Deadliest Journeys - China : The dizzy valley of the forgotten

[Music] [Music] [Music] in the far reaches of China the town of Gong Qiang is slowly coming to life before getting to grips with the day's work there's a group exercise to loosen up the labor force of China's booming economy [Music] at 7:00 in the morning and the single communal taxi that serves the border crossing into Burma is being prepared for the grueling journey [Music] funk is heading to his home village to see his grandmother one of the few remaining ethnically Zeus put them up there he's bringing with him a special gift a pedigree Pig that will be used for breeding he's worried the animal might get hurt given the awful conditions along the way make it tighter mustn't fall he'll get sick like everyone else you know what the roads like go carefully it's precious if it dies you'll need to compensate me in the areas bordering Burma it's almost impossible to find petrol Chang the driver always takes an extra jerrican which he plans to sell in the village for twice the price he paid for it ever since China's economy took off 30 years ago the nation's roads had been considerably improved the government has built roads across some of the most remote regions massive projects to open up isolated villages where in the past they could only be supplied on horseback they'll take about six and a half hours to cover the 96 kilometers the road to Falls village is one of the most dangerous in China the driver Chang makes the journey once a week other conditions really bad terrible dangerous as well well a child was killed in an accident just the other day but don't be scared I've been driving on this road for six years [Music] a road in the middle of nowhere in the duong Valley is the only route open between China Burma and Tibet we mustn't stay here there could be more rocks falling [Music] you have to remain focused one slip and it's all over you learn as you go it's just the drivers instinct what I can tell you is their space for just one vehicle the Duong Valle is still a wilderness thousands of square kilometers of jungle it's only inhabitants are slowly disappearing but in recent years rich deposits of lead and tin have been discovered it's become a magnet for sometimes unscrupulous fortune hunters a new breed of Chinese adventurer [Music] this is worth a lot the communal taxi left the city of Gong Chang just over one hour ago and the paved road has given way to a dirt track the first bumps the first oncoming traffic and the first bad news hello friend careful it's awful further up why what's happening the roads blocked by falling rocks on the road yep the road is unstable and there are frequent landslides it's vital that before continuing they inform their loved ones exactly where they are in case of accidents the rescue services will know where to find them this is the last place where the cell phones will work [Music] hello sweetheart the roads blocked at the pass but don't worry the locals are going to clear it with explosives you seem worried no actually this happens often but sometimes you can get stuck for two days the landslide was way up there at an altitude of three thousand four hundred meters [Music] as the taxi disappears into the mist the road narrows as it skirts cliff tops the drop off dramatically [Music] they turn to deal with the conditions your vehicle has to be in perfect condition the brakes the steering and mainly me I'm not allowed to be tired you have to be focused one slip and it's all over [Music] [Music] well Kurama the rockfall was in this tunnel so what's the plan I don't know yet we'll need to go and take a look where those people are there the tunnel was excavated in the 1980s but has never been properly completed for 30 years the locals have been risking their lives each time they use it it's a 400-meter gauntlet of danger especially during the monsoon when the rain loosens the rock face hey driver go slowly and it's difficult the wheels keep sliding this is where the rocks fell we'll see if there's anything we can do to help come on everybody get out you see what's going on all these rocks have crashed from up there and the roof come on hit it harder well we've cleared this part over here but there it's still blocked this will take a while dig more this way please [Applause] hey what about the light who switched off their engines come on start it up again so it's not to run down their batteries the engines are left running for the headlights ten men have been working flat out since early morning amid the exhaust fumes and dust and at any moment there could be another rockfall Fong and one other passenger scout ahead to check the tunnel exit there'll be lots of people waiting on the outside you'll see you got a cigarette for me you've been waiting long me now I just arrived do you often take this tunnel I make this journey three times a week there Rock folds the whole time this year though it's been worse what with all the heavy rain we've had the water seeps into the tunnel it makes it crumble most of the passengers know this route well and have been accustomed to such delays [Music] inside the tunnel some trucks are trying to force a way through [Applause] go right mind your wheel [Applause] go back reverse on your rearview mirror [Applause] now I never mind you'll never get through look there's not enough room for your truck we'll get rid of the beams [Applause] the beams however act as the tunneled roofs main support despite the danger and to make more space it's decided to knock a few of them down risking yet more Rock Falls Fung takes charge there's on no choice it's the only way to widen the passage [Applause] come on come on blue forward slowly does it come on without the beams and support some of the drivers are uneasy fearing the vibrations when the trucks could bring down more rocks [Applause] [Music] after a two-hour wait the communal taxi also makes it out there's another 50 kilometres to go to the village at the worst part of the journey lies ahead further up in the mountains and along the track the men cry out to avoid a war new danger ahead their wood cutters and to hurtle down into the ravine to use rounded