Chine : les villages oubliés

Deux frères, Geoffroy et Loïc, se lancent dans une aventure hors du commun : descendre le Yangtsé, le troisième plus grand fleuve du monde, de sa source tibétaine jusqu’à Shanghai.
À moto puis en tricycle, ils parcourent plus de 7000 km en 5 mois, traversant hauts plateaux, villages reculés, mégapoles en expansion et sites emblématiques comme les gorges du Tigre ou le barrage des Trois Gorges.

Leur quête ? Comprendre le lien vital entre l’homme et l’eau.
De la corvée d’eau des villages tibétains aux défis écologiques des grandes villes, du rôle de l’eau dans l’agriculture, l’industrie et l’urbanisation, jusqu’aux conséquences sociales et environnementales de la croissance chinoise, leur voyage révèle une fresque humaine et universelle.

Les deux épisodes :
00:00 La Naissance du Dragon
51:21 L’Envol du Dragon

Geoffroy and Loïc, two adventurous brothers, decided to follow the course of the third. Biggest flop in the world, the Yangtze. In five months from its source on the Tibetan highlands, at its mouth in Shanghai, They traveled more than 7,000 kilometers by motorcycle and tricycle, to discover the link that unites man and water. It is in this deserted station, located on the highest railway line in the world, which connects Beijing to Lhasa, that our adventure in China begins. It took us more than two years of preparation to get here, in the heart of the Tibetan highlands. Our goal is simple, to meet a mythical river which, like an artery, irrigates the most populated country in the world. “Look at that spring!” “We’ll tell you, there ! ” The source of life in Switzerland… I don’t know, but I’ll look around for you. I don’t see any water, I don’t see a source. Me neither. However, I see there are tourists. I wonder if we’re in a tourist trap. Quite simply. That’s what we’re going to do. I was a little disappointed though. I’m not going to resign myself to that. Me, I want a beautiful glacier, I want beautiful landscapes. Besides, of question, I don’t stop there. Me, I’m tired of having headaches from the altitude. Here we are just above the Tuatuohe, which will then transform into Yangtze Kang. Tuatuohe, It means the water that murmurs. Maybe you can listen, We hear the water murmuring. Ah, yeah That, It’s crazy Today, It’s the big day. We finally found a car to take us up to the spring, about a hundred kilometers from Yangsheping, our base camp. It’s in minor, it’s him, that’s it It’s in minor, at night, tonight. I was green, I wanted to cry. That’s it, because of altitude sickness. That’s it, because of altitude sickness. Maybe we’re overdoing summer a little, finally, in short, This is the car that will take us to Galadén, with a pure Tibetan shoemaker. After 6 hours of driving on chaotic roads, we see on the horizon. The Tangoulashan massif, whose highest mountain, the Galadén Dong, peaks at 6621 meters. A short interlude on our journey to the source of the Yangtze-Kiang. Towards the Tangu Lachan mountains. We are very lucky, we are just behind our 4×4. Why are we so lucky? Because the landscapes are fantastic, Of course. 5,800 meters of oxygen. 5,600 meters above sea level, This is what gives us breath. The 4×4 drops us off 3 hours walk from the glacier. The road doesn’t go any further. According to the driver, Tibetans place the source somewhere in front of us. Above the icy peaks of the Tangula Shan massif, We continue on foot, without asking us any questions, because we have an appointment with the dragon. THE Yangtze is not there. Before our eyes, of several glaciers located in the heart of this massif. So, This is the beginning of our adventure. That is to say, to show the source of the third largest river in the world, of the largest Asian river, which irrigates 400 million people in China. That is to say, there is a third party, a quarter of the Chinese population, because the estimates are a bit shaky sometimes. It is the training to be able to make a connection between the birth of a river and the birth of an intervent. The water that is stored in… An iced one, it’s as if it were stored in the belly of the sea, Except it’s been about 2000 years, maybe even more, than the iced, the preserve. The preserve, to give it to China, It’s extraordinary. A five-month trip to China, along the Yangtze, It makes you dream. What motivates us in this expedition, It’s about living an adventure and discovering as we go down the river how essential access to water is in our lives. daily. At my house, I turn on the tap and I drink easily into my glass. What about elsewhere? On the high plateaus where we are, access to water is not yet under control. People therefore have to spend a lot of time and energy collecting water. And this wasted time is not available to devote to new activities. This way of life is repeated from generation to generation, without possible change. Whoa, The road is not great! Our motorcycles, These little racing cars 150 cm3 bought for 450 euros each, allow us to be autonomous and have access to the most remote areas. It is also a key to the local population, who, often, has never seen a foreigner, and even less so arriving on a motorcycle. It’s been a little over 4 days since we left the spring. Our progress is difficult. We rarely travel more than 50 km per day. On the high plateaus, at the beginning of summer, The temperature is 16 degrees during the day and can quickly drop below zero at night. Last night, We were welcomed by Tibetans. They were asked quite simply for accommodation, which was quite complicated because they didn’t understand at all. And so, it was by sign, We gave them a little sign of waiting, A little sign of sleep, can we put our tent somewhere, They understood. And then they allowed us to put our tent in a corral, Which is quite comfortable because in fact the valley is a real scree slope. and the corral is made of dried yak droppings, dried, and already decomposed, And so it makes a kind of carpet which is quite comfortable, even a good mattress, Finally, we have a kind of small polyprene mattress, but it’s not very, very thick. Not very big, but very comfortable. There are visitors. We