Land of the Dragon

Like the Ping Wei films, LAND OF THE DRAGON is a 30-minute documentary that offers a rare glimpse of life inside China.

This time our journey is hosted by 13-year old Liu Hui Ping.  She acts as both tour guide and teacher, appearing on camera (and speaking in English) as she leads us through the Forbidden City and other historical sites.

From hutongs (traditional Chinese homes) to temples you'll see how people live their lives in Beijing, one of the busiest and fastest growing cities in the world.

From the Chinese capital we fly south to Anhui Province and the Yellow Mountains.  In Mandarin the mountains are called Huang Shan and are among the most famous sites in all of China.  Throughout the film, Liu Hui Ping teaches Mandarin.  You'll learn the names of vegetables and fruits at a small market.  Graphics are used to show the Chinese characters and the phonetic pronunciation of the different items.

On the Yangtze River we stop in Da Tong, a riverside town typical of most Chinese communities.  The buildings are a thousand years old and it's here that Liu Hui Ping teaches us to count to ten in Mandarin - showing the sign language for each number.  Sign language is an easy way to communicate how many you want of a particular item and to illustrate Liu Hui Ping buys three steamed pork buns from a street vendor.

City living is very different than the rural existence shown in the Ping Wei films.  High-rise apartment buildings feature all the amenities of western living. Liu Hui Ping helps prepare a traditional Chinese meal and explains how to use chopsticks, demonstrating how to hold them and pick things up.

We also have the opportunity to join Liu Hui Ping and her family for the Ching Ming Festival - the only Chinese holiday specifically set aside to honor the ancestors,  Across China, families make the trip to the ancestral tombs, making an offering and setting off fireworks.  It's a fascinating peek at a seldom seen ceremony that is such an important part of Chinese culture.

This film is a fast-paced documentary packed with information.  From the flaming woks of restaurant kitchens to the pilot house of a Yangtze River ferry boat it's an unforgettable journey through China that's sure to entertain and educate anyone with an interest in learning about the LAND OF THE DRAGON.