China Digital Times

China news tagged with: videos (241)

• Video: On Thinner Ice: The Tibetan Plateau in Peril

  

  The Asia Socety’s China Green project continues its series on the disappearing glcaiers of the Tibetan plateau with two new videos. From “On Thinner Ice: Everest’s Vanishing Glaciers”:

  A quick visual tour of some of the world’s highest glaciers on the Himalayan Mountain Range and other regions on the Tibetan Plateau. With the match photography contrast, let’s trace back what these giant ice sheets looked like 80, 40 or 20 years ago and how much they have thinned down, or melted up into the air. These images document glaciers at the foot of Mt. Everest, those in eastern Qinghai Province and in Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, and also expanding lakes due to accelerated glacial meltdown and shrinking lakes thanks to a drying and desertifying trend in some areas at lower altitudes. The picture is bleak and alarming.

  And from “On Thinner Ice: Disappearing Glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau”:

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  • June 13, 2009 10:14 AM

• Music Series: Chinese Erhu Music - Dance to the Moon (月舞)

  

  The erhu music below, accompanied on the Chinese lute by Zhao Cong, is one of Yu Hongmei’s works, who is a well-known contemporary erhu player in China, carried by Youtube:

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  • March 15, 2009 7:02 AM

• Documentary: China’s New Faces - Give Me back the Natural Scenery

  

  From Youtube:

  Thirty years of reform and opening up brings to China as much prosperity as pollution resulted from industrial development. Industrial wastewater led to polluted river, allegedly the root cause of the drastic rise of cancer cases in Wuli Village. Wai Dongying, a barely educated villager, recorded the death cases one by one in her “Diary of Death”.

  Zhang Changjian, a bare-foot doctor in Xiping, Fujian, witnessed the rising number of cancer patients in his village. As the regional officials turn a blind eye to the crisis, Zhang joined forces with more than 1,700 fellow villagers suing the chemical factory in their neighbourhood. Winning the case, Zhang found himself becoming a marked man…

  The plight of the two “cancer villages” reveals the harm to the Chinese people brought by water pollution. China should have by now realised the price to pay for over development and that “good” is more important than “fast”.

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  • March 12, 2009 4:07 PM

• Documentary: China’s New Faces Marrying into Her Family

  

  This documentary film investigates a Chinese tradition’s change in Zhejiang province - men from other provinces marrying into women’s families in Zhejiang. Beside longing for love, young people in Zhejiang think realistically to pursue a win-win situation: a woman wants new hope and energy to safeguard her family’s future, in the meantime a man doesn’t have to worry about the housing pressure while developing his career. The film concludes that such a phenomenon is the result of the One-child Policy, the fast growing economy in Zhejiang, and the strong sense of lineage continuity. From Youtube:

  The one-child policy has left some families with only one daughter. Feeling the need to carry on their family lineage, women now look for men who are willing to marry into their families so that their children could take up the mother’s surname. Meanwhile, men from other provinces are finding it hard to make ends meet in the cities, not to mention supporting a family. Because of this, some men are willing to do what it takes for a better life. With supply and demand in place, matchmaking agencies dedicated to this type of marriage are a thriving business.

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  • March 11, 2009 7:16 PM

• Dalai Lama Is Harshly Critical of China’s Rule of Tibet (Videos Added)

  

  From the Wall Street Journal:

  Fifty years after the Dalai Lama fled Tibet, the spiritual leader said his people’s culture, religion and identity were “nearing extinction” under Chinese rule, as security forces blanketed ethnic Tibetan areas to prevent unrest linked to Tuesday’s anniversary of a failed uprising against Beijing.

  The tough remarks, in a speech delivered in Dharmsala, India, seat of Tibet’s self-proclaimed government in exile, underscore the strained relations with Beijing after talks last year made no apparent progress.

  The Dalai Lama said China’s communist government had subjected Tibet and its people to “untold suffering and destruction” over the past five decades, turning the Himalayan region into “hell on earth.” He also called for “meaningful autonomy” for Tibetans.

  Related video report:
  AlJazeera English’s video report:
  

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  • March 11, 2009 5:50 PM

• Documentary: Explore China

  

  Explore.org made a documentary film on China two years ago to explore the issues of environment, human rights, public health, social changes, philosophy and education, via Link TV. Below is its introduction:

  With a population of 1.4 billion, the People’s Republic of China is vitally important to the planet. China’s rapid growth impacts the environment locally and globally. In a world affected by globalization, China embodies the phenomenon in both positive and negative ways. China’s modern society provides a better life for many but also brings with it a loss of cultural tradition and natural resources.

