 MW wind
turbine is the most impressive. It is the second largest
of its kind in the world. I’m here to find out about it.
[ Rick ] And what we’ve also learned is, you see the equipment
behind me. Look how big it is. Massive, giant size. How
do you get that in the water, and how do you build it? Well,
it's not easy. We've got to find out about it. Let's go.
[ VO ] Fujian has 3,400 km of coastline, and you can see Taiwan across the
Taiwan Strait, a long and narrow wind corridor, which strengthens the force of
seasonal winds from the northeast and southwest due to the ‘canyon effect’.
Fujian is therefore the place in China with the best offshore wind resources.
[ Rick ] When I walked into the industrial park, I watched them making
wind turbines, and I thought that I was looking into the future of power.
[ Rick ] Really amazing. It is so massive, so big.
[ VO ] The 10 MW wind turbine weighs more than 400 tons and is as
high as a 30-story building. Each circle its huge “arm” spin can
easily cover the area of the Colosseum. Just imagine how difficult
it would be for the engineers to hoist it in the rough sea.
[ Rick ] So, it's not easy, because things are moving but
you have to really get it. It must be perfect, right?
[ Sheng Lei Manager, Engineering Department, 3 Gorges Group’s Fuqing
Strait Power Generation Company, Fujian ] We use pilings to help
with offshore installations
[ Sheng Lei ] A platform with a hoist on it stands on 4 pilings fixed to the seabed
[ Sheng Lei ] The hoist lifts the turbine into
place and we precisely connect it with 158 bolts
[ Rick ] You guys are very amazing to do that.
[ Rick ] If you have one of these windmills,
how many homes can that give electricity to?
[ Sheng Lei ] A 10MW wind turbine can provide electricity for about 20,000 homes
[ Rick ] It's really incredible. One wind turbine
can generate enough power for a small town.
[ VO ] It took Sheng Lei and his team 18 days to complete
the hoisting of the first 10 MW offshore wind turbine.
[ Sheng Lei ] Our 10MW wind turbine in Xinghua Bay was tested in this facility
[ VO ] But Lei Zengjuan is not happy with the speed. The 57-year-old
is the head here and the life and soul of the wind farm.
[ Lei Zengjuan Executive Director,
3 Gorges Group’s Fujian Branch ] The task before us is very difficult
[ Lei Zengjuan ] We need to meet our deadlines…
lower turbine maintenance costs and ship use, and boost productivity
[ Lei Zengjuan ] Can we do it? - Yes!
[ Rick ] Lei Zengjuan comes from a small village in a mountain.
And, in fact, when he grew up, there was no electricity.
[ Life ] I've asked for data on that installation
[ Sheng Lei ] Here's the performance report on the
10MW wind turbine you ordered at last week's meeting
[ VO ] Lei Zengjuan has won the trust of all with his respect for the profession and his
earnestness. Currently, the Industrial Park has an order of thirty 10MW wind turbines
to deliver. To reduce the cost of power generation, Lei Zengjuan is asking Sheng Lei
and his team to optimize the plan and reduce offshore installation time to 10 days.
[ Rick ] It's very windy!
[ Sheng Lei ] Yes, so we can't go out to sea today
[ VO ] Sheng Lei and his team are discussing about plans
that could allow them to finish hoisting in 10 days.
[ Sheng Lei ] I don't get it… Do you want to connect or disconnect this?
[ Man ] There's a beam up there, with two blocks below
[ Man ] I want to connect the mounting blocks and the beam with a cable
[ Sheng Lei ] Ah, I see…
[ VO ] The deformation of the tower is addressed,
but Sheng Lei now faces a new problem with the wind
turbine installation ship. A special kind of
100-meter-long ship is needed for the installation of
the 10 MW offshore wind turbines. But there are
only 32 such ships in the whole world in 2020, and
they are being rented at the price of 180,000 USD
per day by offshore wind power projects everywhere.
[ Rick ] What's the biggest challenge for offshore windmills?
[ Sheng Lei ] When the wind exceeds a certain critical
speed, we aren't allowed to carry out the hoisting
[ Sheng Lei ] The whole process is very nerve wracking
[ Sheng Lei ] We can only relax once the rotor
hub is installed, and the last screw is in place
[ VO ] Sheng Lei's team managed to complete the hoisting
in 10 days thanks to the concerted efforts of all.
The journey of pursuing dreams never ends. On this journey,
the people and their stories have offered me more than
I would expect from the destinations. I'll go where the
road leads. Actually, that's what I'm following in my life.