Wild China (2008) User Reviews

Awesome documentary

[EchoHotel89 · 9/10 · 1 January 2009]

I saw the whole documentary in blu-ray, and was quite stunned by the picture quality, sound, last but not least, how they'd capture the animals and nature on film. Really gives you "wow" thoughts! Great diversity, from high Himalayan mountains and dense bamboo forests, to sea-life in the south China sea. Not just an ordinary documentary, but art!

Wild China also shows the human interaction with nature on a interesting way, e.g the fishermen in a certain scene. Definitely worth seeing!

Makes you wish there were more episodes to watch!

However, the replay value might not be the best, but it's a documentary you'd watch once a half year or so.

Fantastic

[epincion · 9/10 · 18 December 2012]

Very Good Series. As a great fan of the BBC Natural History Unit series like Planet Earth I only came across this recently and it surprised me greatly in that I never realized China is so varied and full of amazing natural wonders. As with most Westerners my idea of China was just what we see on news channels with the background pictures of Beijing and the Great Wall. What was particularly good was the way the filmmakers include something of the life of local people in each episode. So many interesting local cultures exist in pockets each with a rich cultural tradition going back centuries. It is great that something is being done to record this before they disappear under the pressure of modern ways. The filmmakers also (quite carefully given the sensitivity of the Chinese government to perceived criticism) point out the huge problems for wildlife from human pressure for land taking the habitat for animals and birds and also the fact that in some parts of China they eat everything leading to rare animals being hunted for profit. For the first time ever I felt I would visit China to see its natural history and peoples.

Take me away, knowledgeably, Bernard.

[pandoraszipper · 9/10 · 22 March 2012]

Wow. To be fair, I watched this on a huge television with surround sound...other may not have the same experience, it may or may not have lessend their enjoyment,..But simply, WOW. The scenery, the greenery, the mist rising off the mountains, the panoramic views, the insight into both different regional cultures and the wildlife that surrounds and shapes them, is so exciting and fresh. The only drawback is that is seems to drag a bit in certain spots, but that may just be my lack of interest in certain animals, and it's not that bad. The narrator is both informative, leading and yet unobtrusive during the spectacular panoramas and minutiae the camera exposes and lets speak for itself. Watch this, if you need some green and travel, you don't have to pay attention to every second, but you won't be sorry. Let it take you someplace else.

A Piece of Art

[blackfoxisme · 10/10 · 15 October 2013]

As someone who have been in China for a few years, I'm awed by this film. This is what BBC does best.

I say it's a piece of art, because it's really quite beautiful, the editorial work has been wonderful, location selection, angles, slow motion, all of those add on to make it a surreal and beautiful reflection that you may not even notice living there. It's capturing the moment at the right time in the right place, something often overlooked even by the natives.

I have to say, amongst the crowd, the sometimes dirty environment, the construction sites, and the clashing of architecture styles caused by the east/west infusion in recent years, increasingly you can only find the authentic beautiful signature Chinese landscapes with clever and observant eyes. It awes me but at the same time, worries me a little.

We'd be quick to jump to the conclusion that the Chinese government need to do more to protect its environment, or that the Chinese people need to be more aware of their environment. Didn't it sound incredibly sad when the narrator said that out of 25 species of turtles in China, only a few survived, and that happened in merely few decades. But as pointed out in the series, they ARE aware. They've been aware for thousands of years, having such a long history and witnessing the rise and fall of numerous dynasties, their appreciation for harmony and sustainability runs a lot deeper than we might think, it's imprinted into their culture. It's sad really, but they're given the tough choice of either economic growth or preservation of their environment, sacrifice one and their children will starve, sacrificing the other and their children's children would eventually starve. It's a fine balance which they're increasingly focusing their attention on, and I really do wish them the best, I want my children to one day be able to travel to that beautiful land and be in awe at how much more the world can hold.

Wild China, a China that doesn't belong to any government.