have one more mission on this plateau, it is asking a young person about their experience of water, in order to be able to make a comparison as we wanted to do, between a young man on the Tibetan plateaus, so at the source of the Yangtze, Another at the level of cities in transition, and another one in Shanghai, And try to be able to make a comparison between these three young people, And to show that access to water plays a very important role in this… In their development process, education, of personal development. Walkers is the first town we pass through since leaving the spring. We decide to stop there for a few days, to take a breather, and meet these Tibetans who still balance between the nomadic life of the high plateaus and the sedentary life. The village owes its existence to the rivers, and the presence of a source of drinking water that does not freeze in winter. This is important when you consider that the temperature can drop to minus 40 degrees. For ten years, Mars V is experiencing rapid development thanks to the exploitation of river resources, water and sand. These two ingredients, added with cement brought by workers from the nearest large town, allow you to build bricks. And therefore to abandon the tents traditionally used by nomads. So, there, This is the village where the bricks were assembled. We can see that it is in full swing. This village began its expansion in 1998. There were three houses at the time, This is what one of the first people who lived here told us. I believe that today, We can count about fifty of them. And there are 80 families living there. At the time, there were two of them. The villages of Haut Plateau have the particularity of being animated by shops where you can find everything. This is where we refuel, in iliopean water. And of course, drinking water. In Khmarkhe, we have our habits in that of the pretty Chinchaoli. Good morning, My name is Chinchaoli. Before introducing my family to you, let me show you the store. Come see. And when I tell you they sell everything, It’s really everything. Fabrics, local fashion clothing, jewelry, batteries, to deal with frequent power cuts, cassettes, audio, porcelain, food and all kinds of drinks. We are touched, because Chinchou Li is also kind enough to open the door of his house to us. This is my mother. I came back yesterday for vacation. I don’t see her often, because I only come home for one month a year. That’s why I have very little time to spend with her. When I’m at school, I think about my mom a lot. Qin Chaoli is 16 years old and studies in Xining, capital of Qinghai province. I serve Yak milk to the one older than me. This is the tradition here in Tibet. It’s very nourishing. It is very valuable and very expensive. It must be appreciated and above all not wasted. A bit like water, In fact. During the summer holidays, She travels the 1,100 kilometers that separate her from her family and finds here a rhythm of life that she does not have in the city. For fun, and because she secretly dreams of becoming a television presenter, Chinchaoli agrees to share one of his days with us. You come, guys, We’re going to get some water. Or rather… Carry water. Water collection is a compulsory activity. Let it rain, whether it’s windy or freezing at minus 40, We must drink and therefore go to the source. Depending on the family’s standard of living, the journey can be done on foot, by bike, by car or even by motorbike. Chinchaoli’s family has a small cart. Which allows them to bring back several cans, and therefore only make one refueling per day. In Khmartre, The source is located 800 meters below the houses. I feel like when I come back, I’ll be able to help because I think it’s very heavy. In some villages, high plateaus, the springs freeze for several months a year, or even dry up permanently. We must then go further, sometimes up to 4 hours of walking, just to find water. In China, the water chore is done by everyone, young and old, men or women, And at any time of day. There Water management is of paramount importance to us. In my family… There are several elderly people, my mother and my grandmother. They move with difficulty. When I’m not there, It’s my cousin who has to go and get the water all alone. She is often very tired. When she’s not there, They have to pay someone to fetch water. It costs 3 yuan each time. If we always pay others, My family will soon run out of money. There aren’t many young people in the family. SO, We must save water. She is cold, Eh You will never have it again! Each bucket of water weighs between 10 and 15 kilos. With the lack of oxygen due to the altitude, it seems even heavier to us. This is stupid, But with tap water, we had almost forgotten this detail. A detail for us who are young and in good shape, but which turns out to be a real handicap for the elderly. This is where the water is stored after being collected. It is a beautiful source of pure water that we have in the village. We all take care not to pollute it, because it is the water we drink. If we pollute it, This will have direct consequences on our health. It’s spring water, like the one we buy in stores. Qin Xiaoli takes advantage of a short break to show us her rock idols, the latest fashionable singers. This one, This is my favorite. I love it. In town, We have access to running water and can easily wash our clothes. Here, This is not the case. We all have to go to the riverbanks to do our laundry. Good, Here we go. You accompany me The last time I came, there weren’t all these buildings on the riverbank. There too, There was nothing. NOW, here they are already built. I came home yesterday afternoon for the holidays, I hadn’t seen all these changes yet. I have to get used to it every time I come back, because it evolves quickly. The people of Khmahe, who discover a new way of life, have to deal with waste management. Before, what they left behind was organic and therefore naturally digested by nature. Today, everything is thrown away as is. Gradually, an organization will have to be established to take charge of waste collection and the supply of drinking water. In