A 12-part television documentary about how nine countries rose
to become significant global players is creating a buzz among
Chinese viewers.
"The Rise of Great Powers" (Daguo Jueqi) is China Central
Television's (CCTV's) first time to shoot a documentary on the
history of the world's major powers, and all of the footage was
shot in these nine countries.
The idea was born in 2004, when China's top officials held a
meeting to discuss how China can learn from the experiences of the
nine countries which have grown most rapidly since the 15th
century.
This was the first of several such seminars, and eventually,
CCTV China's largest TV network decided to shoot a documentary on
the subject.
In the following three years, seven teams travelled to Portugal,
Spain, Holland, England, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and the
United States to explore how these nations grew in power and
affluence over the past 500 years.
"What we want to do," said Zhou Yan, one of the scriptwriters,
"is go to the particular country and capture the parts of its
history that can still be seen there, such as the ancient sites and
cultural relics what we call 'the living history'."
That's why Chinese TV audiences are shown the script of the
Christopher Columbus' log book, The Dutch East India Company's
account books, the earliest published version of the "Declaration
of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen" and many other precious
cultural relics. This is the first time many of these relics will
appear in a Chinese TV documentary.
The living history, in Zhou's words, includes the nations'
rituals, customs, habits and even the local people's facial
expressions.
"We think that history and present life are connected," Zhou
said. "All these pieces of living history say something about the
country's past."
The show uses 3D computer animation to create re-enactments of
important historical events such as the storming of Bastille in the
French Revolution, the arrival of the Mayflower in America and the
sailing of Dutch merchant ships on the Atlantic Ocean.
But the use of technology, according to Zhou, is only a means to
an end, rather than an end in itself.
"We hope that the computer animation serves the content and the
theme," Zhou said. "We don't use high-end technology just for
technology's sake. It is just kind of an ornament, and we try hard
not to overuse it."
Since it started broadcasting, the show has gained swift
popularity among Chinese. The audience rating is even running
neck-and-neck with the channel's high-profile "Half-an-hour
Economic News" (Jingji Banxiaoshi).
The feedback suggests the viewers come from a variety of
demographic backgrounds, ranging from 12-year-old students to
middle-aged public servants.
Talking about the show's popularity on an online forum interview
with China's netizens posted on people.com.cn, Ren Xue'an, the
documentary's chief director, believes the audiences watch to learn
about the countries featured.
He believes the Chinese people's eagerness to learn about the
outside world since the reform and opening up also contributes to
the show's popularity.
"China is always a nation willing to learn, and to learn about
the world has become a habit of many Chinese since China opened its
window in 1978," he said.
China can learn many things from what the show documents about
these rising nations, including these nations' international
visions, the overall development of their economies and cultures
and the innovations of their social systems, said international
relations historian Tang Chongnan.
"It is important to learn from the successful examples and avoid
repeating these countries' mistakes in order to shape our own
prosperity," Ren posted on the online forum.
The topic has also been the focus of several recently released
books and DVDs.
(China Daily November 25, 2006)