Places
Climate across the vast country of China varies widely from its subtropical south to the northwest deserts, so too its habitats range from the Tibetan Plateau’s cold heights, to temperate grasslands and monsoon influenced forests. China was the first part of the Old World to develop extensive open grassland, which later spread over much of Eurasia. The Himalayan uplift changed the climate and created opportunities for new habitat. It also blocked the movement of many species, leading to differing fauna on either side. The rise of the Qin Ling Mountains further divided China into a cool and dry north and a warm and wet south by altering monsoon wind patterns.
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Juizhaigou underwater
The crystal clear, calcium-rich lake reveals a strange Tolkien-esque landscape.
The Chinese giant salamander is the largest living amphibian in the world, growing up to nearly two metres in length.
Natural great wall
Visible from space, the Himalayan mountain range is China's real great wall.
Visible from space, the Himalayan mountain range is China's real great wall.
Cormorant fishing
Fishermen use trained cormorants to help them catch fish from the Li River in China.
Fishermen use trained cormorants to help them catch fish from the Li River in China. A noose is tied around the birds' necks to stop them swallowing any fish they may catch.
Tibetan Plateau
Life in the extreme environment of the world's highest great plain.
At 6,000m above sea level, the Tibetan Plateau is both remote and hard to reach. As a result, the high altitude grazers here are hardly ever seen, let alone filmed. In many cases, they are also becoming ever more rare. Satellite images of the plateau reveal the reasons why conditions here are so extreme.
The real Shangri-La?
Time-lapse sequences showcase the incredible diversity of North Yunnan's botanical paradise.
Time-lapse sequences showcase the incredible diversity of North Yunnan's botanical paradise.
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