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This four part program recounts the dramatic story of the rise and fall of an empire, an empire that at its prime spawned incredible inventions that sparked the dawn of our modern world. The story of the genius of this astonishing civilization is told by traveling back in time to witness China's inventions and how they were used.
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The response of the Asian societies to the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch and English. There was a reaction against the west (especially in Japan) Chinese and Japanese technology ceased to advance. The weakness of the Mogul empire in India is considered a factor as to why the British were able to play off the Indian elements against each other.
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One fifth of all people on Earth live in China, the world's most populated country: modernization is on the fast track.
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Now under Chinese rule, Hong Kong aims to remain a magnet for international business and trade.
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An industrial superpower, Japan both treasures its ancient traditions and embraces new cultural influences.
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Both countries are rich in history and architecture, and are now capitalizing on their traditions for Western tourists
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From remote farming villages to bustling cities, Asia has blossomed into a global force in today's world. Ancient cultures and traditional ways are being changed forever in a region which is undergoing major transformations from mostly rural-agricultural societies to urban-consumer societies.
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The Study of Asian cuisine has rapidly become one of the last sources of an undiluted look into the traditions of the region. In this five part series, we profile a variety of Asian countries, the unique food and their culture. This extraordinary series will have viewers thinking they are eating spicy chilies or creating handmade noodles alongside the featured chefs.
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Charlie Trotter's
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Responding to a call from Charlie Trotter, one of the most high-profile chefs in the US, chefs Heston Blumenthal and Tetsuya Wakuda crossed oceans to take part in a benefit evening. Chicago's big cheese turned out for this sizzling event serving up a taste of gastronomic vitality, American style.
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Experience the birth of the "Bird's Nest," Beijing's iconic National Stadium which played host to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Swedish designer, Thomas Herzog, conceptualized this marvel, which is not only functional, but architectural and cultural. Explore the creation of this magnificent structure from the beginning stages through the construction and completion. You'll hear from the designers, architects and welders who each played a part. The Bird's Nest stands apart from any other stadium as a one of a kind structure unique in its design and social significance. Like humans, buildings have life. The Bird's Nest will forever be a piece of Beijing's history and Chinese culture.
Related Titles: "The World's Dream Stage," "Megawheel"
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The Celestial Empire: Path of the Dragon attempts to unveil some of the mystique of China - its people, art, culture and the heritage of this 5,000 year-old empire. This 18 part series follows Chinese history with its unrelenting perseverance through the ages. Both past and present are explored, with each episode focusing on a unique facet of Chinese life.
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The Mongol warrior Kublai Khan brought the whole of China under foreign rule for the first time in history. Later the Ming built the great wall in Japan. Under the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates a heavy influence of Zen Buddhism was in evidence.
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After centuries of disunity Tan Chien proclaimed himself emperor of the Sui dynasty. Many engineering achievements - the grand canals, development of woodblock printing and headways in education making China the most literate of all pre-modern societies. The T'ang and Sung dynasties followed.
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Cultural Flavors is a cooking tour that takes you around the world one dish at a time. Each episode of this 13 part series provides viewers with a snapshot of life around the dinner table of a different country. In every episode, the unique characteristics of local cuisine are shown, and afterwards each recipe is recreated step-by-step. Highlighted are the spices, vegetables, meats and seafood at the core of each country's culinary culture.
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Depending on your point of view Syria is either a rogue state run by an authoritarian regime, or a champion of the Arab cause. But what's not in dispute is that the war in neighboring Lebanon has drastically altered the balance of power in this region and radicalized opinion in Syria.
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They transfix their bodies to reach mystic ecstacy. Influenced by Asian Shamanism and Christian monasticism, these Muslim monks have created a dance, Sama, during which each participant seeks complete union with God
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Destination Art travels to Mumbai, the fastest moving, most affluent and industrialized
city in India. We take a look at its ever changing landscape through the
eyes of two very different artists, Hema Upadhyay and Sudhir Patwardhan.
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In the vibrant city of Tokyo where Asian and Western art styles meet, photographer
Ishiuchi Miyako discusses her captivating work which explores the passage
of time. We also meet one of Japan's most established sculptures and painters,
77-year old Yayoi Kusama.
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Destination Art travels the world in search of art in all shapes and sizes. Presented by Francine Stock, this series showcases some of the most renowned creative figures at the cutting edge of the world of art. From Tokyo to Mumbai we find both budding and established artists working in a range of materials and styles. Sculpture, oils, photography, installation; it is all covered in this insightful series.
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Indonesia, with a land area of almost 2,000,000 square kilometers, is made of a myriad of islands including Sumatra, Java, and Bali. Dispersed along the equator, stretching from Sabang to Merauke just north of Australia, Indonesia is an exciting blend of the Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Chinese and Dutch colonial cultures. It's a nation with a rich history of kings and emperors, of magnificent temples, traditional market places, a unique cuisine, and colorful festivals.
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The target language in this series is Mandarin (Putonghua); the official language of the People's Republic of China, is based on the dialect of China's capital, Beijing. The Dragon's Tongue is a valuable source of genuine cultural information about China today.
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The unspoiled natural surroundings of the border region between Sweden and Norway, and their peace were threatened by a projected firing range. Publicly minded citizens on both sides of the frontier joined forces and convinced the Norwegian government to rescind its decision. But there are regimes that clamp down on every aspect of democracy - some of them by armed might. The people of Burma had long lived under a dictatorship. When, at last, free elections were permitted, Aung San Suu Kyi and her party won by a large majority.