[user-28221 · 10/10 · 30 November 2009]

To be honest, as a 23-year old Chinese young man, watching a documentary, so deeply about China, yet made completely by England and so well made, doesn't feel so good. But fortunately, the truth that the wilderness of China doesn't belong to any government in the political world does relieve me of the shame from the thought that the beauty of China should only be presented to the world by China.

Isn't it true that the world itself at its very beginning didn't have any government or country, and animals don't have to carry a ID card with them that says "I AM ... CITIZEN", and there are so many mountains and rivers and forests that run through more than one country? And don't forget about the sky that every single creature is underneath. The nature belongs to no one but everyone. So anybody that has the will and capability to make a documentary about the nature of the world should be able to enjoy the freedom to do it.

Especially when it's SO WONDERFULLY DONE!

Should be seen by every Chinese!

[BRFyFasan · 11 February 2015]

This is a very interesting documentary that should have been seen by so many more. Thanks to Netflix for making this available for a bigger audience.

If more Chinese people were shown this in school, maybe many of them would have different thoughts towards animals and wildlife in general.

After visiting China a couple of times last year, it was fascinating to see a different kind of China from what I experienced in my travels. Of all the episodes I enjoyed Shangri-La, Tibet and Beyond The Great Wall the most. The amazing animals in the rain forest in Shangri-La and the peaceful Tibetan lifestyle living in harmony with nature are some of the best highlights.

The last episode was also important in the mind of the future of China and in fact the world in general. Hopefully the mindset of Buddhism will continue, and not be overthrown by western/eastern influences and economic growth.

As for the use of shark fin soup, it's been a large decrease the last years, much thanks to campaigns using high profile stars as the popular basketball player Yao Ming. Luckily it seems to be a better understanding of animals and environmental problems by the younger generation.

So there is still hope… but China will play a big role for all life in the future, whether we like it or not!

Chinese naturalistic wonder

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 11 June 2018]

Am a big fan of nature documentaries, especially the work of David Attenborough. Having been recommended 'Wild China' through Amazon and here, it was instantly put down on my list as a must see. Also heard nothing but praise for it, which has nearly always been a good sign, so that further sparked interest.

'Wild China' is as good as others have said and there is not much to add, actually feeling much more than just a documentary. Throughout it's an awe-inspiring, utterly transfixing experience where one forgets they're watching a documentary and instead feeling like they're watching art. This may sound like extreme hyperbole, but to me 'Wild China' is completely deserving of its praise and even deserving of more.

It is hard knowing when to start with the praise. 'Wild China' for starters looks amazing, reasons enough to make book a trip to see the more naturalistic parts of China. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the animals), way and never looking static. In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic. The scenery and habitats are some of the most breath-taking personally seen anywhere, whether in visual media and real life. The rich colours just leap out and the scenery from this part of the world has rarely looked more beautiful. The music here is a remarkably good fit, throughout it not only complements the visuals but enhances them and there is an authentic flavour to it.

What of the narrative and information aspects? Can't fault 'Wild China' in this aspect either. The narration has a great well-balanced mix of facts that will be familiar to the viewer and others that will induce the right amount of surprise. In short, it's just fascinating, informative and thoughtful.

From start to finish, 'Wild China' managed to intrigue and illuminate, and there is a freshness to the material, not feeling derivative of anything. The narration is delivered articulately by Bernard Hill, there's an enthusiasm and precision about the delivery and it never feels preachy and always lets the scenery and such speak for itself.

The wildlife themselves are a wonderful mix of the adorable and the dangerous, and one actually finds they're rooting for them in exactly the same way they would a human character. Not just that we also see how humans interact and adapt which was just as great and interesting to watch. There is a good deal of suspense and emotional impact. There are some scenes where one is amazed that they managed to be filmed in the first place, like with the snakes.