Khmar-Hoe with Chincha Oli, We were able to see and realize how much time and energy the chore of water and laundry consumes. We are also beginning to feel on a small scale the environmental effects of a concentration of people in one place. In town, in your student room, you have running water. What do you do with the time you save with running water in Xinyi? This time and energy, I use it to help others and focus on my studies. I also have more time to exercise and improve my physique. When I get tired of studying, I read books outside the school curriculum. I find them more interesting. For example, I read tales by the Brothers Grimm, Robinson Crusoe and Sentimental Education. Finally, These are mostly famous works. I find it more constructive. We take our motorcycles again to go down the river with Ushu in our sights, which is a 5-day drive from Khmahe. From the source, We have already traveled 750 km. Our lower back pain says a lot about the condition of the road and how well we sit on these bikes. Over there, We really feel like it’s falling. We are on the high plateaus, then there, all over there, it falls towards Yunnan, Sichuan, And it will descend the 4,800 meters of altitude difference to the sea. We take our motorcycles again to go down the river and continue towards the deep valleys of Yunnan. We arrived at night at this house located in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Officially, We should have a specific residence permit, but fortunately, No one is there to check. The family that welcomes us is as intrigued by our camera as we are by their way of life. The stove in the center of this room is not fueled by wood, but by yak dung. Every morning, They pick it up in the farmyard, where the Yaks spend the night. Then he sticks it on a wall to dry in the sun. I am at the table with the Tibetan family who welcomed us yesterday. evening. And there, This morning, they offered us cha, This is Tibetan tea, which is either… Either tea with yak milk, or simply salted tea. And with that, They gave us something quite substantial, which is roasted barley flour, which is ground, which is therefore an extra fine flour, which we will mix with butter and with tea. And this mixture, we’ll do it in our bowl, and we’ll make a ball out of it, as seen here. And them, They add Yac cheese, which is dried. Like that, it allows you to give… We, we would put grapes, and them, They put yak cheese. It’s very, very good. It’s like bread, yeast-free, and which is not baked in the oven. On the high plateaus we have just left, It is too cold and above all too dry to grow cereals. Only breeding is possible there. In the valleys where we are, we are starting to have fields of barley. Tibetans use it to make tsampa. Parines which serves as the basis of their diet. This is barley, so they come, we saw it, The fields are well divided, the children eat it like that there. The wheel is irregular so that this little stick can make the grains fall. Little by little. If he suddenly fell, It would spill over onto the stone and wouldn’t help me at all. This is really my life, all that, all that, all that, all that, all that, all that. It’s really flour, extra fine. The question that naturally comes to mind, what makes these holes spin And I think that’s very much in line with our theme. But we’re going to go see the mechanics downstairs. We suffer by nails. This is where the secret of this mill lies, which is a hydraulic mill, a water mill. The water is channeled upstream. This canal brings the water here, in the ball of tremors. And from this ever, the water picks up its full speed. All his speed to go and project himself onto these wooden delights which are below. You’re under the grindstone. All these delicacies are attached to a tree. A shaft that drives the entire millstone and which will grind the barley. The steep slopes of this valley gives the river a strength that finds its use here, where the cultivated barley is to be ground. This is a new service that water provides to man. It adds to those we have seen from the source. The water is drunk, it is used for washing, to evacuate our waste and becomes the driving force for the miller. We have just found the Yangtze, which we left before Yushu two weeks ago. We are already more than 1000 km from the source and we are driving towards Guizhou, where we have an appointment with an NGO. It’s something to find the dragon again, to see its scales. Because for the Chinese, it’s a dragon, because it is powerful. I think it has another name. Also for Tibetans, the river. The drichou. Which means the breast, the female, yak, who cries. It’s very poetic. And there, there are all the tears of heaven that will fall on it, because there’s a big storm coming. The wind rises, the blood, And you hear it. Okay, come on, here we go Let’s go We are a few kilometers from a village where we plan to spend the night. We only have one more pass to cross. Given the panorama, It should be a real pleasure. Unfortunately, Mechanical problems always happen at the wrong time. It was okay that this happened to us. And it’s funny, I said to myself, We’re going to die at the top of this pass. My lips hurt. You didn’t say that to yourself. No, I thought your bike was going to crash because it was really showing signs of weakness. Well, not me, I knew we were going to die. And actually, it’s cool, It allows us to admire this landscape which is… Which is sumptuous. Sumptuous. The hammer. I never thought I would use it though. To remove the heavens, Well… I had to type. In the meantime, we still started at 6:30 p.m. And now it’s 8:30 p.m. So it took two hours to change that tire. I think we’re useless. We’ve traveled 500 meters since we repaired the tires. We arrived at the pass and it rained again. I looked around badly to see if there was anything and the nail lasted the whole time. There we are at 5900 meters and there is a refuge further on. And there you have it, We’re going to sleep there and we’re going to try without luggage because I had all the luggage, We’ll see what happens if I manage it later. This village no longer changes countries in the