Radio Times

Review by:

Emma Sturgess

As Chinese consumers get more comfortable, their leisure time increases. One of the most revealing aspects of the closing leg of Anita Rani and Justin Rowlatt’s journey is seeing how they spend that time.

On her posher route through the east, Anita comes across housewives who have massages after the school run. But Justin makes more telling stops on his less salubrious way. In Fenghuang, where ethnic minorities including the Miao people are not certain their ways of life will survive, he attends a tourist-friendly cultural show, ending up on stage for a cheesy stunt. And as admirers of Chairman Mao flock to the giant statue of him in Changsha, he finds it’s easy to cause offence...

About this programme

2/2. Anita Rani and Justin Rowlatt explore the contrasting faces of modern China on the concluding leg of their journey to Shanghai. In the industrialised east, Anita visits sophisticated and luxurious cities, as well as a wine chateau in Qingdao, and discovers how Chinese weddings have changed since the 1960s. Meanwhile, Justin explores the lives of farmers in remote rural areas, including members of the Miao ethnic minority, and experiences driving on potholed roads and the hi-tech Aizhai suspension bridge. Finally, the presenters reflect on the benefits and drawbacks of China's rapid development, as well as the challenges it faces in the future.

Cast and crew

Cast

Presenter

Anita Rani

Presenter

Justin Rowlatt

Crew

Director

Olly Bootle

Executive Producer

Sam Bagnall

Producer

Olly Bootle

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