Among Dazu’s thousands of carved Buddhist statues, a mysterious rock-cut figure sits enshrined. Its many arms guard a secret—one unraveled by a single, solitary monk alone.

Amid the Temple of Heaven, sacred architecture evolved under one ambitious emperor’s reign, transforming in form and purpose—a fleeting yet profound shift etched into Beijing’s imperial heart.

In this Discover China episode, Macau’s vibrant, international history shines. European architecture and religion meet Eastern traditions in a captivating cultural collision. The result is a diverse port city—a sparkling gem in the South China seas.

These shores guard more than ancient Diaolou towers. These regal structures stand for every soul who crossed oceans seeking a better life—enduring distance, sacrifice, and hope. Rooted in home soil yet reaching toward foreign skies, they are monuments not just to those who left, but to the enduri...

Over 2,000 caves with spectacular carvings dot the mountainside south of Luoyang in Henan Province. These caverns hold vibrant testaments to Buddhist faith and ancient Chinese traditions.

Discover China’s two-part series follows two people in Macau and Kashgar—cities shaped by the Silk Road. One thrived as a port on the maritime route, the other as a bustling hub along the ancient overland path.

Discover China’s two-part series follows two people in Macau and Kashgar—cities shaped by the Silk Road. One thrived as a port on the maritime route, the other as a bustling hub along the ancient overland path.

At the foot of Tai Mountain lies a temple resembling an imperial palace—a bold defiance by an emperor who, ignoring his nation’s suffering, built this lavish shrine to proclaim his supreme status.

Unearthed in 1929 by paleontologist Pei Wen Zhong, the celebrated Peking Man skull was discovered in Southwest Beijing. This pivotal find offered crucial insights into human evolution, establishing early Chinese archaeology on the world stage.

In this small town beneath snow-capped peaks, an ancient culture endures. With their own religion and a fully preserved written language, the people of Lijiang carry on traditions shaped over centuries.

Emei Mountain, a sacred heart of Chinese Buddhism, was long ago the stage for a pivotal clash between Buddhism and Taoism, two of China’s great spiritual powers.

In rural China, memorial archways honor those who upheld purity unto death. Revered as morally superior, these individuals were celebrated for their unwavering virtue, standing as timeless symbols of integrity above society’s ordinary bounds.

During the Qing Dynasty’s collapse, Emperor Pu Yi secretly orchestrated the theft of thousands of royal treasures and priceless calligraphy from the Imperial City palaces. In his final days in the palace, he masterminded elaborate plots, smuggling art past unsuspecting guards. Internal turmoil ma...

Follow the path of Confucius, a towering figure in Chinese culture. Born into a declining noble family, few foresaw that this man would rise to become China’s most revered and influential historical icon.

Beneath Henan’s quiet fields lay a lost civilization. Then came etched bones and tortoise shells—fragments of an ancient script. From these relics, China’s Bronze Age oracle bones emerged, revealing ancestor worship, royal divinations, and the earliest known Chinese writing. A sleeping dynasty aw...

In remote ancient southeast China, a new breed of merchants arose from poor village boys. Thrust early into the turbulent world of finance, they mastered trade against all odds. Rising from hardship, these once-unknown youths transformed into some of China’s most successful traders, reshaping reg...