North and all that. I have to take it off. So. What are you going to do with it? Loïc Are you going to go up in pendant? Hmm, hmm. This little beast, this little pebble bothered us, we’ll engrave that on there, at an altitude of 5,800 meters. We’re going to make a little shark tooth like this. That’s not bad, is it? The Col passages are made at the cost of endless switchbacks in the mountains, on dizzying roads. But every pass is a new surprise, because we leave a fabulous landscape to discover another even more magical one. The Yangtze does not flow directly west. He first heads south, parallel to the Mekong. Our progress is extremely slowed by these successions of stony valleys, where bridges are rare. We fall from time to time, but at low speed, And our falls are cushioned by the thick lining of our coats that we bought to protect us from the elements. Amazing, there is something really important for our scene, the Mekong. And why the Mekong? It is important, since he is simply Hyakucho’s twin brother. Why the twin brother, Simply because they were born in the same cradle, or is it the same cradle? Well, it’s the Tibetan plateaus, Qinghai. Can I talk? Ah, well. Go ahead, speak. And what happened, it’s 30 km away, There we are following a road on the mountainside, with a drop below 2000 meters. Below us, which is absolutely fantastic, and in the background, the Mekong, We have just crossed a superb bridge, and at the top of this 30 km road, there is a pass, and this pass delimits. Two valleys, the Mekong watershed and the Yangtze watershed, And it’s absolutely fantastic. It is important to know that Qinghai is born on the 7th, the largest river in Asia, So we just mentioned. The Mekong, the Yangtze, But there is also the brahmaput which suits him in India, Then there is the Salween which suits him in Burma, there is the Irawadi who also goes to Burma, There is the Indus, the Indus completely, The Indus which goes towards Pakistan, Then there is the Yellow River, and there you have it, That makes 7. The 7 largest rivers in Asia take their breath on the Tibetan plateaus. It’s crazy to think that, This is why scientists call the Tibetan plateaus, so Tibet, Qinghai, the 3rd pole. Third pot because it’s a real bet, it’s a cistern, It’s a water tower, that’s what you want, because quite simply, There’s plenty of water there. It’s extraordinary. Twelve days after our brief passage into forbidden territory, We arrive near the Tiger Seal Gorge. It is the deepest river canyon in the world, with more than 2000 meters of peak. Legend has it that a tiger leaped across the 25 meters of this pass to escape the hunters who were pursuing it. For us, It is above all a point on the river which is only located a quarter of the way through its journey and which allows us to evaluate the full power of the dragon. 50 km away, Another important passage is this turn. Without him, The river would continue its descent towards the Indochinese peninsula. And China would not be as lush. It’s nice, this little stream sound everywhere. Finally, we are in regions where there is irrigation and cultivation of rice and corn, mainly on steps. So, on the terrace. And suddenly, There are small canals everywhere. Irrigation allows several rice rotations per year and significant yields. China needs it, because on its 9.5 million square kilometers, only a tenth is cultivable. The rest is deserts and mountains. Half of the country’s arable land is irrigated and 180 million tonnes of rice are produced annually. Yes, Of course water is important to us. These problems concern us closely. A little higher up, in the valley, industries extract ore. They are putting pressure on water resources and we may not have enough here for our crops. There will be more and more water resources. More and more people and less and less water. Water distribution could be a problem in the future. China’s problem today is economic. A liter of water used in industry yields 70 times more than if it were used in agriculture. This calculation shows that strict public arbitration is needed for water sharing. We leave Hunan to make a detour to Guizhou, where we will see the work of the French NGO ID, Initiative, Development. Guizhou is one of the poorest provinces in China. She counts, like Hunan, many ethnicities. The idea HQ is located in Weining, small town in full expansion, where the arrival of the train in 2004 created a real revolution. Emmanuel Pellocquin has been working here for 5 years, to improve living conditions in the most remote villages. The first demand from the population always concerns the supply of drinking water. It’s here. And we are We are in Weining, so we are here. And it’s far away, how many kilometers is it approximately? Yeah, there are 75 km, 70 km. That is to say that we left towards 40 Yeah, we left towards 40. We left towards 40. We left towards 40. We’re a little shaken up here. We’re a little shaken up here. But the landscapes we travel through are quite wonderful. But the landscapes we travel through are quite wonderful. It can get a bit cold at the end of the day. Of all politics. The village is only accessible on foot, and we have to walk more than 30 minutes to get there. These farmers carry ferns that they harvest on the steep slopes and which serve as bedding in the pigsties. There, we go to a small village meow, in the rain, after a nice storm. And we will see the draft idea, which was a water supply project. They went to get water, all over there, there behind, in the mountain. They took a 2 km trench, which must pass not far from here, by the way, which allows them to bring water from a spring up there, to the village which is just behind the hill here. So, and all this in landscapes that are always sumptuous and marvelous. The Miao are one of the largest ethnic groups in China. with more than 9 million people. They are very dispersed over the territory, and define themselves as the people of the mountains. The poverty of the villagers surprises us. They live in these mountains, completely cut off from the world and from modernity. The staple food is potatoes cooked on the grill, that