From YouTube
3
videos
Photograph: Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Province, China
Video 1
Beyond the Mountain

Japanese director went deep into one of the poorest area in China

Ten years ago, Daliang Mountain was a secret place in the poor and backward western Sichuan. Ten years later, the Japanese director set off again to find his way to Liangshan. From Cliff Village to Zhaojue County, from the football team in the mountains to the Japanese subjects of Shuanghe Elementary School, when dreams are reflected in reality, what kind of face is Daliang Mountain now? Let us walk closer to Daliang Mountain and listen to the sound from the mountain!

"Totally didn't expect to finish this in one sitting but I did, this was such a beautifully shot documentary, and I want to thank Director Takeuchi and his team, and of course the volunteer teachers for making the journey to allow us a peek into their lives. Often times, jaded city people romanticise and fetishize life in the country, we see it as a purer way of living and being more connected to nature, but sometimes, conditions are so tough. And even though to more liberal sensibilities (especially in the west) would frown at the prospect of having minorities assimilate and adopting the culture and language of the majority, we see that the villagers understand that in order to obtain a better life, I was touched by how the parents who were interviewed understood how important it is to be educated in the way of city people and being learned. The Chinese government is almost always negatively portrayed in Western media, but in this documentary, I saw nothing but a government determined to reach out to the poorest and hard to access areas in China (the 70 year old grandma accepting Alipay, omg), free housing, providing electricity to those living high up so they don't cut down trees to protect the environment, sure, more can always be done, but through the volunteer teachers, I saw patriotic and young Chinese people reaching out to the less privileged, and I think as long as the people are united and determined to help each other out, China will get stronger and stronger. Also, kudos to the volunteer teachers helping in poverty alleviation. You guys and girls are the real MVP."

Commentator: Christine

Video 2

Chinese online star Li Ziqi provides an escape from urban life

Chinese online star Li Ziqi has become one of the most famous internet celebrities in the country by sharing videos of her rural life. She picks ingredients from her farm, constructs furniture by hand and cooks a vast spread, providing a respite from busy urban living for her tens of millions of fans worldwide.

"Look who’s gonna survive the apocalypse."

Commentator: Ian Welsman

Video 3
Cute pandas playing on the slide

A video from the Chengdu Panda Base

Chengdu in China has been the hometown of the giant panda -- one of the world's most endangered species - for more than 8 million years, and the Chengdu Panda Base (a not-for-profit organisation) is a world-renowned breeding and research center for the giant panda. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012, the Panda Base now has the largest controlled breeding population in the world -- 108 giant pandas. Panda Awareness Week highlights the work of the Chengdu Panda Base in fostering the continued growth of the giant panda population, as well as rescuing and rehabilitating pandas so they can return to the wild.

"My 3 years old daughter always watches this before sleeping. She calls it soothing :)"

Commentator: Harpreet Singh

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