Deadliest Roads | China: The Valley of the Forgotten People | Free Documentary

[Music] [Music] so [Music] uh [Music] in the far reaches of china the town of gong chang 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 seven in the morning and the single communal taxi that serves the border crossing into burma is being prepared for the gruelling journey [Music] fong is heading to his home village to see his grandmother one of the few remaining ethnically zoos 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 tight it mustn't fall well get sick like everyone else you know what the road's 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 jerry can 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 have been considerably improved [Music] 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 it'll take about six and a half hours to cover the 96 kilometers the road to fong's village is one of the most dangerous in china the driver cheng 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 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 you have to remain focused one slip and it's all over you learn as you go it's just the driver's instinct all i can tell you is there's space for just one vehicle the duong valley is still a wilderness thousands of square kilometers of jungle its only inhabitants are slowly disappearing [Music] 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 what's happening the road's 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 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 3400 meters as the taxi disappears into the mist the road narrows as it skirts cliff tops that drop off dramatically 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] 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 it's difficult the wheels keep sliding come on everybody get out you see what's going on all these rocks have crashed from up there come on hit it harder [Music] this way please hey what about the light who switched off their engines come on start it up again so as 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 me ma i just arrived do you often take this tunnel i make this journey three times a week there are rock falls 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 [Music] delays inside the tunnel some trucks are trying to force a way through [Applause] go right [Applause] mind your rear view mirror no never mind you'll never get through look there's not enough room for your truck we'll get rid of the beams the beams however act as the tunnel roof's 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 fong takes charge we've got no choice it's the only way to widen the passage [Applause] come on come on move forward slowly does it come on [Applause] without the beams and support some of the drivers are uneasy fearing the vibrations from the trucks could bring down more rocks after a two-hour wait the communal taxi also makes it out there's another 50 kilometers to go to the village but the worst part of the journey lies ahead further up in the mountains and along the track [Applause] the men cry out to avoid or warn of danger ahead their woodcutters and to hurtle down into the ravine they use rounded sections of wood the makeshift camp in the middle of the jungle is home to a small group of men who produce charcoal it's a tough job especially out in the rain like today which also means the roads become treacherous too maolin is a veteran having worked here for eight years alongside a jungfu and lee his two nephews during the school holidays the two youngsters go out with maolin as part of their training to become woodcutters 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 about 10 euros a week it's hard dangerous work but it pays well these kids earn the equivalent of 40 euros a week about a quarter of the average wage in the region after cutting up the wood the kids load up the coal ovens you just put the wood right at the back then you light the fire on the other side the heat from the embers will take two days to turn the logs into charcoal to sell his charcoal alongside the road at least that's the plan during the monsoon it could rain for eight hours a day [Applause] if it rains for too long then it'll be difficult to sell anything today [Music] put 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 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 male 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 are carrying proves too much and too painful the small family needs to catch its breath okay my feet will get soaked sometimes the coal falls out and into our shoes and that hurts our feet but even worse are the stones that fall on our heads come on we need to get going [Music] but the biggest challenge lies down below the village they need to cross the river to reach the road jungfu 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 wrap your leg tight around the basket hang on to me oh oh the basket's turning jung food didn't push off strongly enough that is now suspended in mid-air halfway over it's what they fear most getting stuck halfway with a heavy load and having to use just their arms help me good all right take the basket merlin 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 mail-in has chosen a strategic point along the most frequented route in the region the only one available for the new fortune hunters dingway is one of the so-called mineral prospectors accompanied by his workers he criss-crosses the region hoping to make his fortune i'm looking for tin or lead in these wild areas it's not easy dingway is 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 but 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 [Music] it'll keep sinking dingway is losing patience you need to get going and decides to take matters in hand you take care of the wheel and stop digging here it's pointless and fetch some more stones dingway may be giving 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 let's hope this works come on we'll push [Music] knee deep in mud and breathing in the exhaust fumes the passengers encourage each other [Music] [Music] [Applause] knows all too well the hazards of this kind of road having traveled them for many years [Music] at 15 i used to be a truck driver what did you do exactly i used to go looking for wood and granite 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 because the steering wheel had not been properly repaired it got stuck and my truck tipped over being a truck driver is over now damn now what i think we'll be stuck here 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 oh it's come down from up there don't stay here the rocks are still coming down are the risks really worth it you know there's a lot of money to be made in the mine uh but it's a bit like roulette you can quickly make a fortune or you can lose it all you know you think it's okay now well all 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 you can get still another problem ahead this time it's the road itself that has been swept [Applause] away they'll guide me through okay you need to dig up the