children nibble on at all hours of the day. As a sign of welcome, And because they equate us with the NGO, All the villagers want to give us a hard-boiled egg, that we rush to discreetly slip into the pocket. Children who are seriously lacking in protein. But the most striking thing is to witness the arrival of water in the middle of the village, which amuses children a lot, who probably never imagined being able to play with water. We become friends with Jaiyo, who introduces us to his family and invites us to eat rice, luxury food. Because it cannot be grown in these mountains. Formerly, Life in the village was very hard. We had to go down very far into the valley to fetch water from the hollow. We had to come here three times a day. Result, I spent more than three hours every day fetching eight or nine buckets of water. The NGO provided the necessary equipment for laying the water pipe. The labor to dig the 2 km of trench was provided by each family. To bring water to the center of the village, Emmanuel had a major constraint. He was not supposed to use a pump, because its maintenance would have been too expensive. So he went to look for another source higher than the village, on a nearby mountain, which allows the water to flow down by gravity. You came from a very far away country. You have managed to bring water to the village. I never imagined this would be possible through the mountains. What you are doing for us is really great. Since the water is so close now, It leaves us a lot of free time to do other things. We spend much less time fetching water. So the time gained, I will use it to work more, to prepare the pigs’ food, to grind the grain, And also to take care of my wife and baby. The three hours that families will gain daily will allow them to develop crafts, breeding, children’s education, and many other things. It’s a whole economy that’s getting going. I’m sure you said goodbye to them. I said goodbye to them. They accompany us, They want to accompany us. Here we go, here we go. Here we go. We received the Nima Manzo, It’s coming. And then the joy that comes back from market day. You were quite satisfied with the management of the project, of the way it was conducted and everything Yeah. Yes, It went well. The advantage is that Hachigan is an isolated community. So, on the one hand, we work quite well together. And they’re motivated because they haven’t had a lot of other plans or a lot of people worrying about their situation or talking to them. They are expensive to have worked there. Haha They are very happy, they said that the punishment, it didn’t matter. What mattered, that they were going to be rewarded with water and give thanks. Access to water was the priority for the development of this Miau village. Without water, no activity was possible. NOW, They will be able to produce more than just for their survival and open up to trade with neighboring villages. The roads we are taking are in better condition and our progress is faster and less tiring. We now do 300 km in a single day, eager to catch up on a schedule that is nevertheless quite flexible. The increase in the flow of the Yangtze is accompanied by a change in the environment. Factories and cities are becoming more and more common. They mark our entry into a China in transition. From Yibin, the Yangtze becomes navigable, and we often have to cross it, either on a bridge, either in a bin. It’s good. Is it with him? The broom is coming towards me. We stay like this. No penalty, no laughter. The river has become gigantic, has become huge! There are Two Rivers that have come together. There is the Yangtze which has absorbed Funan. And it gives this kind of enormous monster. We realized that since the river became navigable, Civilization is exploding. These are no longer small towns of 30,000, 50,000 inhabitants, because for China, 50,000 inhabitants, It’s small. These are large cities with 1 million inhabitants, 2 million inhabitants, 3 million inhabitants. Motorcycle question, We are still not in compliance. We have neither driving licenses, nor license plate. But luckily, As far as road traffic is concerned, The authorities are quite tolerant outside the major cities. We see the first returns from the suburbs of Chongqing. Our odometers show 4300 km from the source. This is the first time we have entered a Chinese megalopolis. This suburb is nothing but a vast construction site, where towers are sprouting like mushrooms. But what is the real place of water in this galloping urbanization? It is impossible to count the number of towers under construction. Wherever you go in and around the city, you’re going to come across a construction site like this. It seems crazy, but there are only construction sites like that here. Just 5 years ago, It was still the countryside all around us. All these buildings didn’t even exist on paper. They were wild hills. In all these buildings, we install running water. It’s not like the Qinghai Highlands. Here, we have more resources to develop. Our meeting with these workers reminds us that, without water resources, building a city is impossible. Its mastery allows the construction of buildings made of concrete, which are often referred to as liquid stones. At every stage of our work, we need water. Water is used to make mortar, plaster walls and clean buildings. We always need more and more water, it is essential, we couldn’t do anything else. The water used for construction comes from the Yangtze. It is also cleaner than that of the Yellow River, which is an honor of China. And all of Chongqing uses water from the Yangtze. It keeps us all alive. This is why it is considered the river-sea. Well yes, What would China do without the Yangtze? We’re not going to go abroad to get water. In France, For example. Chongqing A since 1997… The special status of city-province. It is directly under the authority of the central government in Beijing. The city, built on hills, is called the City of the Mountains, Even though the maximum altitude is 220 meters above sea level. Behind us is the Yangtze. You see the city of Chongqing, which is the largest Chinese