Plot Synopsis

Hosted by historian and filmmaker Michael Wood, THE STORY OF CHINA is a one-hour documentary series that takes viewers on a journey deep into China's landscapes to find the people and stories that have helped create the country's distinctive character and genius for more than four millennia. Wood treks through the deserts of the Silk Road, visiting the ancient cities of Luoyang and Kaifeng, and to the modern metropolises of Beijing and Shanghai. From the First Emperor to the Mongols and from the Opium Wars to the Communist Revolution, Wood paints vivid pictures of some of the great characters of Chinese history, not just emperors, but scientists, poets, rebels and novelists as well. Viewers meet the intrepid Buddhist traveler Xuanzang, the great woman poet Li Qingzhao, and Su Song -- China's Leonardo da Vinci. Wood captures the essence of key dynasties of China -- from its first empire, the Shang, dating from 1500 B.C., through its last, the Qing, ruling from 1644 to 1911. The series concludes with the great rebellions of the 19th century that led to the rise of Mao Zedong and shows viewers the living culture of China today, from intimate family celebrations to vast communal rituals in the Yellow River plain.