The World of the Chinese

China is playing an increasingly important role worldwide. Under President Xi Jinping, substantial investments are being made in communication and cooperation and industrious Chinese people are settling abroad in large numbers. Documentary maker and China expert Ruben Terlou visits them in the new VPRO travel series ‘The World of the Chinese’. Who are they, what do they want to achieve and what impact does their presence have on the local population?

China from the Inside

China is rapidly becoming a world power, but much of the country and its people remain hidden to those outside its borders. China from the Inside, provides a rare insider's view of China, her institutions and people. China is at a critical point in its history -- it is richer and stronger than ever, but the clash between economic policies and the Communist political agenda complicates the lives of many of its citizens. China from the Inside includes perspectives ranging from those of the powerful to the powerless, the scholars and the uneducated, and the supporters and detractors of today's China. It does not shy away from China's many contradictions, with scenes from some of the most breathtaking places on the planet as well as the most polluted. Across four extraordinary hours, the series explores a country of 1.3 billion people undergoing astonishing growth while facing prodigious obstacles.

The Mekong River with Sue Perkins

Sue Perkins embarks on a life-changing, 3,000-mile journey up the Mekong, South East Asia's greatest river, exploring lives and landscapes on the point of dramatic change.

天下一锅

A Sentimental Story

Fang Yan and Du Mei experience a profound and unforgettable love, just like any other couple, through a series of quarrels, breakups, and reconciliations. Initially, their relationship is rocky. First, Du Mei misunderstands that Fang Yan already has a girlfriend, and later, she subtly hints that she is attending a dance, indirectly inviting Fang Yan to be her partner. However, more misunderstandings follow, leading to a stalemate in their relationship.

Inside the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing was the home of the Chinese emperor and the seat of a vast bureaucracy ruling over what is now the world’s most populous state for 500 years. After falling into disrepair following World War II, the palace’s ancient wooden structures are undergoing extensive restoration works today. Inside the Forbidden City offers unprecedented access into the magnificent palace complex where access was once denied to all but the emperor, his family and his most senior retinue.

China Lighthouses

Sunny Happiness

Xiang Yunjie is rich man who was once divorced, and unknowingly had an eight year old son. He is also a young owner of a hotel. Fang Yongyong is an orphan. She works as a housekeeper in the hotel that Xiang Yunjie owns. When one blackmails the other through a 'fake marriage', conflict occurs. Meanwhile, Xiang Yunchao, who has always lived in the shadow of his brother, forms a dramatic between Yunjie and Yongyong.

宠物医生

The Quest For Everest

Karl and Chris goon a 3 week trip, where they got to travel through China, Tibet & Nepal with the highlight of reaching Mount Everest base camp. However, their plans fall apart with Chris being hospitalised with severe altitude sickness. Will they succeed with our quest for Everest?

Great Dance Crew

Jointly initiated by Youku and the Hip-Hop Committee of the China's Dancer Association, and officially collaborating with the World Hip Hop Dance Championship (HHI). Through the process of a few artists establishing their own 'women's dance crew', we will all gather China's street dance professionals and female street dancers from all walks of life. Through rounds of competition, the strongest street dance crew will be chosen eventually, and will take part in a world class street dance crew competition, creating a professional and publicly regarded performance works, showcasing the positive influence that dance has on the younger generation.

Legend of Martial Arts

Wushu is one of the most representative symbols of Chinese culture. Today, hundreds of millions of people around the world are practicing martial arts, experiencing eastern wisdom and the true meaning of martial arts. So how did martial arts spread abroad? What opportunities and challenges do generations of martial artists face in their overseas promotion?

Secrets of China

Billie JD Porter finds out what it’s really like to grow up in China, the country with the highest population on the planet.

My Best Ex-Boyfriend

Parents force the breakup of two couples, but what happens to their lingering feelings years later? Li Tang and Fu Fang Si were high school sweethearts, but the two end up breaking up due to pressures from Li Tang’s father and a misunderstanding. Li Tang eventually stands up to his father and leaves to start his own company. Years later, Fang Si is finally achieving her dreams as a fashion designer and dating Yin Hao Ran. But their relationship gets complicated when Li Tang comes back into Fang Si’s life just as she is struggling professionally. Li Tang is now engaged to Cheng Xiang Nan, a supermodel, who also happens to be Hao Ran’s ex-girlfriend. Xiang Nan was forced to break up with Hao Ran by her ambitious mother, but she has never gotten over her feelings for him. Will Li Tang and Fang Si now have the courage to listen to their own hearts?

The Great Shokunin

Divorce Lawyers

On top of waging wars on behalf of their clients, divorce lawyers Luo Li and Chi Hai Dong have major beef when it comes to their personal opinions on love and marriage: despite her profession, Li remains a hopeless romantic, while Hai Dong is the very definition of cynicism. But things get tricky when both colleagues discover they're new neighbors — will they object to their new relationship or will they find a way to settle their differences? So much for unwinding after work!

THE SECOND BIRTH OF THE CENTRAL EMPIRE

Wu Xin: The Monster Killer

Immortal and aimless, Wu Xin has no memory of his origins or purpose. Struggling to survive, he meets kindhearted Yue Ya, who shares her last meal with him. To repay her and sustain themselves, he uses his unique ability—hunting supernatural creatures. Together, they embark on a thrilling journey, battling monsters for those who can pay.

The Lost Tomb

Wu Xie is an antique shop owner who comes from a family of tomb raiders. As he continues the family trade with his team of tomb raiders, he finds lost treasures of the Warring States as well as the answers to the tragedies of his family’s past. With the help of his grandfather’s notes and his team – the quiet Zhang Qiling, the resourceful Pang Zi, the experienced Wu Sanxing, San Xing’s loyal helper Pan Zi, and the skillful Ah Ning – Wu Xie sets out to find the lost treasures as well as the people responsible for the massacre of his family.

The Disguiser

Set in the Japanese occupation era, the rich yet naive young master Ming Tai is trained to become an agent, and is later sent to become an underground spy for the Communists. Together with his brother and double agent Ming Lou, they try and bring down Wang Wei's Kuomintang Secret Service Headquarters.