I'm in Yunnan Province. We're about to witness one of the great U-turns of history.
Here at Shigu, nearly 700 miles from its source on the Tibetan Plateau,
the Yangtze River does an extraordinary thing.
Instead of plunging on southwards like its fellow Himalayan rivers,
it turns 180 degrees here back on itself and heads north into China.
And when you consider the importance of the Yangtze to the life of the country,
the rocks here not only changed the course of the Yangtze,
they changed the course of Chinese history.
Just outside Lijiang, I'd been asked along to witness a ceremony
conducted by one of the guardians of the ancient traditions of the Naxi - the Dongba.
(CHANTING)
First of all a bit of purification goes on
which involves, as it so often does, the removal of a chicken...
from the world.
The Dongba has two assistants,
but they don't exactly seem to know what they're doing.
He can only communicate the secrets of the scriptures to males...
and he can't communicate them till he's over 75, so...
a certain amount of confusion.
I have to say that while this was being filmed,
the England v Australia rugby final was taking place in Sydney,
which may account for my expression.
Peter, our assistant cameraman was being texted on his mobile...
as this went on, unbeknownst to the Dongba.
There's the pictograph - the old alphabet of the Dongba.
I think it's about 15 all at this point.
This may well have contributed to England's victory.
This is Kunming, the capital of Yunnan.
It's one end of the Burma Road -
a supply line in World War Two that connected China with India.
I'm going into India next, to another land of ethnic minorities,
and from what I've seen of ethnic minorities in China,
they're going to have to work hard to keep their culture
from becoming just another piece of public entertainment.
Here I am at the Nationalities Park with Miss Mee.
Miss Mee is a Yi.
And Miss Mee - a Yi - and me wander round the park and see the various groups.
These are the Dai doing their bit.
We have a quick look at them, then we get onto a buggy,
because there are so many nationalities here - 26, I think - that you need transport.
Here we're in Tibet. We could have done the whole series in the Nationalities Park.
And they dance away. Meanwhile, people are selling goods.
Very often not more than 20 people
watching this spirited dancing in the Tibetan style.
More guides there.
We're off again on the buggy.
This time whizzing round... to a familiar area.
These are the Mosuo - the matrilinear people who we met at Namu's.
(LIVELY SINGING)
They're doing their dance.
There's something rather cursory about the whole thing - people come and go, watch,
take a few pictures... and then just move on.
Everyone looks bored - the performers, the spectators and the guides.
It's all a bit depressing.
This is Naga Land. You can see the big Baptist cathedral in this village of Longwa,
which is right on the border between Myanmar, which is Burma, and India.
And they're playing football for us.
Myanmar v India.
- They're of the same stock, same tribe. - Yeah. And both playing at home.
That's true.
(PALIN) Myanmar to Myanmar... India in between.
India coming up fast and it's gone into Myanmar.
I'm on my bike -just - in Majuli Island.
The world's largest river island in the middle of the Brahmaputra.
Giving road signals like I was taught. No one else doing that, I notice.
The proper way to see the island
which gets flooded every time the Brahmaputra rises once a year.
These are flying foxes in a banyan tree. "Pteropus giganteus", they're called.
A wing span of 1.2 metres... 0h, they've gone.
Just by the roadside we see another ritual involving a shaman.
Propitiating something or other. And I think, once again...
a chicken is going to bite the dust. Yup, there they go.
(CHANTING)
I'm not certain what's going on, but there's dancing
and probably the odd sherry or two has been consumed.
There's the chicken without feathers.
I don't know why chickens are always the centrepiece of these sacrifices,
but obviously everyone feels a bit better.
- Oh, here comes a cow! - (CRASHING)