简介：SuePerkinsembarksonalife-changing,3,000-milejourneyuptheMekong,SouthEastAsia'sgreatestriver,exploringlivesandlandscapesonthepointofdramaticchange. TheMekongisSouthEastAsia'sgreatestriver,theMotherofWaterthatbringslifetomillionsofpeoplefromthepaddyfieldsofVietnamtothemountainsoftheTibetanPlateau.Inthisseries,SuePerkinsgoesonanextraordinaryjourney,spanningnearly3,000miles,toexplorelivesandlandscapesonthepointofenormouschange.Acrossfourepisodes,shetravelsupstreamthroughVietnam,Cambodia,LaosandChina,towardstheMekong'ssourcehighintheHimalayanglacier. Episode1of4: Sue'sepicjourneybeginsinVietnam,onthevastMekongDelta,whereshejoinsSiHei,thequeenofthenoodle.Startingatdawn,SiHeiandhereagernewapprenticeheadouttosellnoodlesoupattheDelta'slargestfloatingmarket-CaiRang,acentreofcommerceontheriverthat'senduredforcenturies.ButcommunistVietnamhasoneofthefastestgrowingeconomiesinSouthEastAsia,andchangeiscomingtomillionsofpeoplewholivealongtheriver.Vietnamistheworld'ssecondlargestexporterofrice,soSuemovesupstreamtoworkwithfarmersHungandTukinthepaddyfieldsandfindsouthowtheirlivesarechangingwiththeprospectofcapitalism. Travellingupriver,SuecrossesintoCambodiaanditscapitalPhnomPenh,whichliesattheconfluenceoftheMekongandtheTonleSapRiver.It'saplacetaintedbythehorrificgenocidecarriedoutbyPolPotandtheKhmerRouge.AttheS21detentioncentre,Suemeetsoneofonlytwoofitsprisonersstillalivetoday,ChumMey,beforevisitingtheinfamousgenocidecentre,knownastheKillingFields. Tocompletethisfirstlegofherjourney,SueimmersesherselfinthelivesofthepeopleofKuampangPluk,anextraordinaryvillageofstiltedhousesonthelargestfreshwaterlakeinAsia,TonleSapLake. Episode2of4 SuePerkinscontinuesherepicjourneyuptheMekong,southeastAsia'sgreatestriver.Inthissecondepisode,SueembarksonthemostemotionallegofherjourneyalongtheMekong.HavinglearnthowpeoplearestrugglingtorecoverfromthelegacyofPolPotandtheKhmerRouge,animalloverSuecontinuesthroughCambodiatowitnesshowdeforestationandwildlifecrimearestrippingthecountryofitlastwildplaces.ShegoesonaraidwiththeWildlifeRapidResponseRescueteam,insearchoftraffickedwildanimalsandbushmeat.It'sadisturbingexperience,andSueisthrustintothecomplicatedandconflictingworldofanimalwelfareandconservationversusthepovertyandgreedthatdrivesthetrade.Shealsotakespartinthemorepositiveaspectoftheteam'swork,astheyreleasemacaquesandaslowlorisbackintothewild.AndfurtherupstreamsheseestheeffortstoprotecttheMekong'sendangeredriverdolphins. ButCambodiaalsobringssomeofherhappiestencounters,asSue'sabilitytomakefriendsisepitomisedinhermeetingswithamobile-toutinghermitandthewomenoftheKrungpeople.TheKrungliveintheremotehighlandsofRatanakiriandareoneofthetribesmostaffectedbyrapiddeforestation.Havingwitnessedthedevastationoftheforestfromtheair,Suemakesadeepbondwiththesewomen,assheseeshowtheylivefromthebountyoftheremainingforestandlearnsoftheirstruggletoprotectit. Episode3of4 Inthisthirdepisode,SuereachesLaos,oneofthepoorestandleastdevelopedofalltheMekongnations.It'sacountryshapedbybothBuddhismandCommunismandhashardlychangedforcenturies.Today,thebeautyofitslandscapesandpeopleisbringinginforeigntourists-backpackersinsearchofunspoiltAsia.SuespendstimewithBounsom,afishermanwho'sturnedtotourism,settinguparestaurantonthebeach.AndshevisitsLuangPrabang,abeautifultownwhichwasoncetheRoyalCityofLaosandisnowaUnescoWorldHeritagesite,famedasthecentreofBuddhism.ThoughttobethehomeofmoremonksthananywhereelseinAsia,SuespendsadaywiththenovicemonksandgivesasurprisingEnglishlessoninthetemple'sschool. Laosisonthevergeofhugeandirreversiblechange-massivedamsarebeingbuilttoharnessthepoweroftheriver.Aftermonthsofaccessnegotiation,SuefilmsattheXayaburihydroelectricdam,SEAsia'sbiggestandmostcontroversialengineeringproject.It'sthefirstdamtobebuiltacrosstheLowerMekongandwillcompletelyblocktheflowoftheriver,changingwaterlevels,blockingfishmigrationanddestroyingfishstocks.Understrictsupervision,Sueistoldaboutthemeritsofthedambytheviceministerforenergyandmines,MrViraphonhVaravong.Whenthewatersrise,thousandsofpeoplewillbeforcedtoleavetheirtraditionalhomes,sosheisgivenatouroftheirnewvillage,completewithelectricity.HavingseentheeffectsofdamminginVietnamandCambodia,Suegrappleswiththecomplexitiesofprojectssuchasthis.WhiletheXayaburiDamwillbringeconomicbenefitstoLaosandbeyond,theindustrialisationoftheMekongwillharmthelivelihoodsoftensofmillionsofpeopledownstream. ForeigninvestmentiscomingtoLaosonprojectsbeyondthedams.ThegovernmenthastemptedChinesedeveloperswithtaxincentivestocreatetouristplaygroundsinanareabrandedastheGoldenTriangleSpecialEconomicZone.Attheriver'sbank,SueismetbyastretchlimototakehertoaLasVegas-stylecasino,builtforChineseVIPswhoaren'tallowedtogambleintheirowncountry.It'saworldawayfromthecharmandserenityoftheLaosshe'sfalleninlovewith. Episode4of4 Inthisfourthandfinalepisode,Suereachesherfinaldestination-China,hometothesourceoftheMekong.Here,changeissweepingthroughfasterthananyotherMekongnation,asChina'seconomicmiracletransformseventheremotestregions. ArrivinginYunnan'stropicalsouthwesternregionofXishuangbanna,Suediscovershowthisonceremoteandsleepyregionisnowhometoaboomingtouristindustry,withtheindigenousDaitribeatitsheart.TotheDai,waterisholy,thephysicalandspiritualsourceoflife.ThousandsofHanChinese-whomakeup92%ofChina'spopulation-flocktotheDaiMinorityPark,aDisneyfiedversionofanancientDaivillage,wheretheytakepartinatraditionalwatersplashingceremony.Afterdecadesofcommunism,theparkrepresentsChina'srenewedinterestinthecolourfulmeltingpotofpeoplesthatactuallymakeupmodernChina,providingamust-seeholidaydestinationforitsburgeoningmiddleclass. LeavingtheDaiPark,SueclimbshigherintothefoothillsofXishuangbannatodiscoverhowtheAinitribeareadaptingtoachangingChina.TheAinihavefarmedPu'erteafortwothousandyears;suddenlytheycanbecomerichfromitsharvest,asChina'snewlywealthyprofessionalsbuyupthisnowfashionabledelicacy. ButasChinatriestoworkoutwhatissignificantfromitspastandwhatitshouldtakeintoitsfuture,somepeoplefeelthisrushtomodernityisthreateningwhatlittleremainsofancienttraditionsandbeliefs.SuemeetsLiJinMei,whoisdesperatelytryingtopreservewhatisleftofherAiniculture. Travellingfurtheralongtheriver'svalleysandfoothills,SuereachesthetownofBaishaundertheshadowoftheHimalayas.HometotheNaxipeople,thisregionisfamousforitsbotanistsandherbalists,madepopularbyVictorianplanthunterssuchasJosephRock.SueattendsaconsultationwiththerenownedNaxiChineseherbalistDrHoandexploreshismagnificentherbalgarden. Climbinghigherandeverclosertothesource,SueencountersherfirsttasteofTibetanlifeinthevillageofCizhong.Frenchmissionariescameherein1850,bringingtheCatholicgospelandconverting,overtime,80%ofthisvillagetoCatholicism.SuemeetsMrXiaoJieYi,whosehumblingstoryrelateshowhisCatholicfaithcarriedhimthroughthirtyyearsofhardlabourduringMao'sCulturalRevolution. InmodernChina,Cizhongisfacinganew,evenmoredramaticchange-ahydroelectricdamisbeingbuiltcloseby,bringingwithitconstructionalongtheriver'sbanks,landslidesandtheprospectofflooding.SixmegadamsarealreadyinserviceontheMekonginYunnan,generatingtheequivalentofenoughelectricitytolightupLondonforthreeyears.Butthehumanandecologicalcosthereanddownstreamisyettobecalculated-alreadymorethan100,000ethnicpeopleweredisplacedtomakewayforthedams. Finally,afternearly3,000miles,Sueembarksonthelastlegofherepicjourney,arrivinghighupontheTibetanPlateauinQinghaiprovince,closetothesourceoftheMekong.Inalife-changingexperience,sheisimmersedinthelivesofafamilyofTibetanyakherders,andjoinsagroupofnunsastheymakeanofferingtothewatergodsfortheirprotection.Here,atthepointwheretheMekong'swatersfirstfilterintothelivesofpeople,Suerevealstheeternalbondbetweenhumans,godsandthismightyriver.…