Domestic China (30. July 2008)

In rather a departure from the previous informal "wild" series (Andes To Amazon,Wild Africa, Wild Caribbean, Wild Down Under), this 6 part documentary includes more of the life of Chinese peoples in both countryside and cites. The previous offerings divided up the geography into distinct biomes- plains, mountains, freshwater, seas etc. Here we are presented with a specific region at a time.

It still has stirring landscapes, engaging animals, dramatic music and Bernard Hill's lugubrious voiceover, but compared with previous offerings the actual wildlife photography seemed to be a bit on the cheap. If you compare the recent Life In Cold Blood which was packed full of technological wizardry, this documentary seems to have been done relatively cheaply. After all humans are a little more easy and predictable to film than wildlife. So we get an awful lot of tea plantations, fishing, rice paddies and tourist traps with boisterous monkeys. Was it the fabled Chinese bureaucracy that caused this or was it just done in a rush?

I was rather disappointed that there were very few shots of freshwater and marine fish compared to the other series- they didn't seem to have the services of a diver for very long- even the coastal episode seemed to concentrate more on cockle pickers and oyster gathering. The episode on Tibet was very telling as it gave rather a simple overview when compared say to A Year In Tibet- whereas we got a simple mention in Wild China the latter went into great detail about how hard it is to actually get a carrion bird to eat up a human corpse (the traditional "burial" technique)- you have to feed them the unappetising innards first or they'll gorge on the best bits and flap off.

So saying I still go all dribbly at Karst topography (that's a peculiar limestone weathering pattern which causes very tall steep sided hills as per episode one- wouldn't Derbyshire be improved if it only had the same climate?) and the spoonbill migrations to wildlife reserves around Hong Kong looks like a very good idea for a holiday. A beautiful series but not quite as good as the previous offerings if you were looking for "wildlife".

A great series (9. July 2008)

I am not generally a great fan of nature documentaries but I am a great fan of China so I watched this series when it was on the TV and it was so good that I just had to get it on DVD. The series consists of six hour long episodes, each of which focuses on a specific region of China and details not only the wide variety of wildlife in the area but also information on the culture and history of China itself.

This series has been brilliantly made with some excellent photography and seems very well researched. Each episode is never anything less than fascinating and easily understandable even if you don't have much prior knowledge of the subjects covered. This DVD also includes an interested making of documentary but it is the series itself that truly impresses. Anyone who likes nature documentaries should love this series but even if your interests lay in China in general you should also greatly enjoy this show.

Simply the best!!! (6. July 2008)

This is the best made documentary I've ever seen. It's not just about the extremely beautiful country, but the lovely people and the way they get along with nature. The music is wonderful. I really, really enjoy watching it. Definitely an item for collection. In fact, I'm going to buy some as a gift for my Chinese friends. They would have the chance to watch it but do not necessarily without TV commercials, which would ruin it.

Gorgeous look at the real China (26. June 2008)

As usual the BBC have excelled in this work. A very well deserved 10/10. Almost 6 hours of stunning education for less than £15. Now I must go and see China for myself.

Wonderful !!! (10. June 2008)

I don't have the DVD yet,but having watched the series on BBC2 will certainly be getting a copy. The programme demonstrates all that is the best in documentary making. The photography is amazing and the narration by Bernard Hill is just perfect,as is the musical accompaniment. For anyone who is remotely interested in China and it's varied content, this is for you. You would never see as much even if you were to visit the country.I would recommend this to everyone.