sections of wood the makeshift camp in the middle of the jungle is home to a small group of men who could use charcoal shyam a it's a tough job especially out in the rain like today which also means the roads become treacherous to maolin is a veteran having worked here for eight years alongside a young foo and Lee his two nephews during the school holidays the two youngsters go out with maolin as part of their training to become wood cutters see you need to be very careful when the tree falls it could snap into and fall on top of you which would not be good kids start off on small branches you like this no it's tiring it's a stupid job how much do you earn about 10 euros a week it's hard dangerous work but it pays well these kids are the equivalent of 40 euros a week about a quarter of the average wage in the region after cutting off the wood the kids load up the coal ovens the wood right at the back stones then you light the fire on the other side this is where you dig out the earth to put the embers the heat from the embers will take two days to turn the logs into charcoal maolin heads off down to the village to sell his charcoal alongside the road at least that's the plan during the monsoon it could rain for eight hours a day if it rains for too long then it'll be difficult to sell anything today two hours later the rain lets up and Mei Lin gets down to business but the plastic on properly why because it's raining and we need to cover the charcoal otherwise it's useless you often go down this way without two or three times a day on the road okay come on let's go it takes two hours to negotiate a steep narrow and slippery path with the kids carrying five kilos of charcoal and mail in 15 on their backs and at a fast pace they need to reach the village quickly to be able to sell their charcoal [Music] but after half an hour the pace and the weight they're carrying proves too much and too painful small family needs to catch its breath [Music] you came my feet get soaked sometimes the coal falls out and into our shoes and that hurts our feet even worse of the stones that fall in our heads come on we need to get going [Music] [Music] but the biggest challenge lies down below the village they need to cross the river to reach the road young who is looking for an essential tool to get them across it's my pulley to get across that's yours yes we each have our own the only means to get to the other side rapidly is to use the cable suspended high overhead it's 50 meters long and it allows them to cross in 30 minutes as opposed to the extra half hour it would take if they hiked to the first available bridge one year ago an adult died while making the crossing and ever since no child is allowed to cross on their own without villagers checking the equipment first ever since the accident we've had to watch out for the children even if they use it often the cable snapped and the woman disappeared into the rapids below but now the cables been replaced now what happens if you fall I'll swim wrap your leg tight around the basket hang on to me oh no the baskets turning jung-soo didn't push off strongly enough that is now suspended in midair halfway over it's what they fear most getting stuck halfway with a heavy load than having to use just their arms help me good all right take the basket mail-in sells his charcoal on the roadside for one yen a kilo about one cent it doesn't seem much for the risks they've taken but it sells quickly and he will make several return trips to sell more Malin has chosen a strategic point along the most frequented route in the region the only one available for the new fortune hunters jingwei is one of the so called mineral prospectors accompanied by his workers he Chris crosses the region hoping to make his fortune I look for tin or lead in these wild areas it's not easy ding was heading off to see whether his latest acquisition will prove profitable six months earlier he had invested a considerable amount of money in a mine he hopes to find lead up till now there's been no trace of the elusive mineral but if he does find it he can expect to become a millionaire in just a few months the path to riches is not an easy one what the hell have they done here is it serious actually it could be worse but it's hard to say the truck seems to be getting in deeper and deeper they've raised the wheel to put some stones underneath it's the only way to get it out heavily laden with humans and supplies the truck has been slowly sinking in the mud since early in the morning the passengers try by whatever means to get the wheels unstuck so how's it going over here hurry up what were the rain it'll keep sinking Jingwei is losing patience need to get going and decides to take matters in hand you take care of the wheel and stop digging here too pointless and fetch some more stones ding we may be given the orders but he has no intention of getting dirty or fetching stones himself come on it's about to rain we must get going now I hope this works come on with little push knee-deep in mud and breathing in the exhaust fumes the passengers encourage each other [Music] Oh quick quick quick get on the truck [Applause] ding way knows all too well the hazards of this kind of road having traveled them for many years the 15 I used to be a truck driver what did you do exactly I used to go looking for wood and Granite's on the mountain near where I lived and driving a truck is a lot trickier than a four-wheel drive you ever get into trouble yes I remember once I had an accident was the steering wheel had not been properly repaired it got stuck on my truck tipped over luckily I wasn't hurt and I managed to scramble out of the passenger door being a truck driver is over now [Music] Ginter damn now what I think we'll be stuck in the downpour of recent days has caused part of a hill to slide onto the road and his workers have been trying to clear the mess for two days what's happening yeah it's come down from up there you know then stay here the rocks are still coming down are the risks really worth it you see you know there's a lot of money to be made in a mine but it's a bit like roulette you can quickly make a fortune or you can lose it all that's