In all the six episodes, 'Wild China' feels much more than a series and it doesn't feel episodic or repetitive. The episodes instead feel like their own story, without being too reliant on that approach, with real, complex emotions and animal characters developed in a way a human character would in a film but does it better than several.

Overall, wondrous in every regard. Not to be missed. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Sublime and Beautiful Documentary of Rural China

[anthonytelford · 10/10 · 8 May 2016]

This documentary series would win every Oscar, if it were a film. It is a beautiful, sublime and enchanting mix of nature programme, historical documentary and intelligent explanation of the fusion of nature and humankind in China. Those expecting merely a nature program should be enthralled at the breadth of nature and how humans work with and are sometimes just a part of nature throughout history in China. It is essential viewing for anyone Chinese, interested in China, who is familiar with the country or merely wants to expand their general knowledge of the 21st century's most important single country. The filming is brilliant, the text insightful and detailed and the narration is a masterpiece of calm, both factual and affectionate delivery, by the famous Bernard Hill, who makes every effort to use the Chinese pronunciation of place-names and people-names. The soundtrack of ethnic music of the region in question and the series' main theme is well-chosen and artfully applied, yet never overbearing. This series deserves a place in the pantheon of audiovisual greats as complete a study of non-urban China and its history as one is ever likely to encounter.

Beautiful documentary series.

[adam111111 · 10/10 · 25 August 2017]

I've seen this documentary series several times on Netflix, and it has become one of my favorites to watch when I feel worried about the state of the world!

Most of the current events part of this series are no longer current at all but that doesn't diminish its quality.

I don't know as much as I would like about China, and Wild China does a wonderful job of showing its many beauties, both natural and built by humans. From long-settled fishing villages on China's increasingly prosperous eastern coast to the icy reaches of Manchuria to the sunbaked deserts of Xinjiang, this series shows off a beautiful and wild China.

(I have watched this series several times, mostly recently on August 25 2017)

The title is a misnomer, but it's educational

[JakeBrinkman · 4/10 · 3 October 2019]

"Wild China" is a catchy name, but a more appropriate name for this show would be "Chinese Habitats and Traditions." Approximately 70% of the show presents human cooperation with nature, domestic animals, farming practices, and conservation efforts, and another 15-20% shows human traditions with no direct nature interactions at all. Only 10-15% of the show actually focuses on wild creatures and landscapes.

Now, that's not to say it's a bad show. I did learn a bit in each episode, in spite of the particularly monotonous narrator trying his hardest to lose my interest. The narrator was by far the worst thing about the show. It wasn't bad enough to call the show terrible, but that's probably the main reason I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

Not very wild

[neilmcdowell · 1/10 · 14 July 2013]

I watched Wild Indonesia a few years ago. It was only three episodes long, but every minute was filled with information and wild animals, there was never a dull moment. Why then do we need six episodes the tell us about the meager wildlife in China? The answer is we don't, which is why the scenes drag on forever and the pace of everything is so slow.

As for narration, I like Bernard Hill in some movies, but in this his voice is, to me anyway, incredibly dull and gray.

I can only assume that people rating this highly do so because it's a nice introduction to China and they don't know to much. I lived there for two years, and travelled through Indonesia, so perhaps that's some explanation.

To sum up, this would have made one or two hours good TV, but production companies are probably paid by the minutes of TV shown.

not a nature documentary

[clibat2 · 1/10 · 11 March 2016]

This is by far the moat self serving "nature documentary" that i have ever seen. When i watch a nature documentary that is exactly what i want to see.... the animals and land of the region, but this documentary was just as much about the religion and beliefs of the people of China than it was about nature. The Tibet episode was almost entirely about the beliefs of the people. It seems as if the people of China have already killed off all of their animals so they couldn't fill 6 full episodes with nature. How can you make a nature documentary called "Tibet" and in that episode only mention Mt Everest in passing? I do not recommend these shows if you are looking for a good nature documentary. Maybe the last episode, because i didn't bother to watch it.