  To uncover some of the mysteries of China, Charles Annenberg Weingarten and the Explore team set out on a three-week fact-finding mission through Beijing, Shanghai, Tibet, Wolong, Xi’an and beyond. Each stop brings them closer to grasping the complexities of the country’s ancient culture and the implications of modernization. Meeting with some of the most innovative minds and leading non-profit organizations across the country, the Explore team delves into issues such as the environment, human rights, public health, social change, philosophy and education.

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  • March 3, 2009 6:39 PM

• China Wheelie Promo Video

  

  Vimeo.com carries a short video by Rob Luxton documents his journey in China. His video introduction is as below:

  Rob Luxton’s adventure on a three wheeled recumbent tricycle will take him 25,000km all around China, passing through every province on the mainland. The expedition will also help raise awareness and money for two Charities. Sowers Action and Care For Children . Both dedicated to improving the lives of children in poor areas throughout China. Beginning near Hong Kong the journey is estimated to last two and half years taking him from busy cities to remote mountain villages, deserts to great plains, deep lush valleys to the the scary heights of the Tibetan plateau and finally into the jungles of the South, before returning to Hong Kong in August 2009.

  
  China Wheelie Promo Video from rob luxton on Vimeo.

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  • February 28, 2009 9:57 AM

• Documentary: [Discovery] Seven Wonders of China

  

  Discovery’s documentary “7 Wonders of China” introduces Terracotta Army, Hanging Temple, the Great Wall, Shi Bao Zhai Temple, Mount Wudang, Leshan Buddha and the Forbidden City, via Youtube:

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  • February 28, 2009 9:39 AM

• Documentary: Arts in China - State of the Arts

  

  In the first segment, this RTHK documentary investigates the popularity of Chinese art, investment by the new middle class in Chinese contemporary art, and how modern artists build their own style in their work instead of only copying Western artists. During an interview with well-known painter Zhang Xiaogang, he explains his feelings about the art market. He said the emergence of the art market is a double-edged sword that may either provide good opportunities to young artists or ruin others.

  In the second part, it indicates that for foreigners who are really interested in China, especially Chinese culture, 798 Art Zone in Beijing is on the must-go list besides the Great Wall. Huang Rui, a famous artist, said in the interview that 798 has become an icon of Chinese contemporary art.

  In the final part of the documentary, Li Xianting, who is considered “the godfather of Chinese contemporary art” and a well-known art critic, said Chinese art is trying to create its own identity and elements. In Songzhuang, Li met many unknown Chinese artists who persist in their dreams of making art while struggling to make a living. Many of them hope that paintings, as their spiritual satisfaction, may draw respect from others and also help them make a living.
  

  Youtube link here.

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  • February 24, 2009 5:42 PM

• News and Video: U.S. and China to Focus on Environmental Cooperation

  

  According to the Paris-based International Energy Agency, China exceeds the U.S. as the world’s largest energy user and leading emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. One of Hillary Clinton’s missions during her visit in Asia is to reach an agreement with China to fight together against the environmental crisis, as the New York Times reported.

  An article in USA Today also reports that climate change is on the table for Clinton in China:

  “The new team in Washington, D.C., is really starting to give the international community some hope in dealing with climate change challenges,” says Wu Changhua, the China director for The Climate Group, an independent advisory group. “It’s crucial for the U.S. to start to demonstrate the leadership that’s been missing for the past eight years.” U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu co-produced a study released this month that urges Washington and Beijing to collaborate on climate change. “If these two countries cannot find ways to bridge the long-standing divide on this issue, there will literally be no solution,” the report said.

  The Brookings Institution carries a summary of a past event “U.S.-China Climate Change Cooperation: Overcoming Obstacles” and a transcript of chair of the Brookings board John Thornton’s speech during the event, via brookings.edu:

  China and the United States have many shared interests and extensive area for cooperation on energy and climate change. China is the biggest developing country in the world. The United States is the biggest developed country with advanced technologies and the rich experience in energy efficiency and the clean energy. (Inaudible) cooperation between all two countries, energy and environmental issues will enable China to respond to energy and the climate change issues more effectively while at the same time offering enormous business opportunities and a considerable return to American investors. There has been effective cooperation between China and the United States under the mechanisms of the strategic, economic dialog, the (inaudible) Science and Technology Commission, and other climate change-related dialogs, and within the frameworks of the China-U.S. energy efficiency and the renewable energy protocol and the fossil energy protocol…

  China Dialogue posted an open letter from Greenpeace to urge the two countries to “cooperate on reviving the global economy without sacrificing human health or the environment.”

  Most importantly, it is the year in which the international community, meeting in Copenhagen in December, must agree on urgent and dramatic action to avert the looming climate disaster and define the path toward a more sustainable, more survivable future. Strong leadership from the US and China, acting together, is essential to reaching an agreement in Copenhagen. We are writing to respectfully urge you to demonstrate that leadership. Already, we have seen positive signs. In recent weeks, the US has developed an economic stimulus package that includes substantial investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, demonstrating that economic recovery and environmental sustainability are mutually supportive goals. At the same time, China has begun work on a new energy law that places strong emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating that greener development is not only possible but also desirable.