it I've had enough of waiting I'm going through get out of the way you think it's okay now well I can tell you is that there's room for only one car on this road but a few kilometers further on fate decides otherwise please still another problem ahead this time it's the road itself that has been swept away there must be a way through they'll guide me through [Applause] okay you need to dig up the mountainside a bit more that side that way would be further from the ravine it'd be safer come on all aboard everyone there's still another 20 kilometers or so to the lead mine a short distance to have suffered the trials of hell for so long ding way makes it it'll mean riches or ruin on the far side of the valley the communal taxi is getting a rough ride as all the passengers the driver has to concentrate all his attention to keep control of the vehicle and to avoid losing what is stacked up on the roof what was that something fell off you have a look thought it was the pig what are we gonna do we need to put it inside the car I no way no pigs inside my taxi give it to me gently wait look at your ambulance bleeding the pig did indeed injure itself when it fell it's all the bumps he's a bit worse for wear don't worry that's not waste more time okay here we go [Music] there is a steady stream of trucks along this road carrying wood and bringing hope to the valley for the past few years the government has been trying to repopulate areas more or less abandoned by the local peasants most left to work on building sites or in the factories that supply the world but the economic crisis has made work harder to find and many peasants have been returning to their villages in an attempt to get the locals to stay put in this region the government has been offering free housing for the poorest inhabitants it's like under communism those who need them forgiven houses wherever you come from on this trip from gong China I left the day before yesterday but I was stuck because of a rock fall in the tunnel [Music] the houses built for the poor are just at the entrance to Fong's village the communal taxi has taken 15 hours to cover the 80 kilometer route the journey that should take just six hours happy to have made it please yes but I'm full of aches and pains oh dear the cans been leaking it's all over the place hands almost empty is the hole where the petrol came out why is that serious I can't feel my motorbike now Chang disappointed decides to give what's left of the petrol away for free but the 15 hour journey has at least earned him 100 yen per passenger a total equivalent to 60 euros which is decent money how's the pig doing oh he's all right my pig to rest but a treatment and he'll be fine [Music] [Applause] the pig is for Fong's grandmother who owns a small restaurant in the village would you like a nice hot potato get out shoo with her the past comes to life the 85 year old lady has lived here all her life and has some painful memories during the 1940s the region was under Tibetan domination when I was young with Tibetan Lords would raid the region and seize the women to be slaves we were rounded up by the Dozen myself and others who were left behind at our faces tattooed so we could never get married the old women here are all tattooed and women the Tibetans took away never returned [Music] the balance of power has changed dramatically the women of the valley no longer live in fear of the Tibetans whose closest villages are just a few kilometers away [Music] I on a mountainous plateau a monastery is home to about ten monks their days are spent in prayer and meditation Chang at 22 is the youngest his mission is to convert the valley people to Buddhism there's a growing belief in the Buddha in the valley since I've been visiting the village the locals have become much more interested in religion it's a blessings for the monasteries ever since Tibet was annexed by China in 1950 Tibetans and in particular Tibetan monks have been closely monitored suspected by Chinese authorities of fostering hopes of independence among the population and inciting them to revolt go back a bit more close enough yep as a result of these suspicions temples have been destroyed and some monks imprisoned what is taking place here is for China almost miraculous chains Chinese converts have come to help rebuild the temple they could get into trouble if they're seen with a monk but it's a risk they're willing to take for their religion in return they'll get a few prayers and some alcohol and then pay them I'll give them drink or beer they're believers you see they do it for Buddhism they are the faithful we've never had any incidents because we pray a lot at the monastery to prevent that from happening once the truck has been filled Trang is keen to place the last stone himself will be often take your old truck and make it back up to the village of course [Music] the monk has every right to be concerned the speedometer may be new but the truck is ancient and the engine needs regular adjustments a problem is the road goes up and down and the truck doesn't like that so we need to watch the engine know when to change gear drive at the right speed so it's not easy you learn this by practice by instinct [Music] to save his engine as far as possible the driver has a technique that is particularly risky downhill he free wheels engine off foot on the brake but at the foot of the hill the climb up the next slope will take time and patience the truck struggled from the ascent and slows to barely ten kilometers an hour the engine on the brink of overheating uphill the trick is a small homemade tap under the seat you see this water tap they use it to cool the engine from the tank that's on the roof without it it would overheat break down and that would be the end [Music] okay can I reverse yes yes go straight back it's the last load and now welcome the new pagoda can finally begin Chang is hoping that Chinese authorities will allow him to expand his monastery so Vatican House up to 30 monks at the slightest sign of unrest in Tibet the government will shut down most of the temples and expel the monks and the slopes opposite the temple lies farms village today is a big day for