agglomeration, 30 million inhabitants, and which marks for us our entry into the industrial part of China. Above all, it marks the end of our first stage, And this desire also for us to see Chongqing as a city in transition between the developed East and the developing West. The government also wants to make Chongqing, since the Three Gorges Dam was built, a kind of springboard. To promote growth, to shift growth from East to West, following the axis of the river in fact. Actually, They will use the river as a highway for growth. Exactly. The construction of the Three Gorges Dam now allows the 10,000-ton ship to reach Chongqing. This is a significant development for this provincial city, where manufactured goods from the East and raw materials from the West transit. Thanks to this river highway, The City can also sell its minerals and all the products that come out of its factories. Chongqing enjoys a subtropical monsoon climate, hot and humid. We are stranded in our hotel by exceptional rainfall that is causing flooding and landslides throughout the province. In town, the phenomenon is impressive, because the layer of concrete covering the ground amplifies runoff and causes saturation of the drainage networks. This is the Chien-Li, It’s monsoon season here. We are still in Chongqing. We donated our two motorcycles to an NGO and for a change, we wanted to have a little fun. We’re going to buy a tricycle. It also seems interesting to us to be close to the population, like the two motorcycles. And of Chongqing. We’ll use this tricycle to get to Shanghai. Good, We’re going to go buy it. Good morning ? You have a tricycle No, we don’t have any. No, They don’t have a tricycle. Good, Good. No. But there aren’t any. You don’t have a tricycle No, I don’t have any. But there is a tricycle. Ah, well, They don’t sell tricycles. Is this funny? Ah, well, yes, They sell water. Over there, I think. In my opinion, there must be some there. Yes, We’ll see. THANKS. Ah, we are saved. What are we looking for? The tricycle, a kind of three-wheeled motorcycle, is the most popular means of transportation in the Chinese countryside. This ranges from a simple platform to a highly advanced bodywork for making a taxi. We are looking for the cheapest and lightest. There, He just gave me the peace pipe. Actually, This is to say that we signed together. We’ll buy it for 7000 yuan, that is, 700 euros. And 700 euros, he’s going to give us helmets, he will give us spare parts, All this to help us. Pretty cool, dude. And basically, to order it, they need a 4-day lead time, but then they called the factory. And the factory is willing to work tonight and next night so we can have it on Friday, knowing it’s Wednesday. So, they’re pretty nice and pretty collaborative. We are still in Chongqing, it’s modernity, music, People are dancing in the street. At lunch, we met with students and challenged them, Have a ping-pong tournament and it’s going to be China versus France. So, just in case, If we lose, we have a ready-made excuse. We can’t hold our racket like them. The Chinese all have amazing phones that are cameras, cameras and radio. They love to film a stranger and especially to pose with him. This popularity, unfortunately temporary, flatters our ego a lot. Hey! Oh ! Hey! It’s hard. Drier, eh? in the room. What do you want to do? As studies, damn As far as I’m concerned, I would like to work in software development. Me, I would prefer to be a civil engineer. Me, I think I’m a special case. I like a lot of things. I like everything related to management, to finance, to architecture, to IT. This is stupid, but I like almost everything. I still don’t know for what strange reasons, I enrolled in Sichuan Agricultural School. From what you tell me, I understood that you and your brother, You were interested in the water issue. But here, We are very close to the Yangtze River and there is no shortage of water. Which is why we don’t pay attention to saving it, because we don’t lack it. However, I know that many countries are short of water. Is this also the case in France? Actually, It also depends on the regions. There are regions in France where there is a water shortage. But it’s not really a quantity problem in France. Maybe a little bit in the south, in some central regions. But it’s mainly a water quality problem, and that’s the same problem all over the world. Do you think the Yangtze River will play an important role? And why? The Yangtze, It is the artery of China. He plays a vital role for our country. Without the Yangtze, there would certainly not be enough drinking water for most Chinese people. I feel that the comfort of modern cities pushes us to not pay attention to water and to waste it. In our parents’ time, They had to carry water. In a way, they were obliged to regard her with respect. For us, today, it’s the opposite. We know it’s easy and we neglect it. I think that sooner or later we will have to deepen our knowledge of water, in order to better save and protect it. Since the beginning of our journey, We realize how much the Chinese are aware of owing everything to the Yangtze. Which they literally call the river-sea. Do we still have this awareness in Europe? We were also surprised by the link they made between comfort and waste. At our place, we are clearly too spoiled. Our generation has never experienced water shortages and cannot imagine that it is possible to live by consuming less water. Comfort comes first, often to the detriment of our environment. In town, Water is increasingly involved in our daily lives. And yet this is where she is most in danger. Water management in a city is done in two stages. First, it must be carried pure into every home, then it must be recovered in its used state to be treated before being released into the environment. If the wastewater is not treated and returns polluted to the Yangtze, the artificial lake of the Three Gorges Dam, located downstream from Chongqing, will turn into a dump. The Chinese have no choice. They must act quickly, because the dam is already underwater. Water requires colossal infrastructure work. They are to be done in new constructions, but also in the old ones. Here, For example, in this old neighborhood, The city is installing meters on the drinking water network and a sewer network that was obsolete. To see what resources the City is equipping itself with, we will meet engineers from SinoFrench, a water treatment company. We are welcomed by Li Jianzong, who has worked here for over 25 years. He is regarded with great respect within the company. Many neighborhoods and industries owe their running water to him. From here, We have a beautiful panoramic view of the water treatment plant. These treatment units of the City of Chongqing, which supply approximately one million people. The municipality brought in a French company for water treatment. Its advanced technology allows it to save time and be more efficient in welcoming more than 1,000 new residents every day. Yes, of course, without water, Chongqing would be a dead city. Can you imagine the millions of city residents fetching water directly from the Yangtze or the Jialing? It’s unthinkable. In the early 80s, The available water supply was insufficient due to the high demand from the growing industrial sector. I remember that I had to arbitrate the distribution of water between the city and industry myself. I would turn off the water tap in one place and turn it on in another. In the late 80s, The Chongqing government has invested heavily in the construction of water treatment plants. For example, Our factory, which is one of the largest in China, can provide 360,000 m3 of drinking water per day. For several years now, with the means implemented and the new standards, We were able to increase the quantities of water available, improve its quality and protect the resources made available to us. In my opinion, Drinking water plays a vital role in the economic development of a city and improving the standard of living of its inhabitants. Li Jiangzong introduces us to his young colleague Li Chanshun. Who designs the pipeline networks for water supply and sewers. Water pollution is a common problem affecting China, but also the rest of the world. Formerly, the situation was much more… But the numerous projects launched by the government in recent years have enabled better control of pollution. For example, on the banks of the Jialing River, several reservoirs were built to collect wastewater, and thus protect the river. Water supply and resource protection cannot be achieved without rigorous organization, based on advanced skills. Today, human activities, whatever they are, still too often discharge wastewater directly into the Yangtze. Which, downstream, penalizes all the towns that depend on the river. Quite unexpectedly, Our tricycle salesman turned out to be friends with the factory manager. He therefore suggested that we go directly there to pick up our new carriage. We thought we were visiting a fully automated factory. But it is with surprise that we see workers working the chain. Who grind, stamp, weld, screw to manufacture tricycles by the thousands. SO, there, They are currently putting the final details on the bike. They stick the little stickers on the doors and then they put the base. And benches in the back. He You have to deflate the tires. Recent floods have caused numerous landslides on roads. And when there is no road, the tracks are destroyed by trucks. Unlike motorcycles, we can’t fall anymore. Three wheels, It’s much more stable. Finally, stable. Luckily we went to 200 km. With the tricycle, The motorways are forbidden to us and the fear of the police makes us avoid the main roads. After several days of struggling in the mud, we are again on roads where our progress is faster. We are speeding towards the three gorges where the largest dam in the world was built. We find a new organization in our tricycle, one driving while the other is in the back. This vehicle is just as tiring as motorcycles, because the noise is deafening and the lack of shock absorbers is a real torture. The first flooding of the Three Gorges Dam, in 2002, created a 660 km long artificial lake and caused water levels to rise by 145 metres in a few weeks. There, it is the rising waters of Anxé. A dam is going to be submerged. It’s a village that’s going to be swallowed up. It’s true that it looks like a remnant of a war. This village, located in the valley of a tributary of the Anxé, was submerged in 2008 by the second rise in water levels, which brought the level of the lake to 175 metres. Residents are busy dismantling houses, brick by brick, to go and rebuild them. Higher up. Since 1992, date of start of construction of the dam, The Chinese reshaped the flood valleys. Everything had to be rebuilt. Higher. Villages, cities, roads, bridges. But it takes time and there is still much to do. In all, There will be 30,000 hectares of arable land lost and nearly 2 million people displaced. There is no more water in the radiator. Actually, there is no one. The tricycle is already playing tricks on us. We have to stop every hour to refill water. Can I have some water? THANKS. Where are you from ? From France. But you speak English very well. Yes, just a little bit. Just a little bit Why are you here? For what Because we come from Chongqing and we go to Shanghai. From Tangu Lachan to Shanghai. Oh yes, I know. It’s for drinking No, It’s for the car. I’ll put the water in the car. She is only three days old, the motorcycle. She is already completely ruined. On the Yangtze, there is always a monumental bridge. And when there isn’t one, It is being built. So, we cross by ferry. It has been more than three months since we left the spring on the Tibetan Heoplateau. We have traveled 4700 kilometers. We are only six days away from one of the major stages of our journey, the Three Gorges Dam. We have had great success with the tricycle. People don’t believe it. They often tell us how You want to go to Shanghai with this small vehicle But it’s impossible, It’s very, very far and the roads are in very bad condition. They don’t understand our choice not to be in a big 4X4 with a driver. Well, What had to happen happened, we got stopped by the cops. And it’s