  In the Chinese media, Xinhua News Agency reports on the issue with confidence in the cooperation between the two countries:

  Zhang Haibin noted that the governments of the two countries can establish a sustainable dialogue mechanism on energy and climate change. The United States should provide related Official Development Assistance as well as preferential treatment on loans, financing and technology transfer to China.

  “At the early stage, it is important to launch some large pilot projects. The experience of successful cases can be drawn upon and introduced gradually. Both determination and patience are essential for bilateral cooperation,” he stressed.

  The video clip below is a discussion about China’s growing impact on the global environment during Aspen Idea Festival 2007, between James Fallows, Atlantic Monthly National Correspondent and Orville Shell, China expert and former Dean of Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, via Youtube:

  Another video carried by Youtube with the title “China’s Environmental Crisis Is Spreading” tells that about 30 percent of China’s land mass is covered by desert, and the desert is growing. See more video introduction here.

  - Please also see James Fallows’ comment on this issue yesterday posting on theatlantic.com, along with an introductory video from Asia Society “A Roadmap for U.S.-China Cooperation on Energy and Climate Change.”

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  • February 21, 2009 12:02 PM

• Documentary: The Life of Rural Chinese Children

  

  This documentary tells about the life of left-behind children in rural China whose parents move to the cities in search of work. These children are taken care of by their grandparents, other relatives or by themselves. Some of them even have to take care of their younger brothers or sisters, via Youtube:

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  See a slideshow of left-behind children in Qinnan, via fengniao.com:

  See also CDT’s previous post As China Booms, Millions of Children Are Left Behind by Wall Street Journal and Slideshow: Migrants’ Children

  » Read more
  • February 16, 2009 12:28 PM

• Documentary: World’s Largest/Longest Structure,Great Wall of China

  

  Youtube carries a documentary about the Great Wall of China. Below is part of the video introduction of the Great Wall:

  The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC. The most famous is the wall built between 200 BC - 220 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang; little of it remains; it was much farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty.

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  A video with the title “Great Wall of Camping” documents a group of young Western tourists as they camp on the Great Wall of China, via Current TV:
  

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  • February 12, 2009 8:08 PM

• Music Series: Abigail Washburn’s Musical Inspiration from China (Updated)

  

  Banjo player and singer Abigail Washburn, from Illinois, had a chance to go to Chengdu, China, in 1996 and challenged herself to learn Chinese and local operas. Thereafter, she combined the roots of American music with Chinese culture in a “labor of love.”

  Below is part of her biography from her official site:

  In 2008 and 2009, Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet will turn their attention to touring the US and Canada with appearances at festivals including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Merlefest, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival and many more. They returned to China with the full-length release for performances at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

  While previewing new material at Coachella, the LA Times hailed, “”Washburn stomped and skipped through fiery Appalachian takes on the local songs of Sichuan. Her bilingualism’s no gimmick; she nails the dips and peaks of pitch while leading her band in scorching variations on simple, repetitive traditional melodies… she ended one Chinese song about the pan-ethnic subject of baby-making by saying “That’s some hot stuff from the Sichuan province there.”

  “I had no intention of becoming a performer and yet under miraculous circumstances I was brought into the music industry fold,” says Abigail. “If divine powers hadn’t interfered I’d still be living in China working in some area of Sino-American comparative law.”

  An interview with her and her band, which investigates their connection with China and Chinese culture:

  And here’s a video of The Sparrow Quartet performing “Kangding Qingge ” live:
  
  For more her music, please check here.

  Update: Josh Chin has posted an interview with Abigail Washburn on GlobalPost:

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  • February 1, 2009 8:01 PM

• Video: Popular Modern Dances in CCTV New Year’s Gala

  

  Two modern dances, both performed by Tianjin Ballet Troupe, were the most popular dances among Chinese viewers in CCTV’s New Year’s Gala, via Youtube:

  Dance: The Butterfly
  

  Multimedia dance: The Music of Transition in the Cities
  

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  • January 26, 2009 7:56 AM

• Video: On the Frontlines: Doing Business in China

  

  ON THE FRONTLINES: DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA is a new video interview archive hosted by James Fallows, correspondent of the Atlantic. It includes the information as below, via chinadoingbusiness.com:

  * Overcome the cultural barriers to doing business in China
  * Master the fine art of negotiating with the Chinese
  * Succeed in making the deals you want to make in China
  * Avoid costly mistakes: business is different in China

  Trailer One: Got Guanxi?
  

  Trailer Two: Who controls the purse in Chinese households?
  

  Trailer Three: Chinese Internet
  

  » Read more
  • January 24, 2009 9:50 PM

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