mountain side a bit more that side that way would be further from the ravine it'd be safer 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 if dingway makes it it'll mean riches or [Music] ruin on the far side of the valley the communal taxi is getting a rough ride as are 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 [Music] what was that something fell off [Music] [Music] what are we going to do we need to put it inside the car ah no way no pigs inside my taxi [Music] give it to me gently [Music] [Applause] the pig did indeed injure itself when it fell out it's all the bumps it's a bit worse for wear will be all right yeah yeah don't worry let'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 [Music] 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 are given houses where have you come from on this trip from gong and i left the day before yesterday but i was stuck because of a rockfall 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 a journey that should take just six hours please yes but i'm full of aches and pains oh dear the can's been leaking it's all over the place can's almost empty disappointed decides to give what's left of the petrol away for free with a 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 pick doing oh he's all right just needs to rest but a treatment and he'll be fine [Music] the pig is for fong's grandmother who owns a small restaurant in the village would you like a nice hot potato get out chew with her the past comes to life [Music] 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 the tibetan lords would raid the region and seize the women to be slaves myself and others who were left behind had our faces tattooed so we could never get married the old women here are all tattooed the women the tibetans took away never returned 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] high on a mountainous plateau a monastery is home to about 10 monks their days are spent in prayer and meditation [Music] chang 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 blessing for the monastery 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 is that close enough as a result of these suspicions temples have been destroyed and some monks imprisoned what is taking place here is for china almost miraculous chiang's 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 i don't pay them i give them drink or beer they believe as you see they do it for buddhism they are the faithful and 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 chang is keen to place the last stone himself oh it's heavy of course the monk has every right to be concerned the speedometer may be new but the truck is ancient the engine needs regular adjustments the 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 and drive at the right speed so it's not easy you learn this by practice by instinct to save his engine as far as possible the driver has a technique that is particularly risky downhill he freewheels 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 struggles on the ascent and slows to barely 10 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 i 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] [Music] okay [Music] so that it can house up to 30 monks [Music] but at the slightest sign of unrest in tibet the government will shut down most of the temples and expel the monks on the slopes opposite the temple lies fong's 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 kept 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 in 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 handling 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 10 minutes later even if it's been barely touched the animal will collapse and there's no way it will survive all we need to do is pick it up preparing for the hunt is a long and meticulous process while his friends finish making the arrows fong goes on ahead as it's his job to open up a path to their hunting cabin [Music] do the machete must be razor sharp the remainder of the path it's a three-hour long trek through the torrid jungle it was down [Music] fong is concerned about the humid conditions which are no good for his crossbow 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 that'll 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 fong has brought along a marvelous product that was meant to ward them off it's a repellent scene you splash it all over yourself the product stems from traditional chinese medicine up here they're venomous snakes if you get bitten your whole arm could rot in just a few minutes do 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 30 squirrels a night [Music] look they're out i saw one over there i'll use your lamps [Music] imitates the sound of a female but the light from their lamps attracts unwanted attention look at snake it's huge get back get back they'll need to tread carefully in the dark yeah you go down there the lights over here quickly the light there's one up this tree he must have missed him so far all they've caught is a leech the hunt gets off to a poor start for fong and his team but they've another two weeks before them in which to reach their target of 500 flying squirrels it's the moment of truth for dingway the fortune hunter now it's taking me six hours to get up here and i'm just below it now he'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 [Applause] are you tired well every time he visits dingway brings some small presents for his miners to cheer them up today it's some hens here take the hens 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 100 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 [Music] this is worth a lot 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 the gallery stretches for 400 meters into the bowels of the earth the gas and humidity irritates the throat this should be it no i can't see anything why is there no power down here you should have set that up well give me your lamp i need you to let you can't see anything 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 is working in the mine well i'm used to being in the dark prefer to sunlight now but yes it is dangerous and people die often just the other day ten friends of mine were killed when their gallery caved in [Music] and with a financial crisis it'll just be too expensive to extract it this can be extracted sure but it will depend on how deep the vein runs in a few months dingway 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 el dorado [Music] [Music] um [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary

Views: 296,961

Rating: 4.8043327 out of 5

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, most dangerous roads, most dangerous journeys, worlds most dangerous roads, worlds most dangerous journeys, deadliest roads, deadliest roads in the world, dicing with death, deadliest journeys, deadliest journeys China, dicing with death China, dangerous China, most dangerous roads China, dangerous roads China, deadliest roads China, China

Id: jAWWtg1c7k4

Length: 49min 59sec (2999 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 10 2021