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Hidden China takes an in-depth look into this country's meteoric rise to economic superpower in this behind the scenes show.
Through access to exclusive interviews and on-camera visits to areas forbidden to journalists, discover how China has rapidly changed from a state run disaster to the world's powerful economy.
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A profound knowledge and affection for India is brought to this spectacular series of ten travel programs filmed across the subcontinent. The programs focus on the cultural side: the fascinating history and rich traditions of India.
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As seen on the Fine Living Network and Food Network Canada! Made to Order lifts the veil off the high-end restaurant business and takes you on a guided tour with two of its exceptional young stars. Chef Guy Rubino and his brother and partner, Michael, a master in hospitality, escort you through this reality-based series doing what they do best: Michael orchestrating the front of the house and Guy creating wildly in the kitchen. Made to Order documents the strategizing, research, and planning undertaken by the brothers as they engineer solutions to satisfy a new challenge per episode.
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Craving a new food experience that is both delicious and educational, the Rubinos fly to Hong Kong, the world capital of dim sum with more than 10,000 restaurants specializing in this age-old fare. Guy apprentices under a dim sum master while Michael learns all there is to know about the traditional pairing of tea and dim sum.
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This episode establishes the theme of the series - the spread of the human species from Asia into all the lands of the Pacific Ocean, with divergent groups in Australia & the Americas.
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While Ice Age people were moving out of south-east Asia to Australia and New Guinea, others were pushing north, through northern China to the colder tundra of Siberia and even to the frozen Arctic. Survey the people from Soviet Siberia, Aleutian Islands and Alaska who have learned to cope with cold.
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Japan's long struggle to remain free from the dominance of China and to conserve its' cultural identity is manifested in the simplicity and severity of ceremony and design: most vividly in aspects of Japanese life such as formal gardens, calligraphy, craftsmanship in pottery, wood, paper, fan making and bamboo.
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Isolated from the rest of the world, the South American Indians produced their own remarkable range of food plants, later introduced to the other continents. They invented the wheel but used it only on toys, never for transport. Their dazzling metal-working, particularly in gold, silver and platinum was unique and astonishing in its technique and imagination.
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Recent findings reinforce the relatively new concept of a genuine Asian Bronze Age, thousands of years earlier than had ever been suspected in Thailand, Vietnam, and other sites across South-East Asia-as far as eastern Indonesia.
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This captivating 11 part series portrays the history of the Pacific Rim countries and their intriguing life today. MAN ON THE RIM traces the greatest succession of migrations in history and the historical and cultural background of this remarkable migration. It uncovers the footprints of a tremendous cavalcade of technological and biological evolution. Today the global economic center of gravity is shifting to the Pacific and the peoples of the Rim are emerging as a major force in world affairs. This extraordinary series offers a glimpse of the shape of the next momentous period in human history: the Pacific Century.
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China is emerging as the true powerhouse of Asia. Her long history displays most graphically how she formerly excelled the rest of the world in her inventiveness. Two thousand years ago imaginative innovations like silk production, steel making, the box bellows, printing, and gunpowder gave Shang and Han China an unchallenged cultural and technological primacy.
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The World's Tallest Observation Wheel. The Singapore Flyer is a giant observation wheel sometimes referred to as "The Flyer." It officially opened to the public on March 1, 2008. Megawheel documents the incredible engineering feat it took to create the world's largest Ferris wheel, even taller than the famed London Eye.
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The terrifying campaigns of the Mongols, led by Genghis Khan, were legendary for their military skills and superb horsemanship. They went on to create one of the largest empires in world history.
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Rotna and her friend Fatima attend a UNICEF school. They practice writing in Bengali, the official language, and study their country's history. Transportation is varied, with skateboards competing
with rickshaws.
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Eleven year old Sanders rehearses his multiplication tables to moves of his favorite classic Indian dance, the bharata natyam. He rides to school on a motorized rickshaw hanging on to the outside.
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12 year old Viron is an apprentice monk who lives in a temple area. Much of his time is devoted to study and meditation.
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Eight centuries after the Turks emerged from their homeland in the Steppelands of Central Asia, they captured the Byzantine city of Constantinople, changed its name to Istanbul and made it their new capital, which has lasted for four centuries.
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On the southwestern tip of India lies the verdant paradise of Kerala, a land criss-crossed by magical backwater lagoons and rivers, and guarded by the Western Ghat mountain range. It is a land with little or no child mortality and nearly 100% literacy.
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This episode looks at the factors that have contributed to China's strength and staying power including Confucianism, a secular philosophy of social conduct, not a religion; cultural pride which unifies rather than divides the population, despite its diversity; the importance of education: the country's efficient and modern bureaucracy; and the lack of a dominant religion or passion for religion among the Chinese.
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The Chinese developed intricate crossbows far ahead of their time, fleets of paddle boats, curving iron plows, wheelbarrows, folding umbrellas, conveyor belts, restaurants, golf, chess, kites, hot air balloons, and parachutes.
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This program tells the fascinating story of how China made the transition from a medieval empire to a modern state in less than a century.
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The central question in this episode is whether China's economy derives its strengths from the nation's sheer size or from the character of its people.
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This revealing look at how the Chinese relate to each other on a daily basis evaluates to what extent the Confucian ideal of family life really exists.
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Kyushu is a southern island of Japan with mountains sheltering deep manicured valleys that spills over with stepped fields of waving rice and vegetable crops.
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This episode examines the various aspects of traditional morality in China.
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