Program 1: China Part I

China spans the continuum of ancient and modern;it’s a sweeping land of vast expanse punctuated by intimate realizations, an intricate society that glides seamlessly between bold public gestures and private moments of individual joy. It is in a word, fascinating.

China is a country united b y what it means to be Chinese, but strengthened by the diversity of 56 different ethnic groups and Damon treks the rural heartland of China’s remote provinces to meet some of the nation’s most colorful and distinct ethnic minorities. In a land of 1.3 billion people, he seeks out the distant villages and peoples that time forgot to learn their traditional myths and legends and to see how modern China is a blending of ancient peoples and futuristic ideals.

Program 2: China Part II

The ancient Chinese called their land the Middle Kingdom, because to them, they were at the center of the universe. It led the world in art and culture, economics and security, language and identity. Fast forward a few thousand years and it seems as if history is once again repeating. The Middle Kingdom is still an incomprehensibly large and diverse realm and the Chinese today are anxious to reclaim their place at the center of the world.

And so to understand China’s new found optimism, Damon looks to the lessons of the past as he follows the seep of Imperial China from the first Emperor 200 BC to the last one, under a century ago. He travels in both time and place to discover the heart of Chinese culture intertwined in the power and intrigue of the Imperial Court.