it marks the start of the hunting season to earn some extra money Fong hunts for flying squirrels which are considered a delicacy in his home region the slivers of bamboo will be fashioned into arrows in these parts the weapon of choice is the crossbow in the valley almost no one owns a firearm the cartridges are far too expensive this is how you carry a crossbow you see it has to be cut firmly against the body so it doesn't get caught in any branches and so that you can also run after the prey to give their prey no chance of getting away the hunters coat the arrows and poison it's a quite natural poison made by crushing the leaves of a certain flower the flower is picked in the mountains during the spring and then dried it is highly toxic before handing it the hunters make sure they have no cuts or wounds on their hands when the poison reaches its target there's no immediate effect but ten minutes later the even if it's been barely touched the animal will collapse there's no way it will survive we need to do is pick it up preparing for the hunt is along than meticulous process while his friends finish making the arrows funk goes on ahead as it's his job to open up a path to their hunting cabin [Music] yeah and machete must be razor sharp yeah the remainder of the path it's a three hour long trek through the torrid jungle [Music] oh there you are finally when our way here we spotted some flying squirrels it was down this way towards in these trees yeah I saw several flying bats begin the hunt over there then Fong is concerned about the humid conditions which are no good for his crossbow and as it causes the string to stretch and lose its power and the wood to expand meaning the bow will be far less accurate well I won't be as precise as before well still work the jungle is home to countless numbers of creatures insects and invertebrates some of which are dangerous such as this leech which once it has attached itself can only be removed with salt the snakes and other creatures that might be harmful Fung has brought along a marvelous product meant to ward them off it's a repellent splash it all over yourself product stems from traditional Chinese medicine up here they're venomous snakes and get bitten your whole arm could rot in just a few minutes too many people get bitten oh yeah far too often now ideally you should spread this all over your skin but it stings and stinks it's seven o'clock at night and the hunt gets underway to make the evening profitable the hunters will need to kill at least thirty squirrels a night look they're out I saw one over there use your lamps let's go Tullio the animals Fong imitates the sound of a female but the light from their lamps attracts unwanted attention look a snake it's huge get back get back they'll need to tread carefully in the dark well Wow yeah you got down there the light over here quickly the light there's one up his tree quick see if you got him you can't see a thing and he must have missed him so far all they've caught is a leech the hunt gets off to a poor start for fall in his team but there's another two weeks before them in which to reach their target of 500 flying squirrels it's the moment of truth for ding way the fortune hunter I know it's taken me six hours to get up here and just below it now you'll soon know whether he was right to invest in the mine he's hoping to find lead which in China is worth its weight in gold he tired obviously every time he visits ding way brings some small presents for his miners to cheer them up today it's some hens here take the hands and the milk boring each shaft takes at least six months the miners rarely head back to town and often work in shifts day and night to extract the lead from the 20 or so mines that have been dug into the mountains about a hundred men and a few women live here in tough conditions crammed together in makeshift tents it's a harsh male-dominated environment in which the ladies try and maintain at least some femininity hello everyone hello boss we found some deposits let me show you on the map right show me a sample this is worth a lot what's in this led in this see how can you tell from the black stains see there's plenty let's see if the entire seam is rich let's not waste time if there's a rich seam how much is it worth a lot which means well there's a lot of money to be made maybe 100,000 euros a day so that's why I'm doing all of this Lisa Miller jewelry to go this way the gallery stretches for 400 meters into the bowels of the earth the gas and humidity irritates the throat this should be it why is there no power down here you should have set that up we'll give me your lamp no I don't think this is the right place hey every way you lost to see you or what come on show me the right path I don't want to hang about here for hours the mine is a labyrinth with dozens of galleries and in order to save money none of them have been shown up security here is not a major concern it's working in the mine top well I'm used to being in the dark prefer it to sunlight now yes it is dangerous and people die often just the other day ten friends of mine were killed when that gallery caved in you could have put some lights here at least it's not good work guys boss it's here it doesn't look that great to me well there's LED all right but it spread very thinly and with a financial crisis it'll just be too expensive to extract across the vein runs down this way - that's more like it this is a real thing all of this is led this could be extracted no questions please sure but it will depend on how deep the vein runs in a few months ding we might be a rich man something that will attract other prospectors and could disturb the tranquility of the duong Valley turning it like so many other parts of today's new China into an Eldorado [Music]

Channel: Best Documentary

Views: 1,177,468

Rating: 4.5131807 out of 5

Keywords: duong valley, documentary china, chinese documentary, china documentary, film, documentary, movie, china, road, cliffs, burma, tibet, crash, risk, Deadliest Journey -, deadmiest journeys, deadliest journeys

Id: -pDUX5KnN6s

Length: 49min 0sec (2940 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 28 2018