funny because what does it do to us? If they know they want to get rid of us as quickly as possible. Because in fact, they never have, They have been working there in the police for 20 years, the guy told us. They’ve never had any in 20 years. Foreigners who drove without plates, without a license, so in a completely illegal manner and transporting someone else as well. And since they like the project, because they were told that we were going down the Yangtze, They want to allow us to continue. So it was a question of stopping us, to take and sequester the car. But in fact, they don’t want to do it. And it seems they want to get rid of us and push us out of the province as quickly as possible. The tricycle is not approved for transporting people in the rear. So we have to separate. One, driving the tricycle, the other in the police van. To ensure our safety, The police decided to escort us with flashing lights to the exit of their jurisdiction. It’s rather surprising, quite nice, Because they didn’t know what to do with us, They couldn’t seize our car, since we were foreigners and there is no law for that. And so we continue the adventure. Manzaha It means a long road. We are now only 130 km from the dam. And despite the fright we had, This arrest did not waste our time. But we thought we had to continue by bus. The road no longer runs along the Yangtze. Unfortunately, we cannot see the first two gorges. In Down there is Wuxian. Finally, there is also Leïc, as you saw, and Wuxian, it is the last big city before the dam. Cross-Gorge. So it was completely flooded and it was raised more than 175 meters high, so 200 meters, since the waters have risen 175 meters. Since 1992, The city was moved and rebuilt. Higher up, bigger and more modern. In 2002, the artificial lake has erased all traces of the old one. Want to see what it looks like? A new man That is to say without a beard, without hair. It’s not bad though. We want to see, but the most perplexed will surely be the hairdressers. It’s true that the Chinese are rarely very hairy. Here, The custom is to do a long shampoo massage before cutting. And it massages so hard that you’re afraid of leaving all your hair there. Count a little, You will be more comfortable. And what is your name? My name is Yanmini. And you’ve been a hairdresser or friend for a long time I’ve been working here for almost a year. One year. One Year And why did you produce this job? Will this sound silly to you? But I’m happy to see people leave looking better than they are. It’s not stingy that I’m here. I really like this job. It allows me to earn quite a bit of money. Even if money isn’t everything in life, I think it’s important for girls to earn enough to be independent. Your turn. We went in the opposite direction. Well, anyway. For you, it’s 6 years, 20 years old, 60 years old. That, it’s another habit, ear cleaning. Horrible, never accept, It’s panicking. It’s good Not bad, you have silky hair, It’s good. Come on, here we go It is already 10pm and Yuanli has finished his shift. She suggests we visit the apartment that the Hair Salon makes available to its employees. It’s there. Is it up there? Yes, Yes. We are on the sixth floor. The building looks like it dates back to the last war, while he is less than 15 years old. Everything is limited to the bare minimum. The walls are simply covered with plaster. And the floor is cement. Hey, move over, Make some space. There are four of us living here. There is one that is not there. He has no business being there. He lives on the other side. He came to joke with us. It’s not true, I live there. She’s the one who rules here. We’re all afraid of her, It is she who guides us. She is the leader, I am the deputy chief. Me, I don’t have the right to speak. I am the deputy chief. And who is the mother here? I am the cook. She does good things. Of course, You see how much bigger I’ve gotten since I’ve been here. I am fat, He is super tall. It would suit me well if I could be as tall as him. I ate a lot of soup when I was little. So, it’s normal that I’m very small. Me, I didn’t eat much soup. What do you want? I feel like a dwarf in front of a giant. For wash you, where is it It’s in the hallway Ah, you want to see this We can’t see much. I’ll enlighten you with my cell phone. So that, It’s hot water. You see, we heat it with good drying, she is burning. Afterwards, we mix it with cold tap water. Like that, you can wash with it. Afterwards, we put all that in a bucket. And then, we’re going to wash in the bathroom. THANKS. It was nothing. Actually, she had said everything in front of her college living room. That’s cool. What’s it like to see the Yangtze coming in in the morning? The morning, when I get up and see the Yangtze… Through the bathroom balcony, It warms my heart. You see, if the day before, I was not happy, Seeing him the next morning makes me forget all my sorrows. Thanks to him, I wake up with joy every morning. It’s beautiful in the morning with this mist. Do you want to film me again? Hold, I put them back. Do you want to fight with me? You don’t stand a chance anyway. Leaving Yuanli, We have a new definition of the term “running water”. In this recent city of 600,000 inhabitants, Most buildings often only have one tap per floor. And the water there is not drinkable. Despite everything, It is a luxury for anyone who comes from the countryside. From Wushan, We are now only a day’s drive from Yichang, where we are to meet an engineer who is working on the dam. 10 days and 520 km already separate us from Chongqing. We haven’t had time to repair the tricycle’s radiator yet. But now, we are much better organized. We manage to recharge it without stopping. So, here we will arrive at the last of the Three Gorges. When we go down the river, It’s absolutely beautiful. It is the only one accessible by road. There, we are in front of the last gorge going down the Yanktse. The two previous ones, We couldn’t see them, Alas. Finally, we saw them from afar. And there, We are lucky enough to pass a road that runs alongside these last gorges and which will take us directly to the dam. And here finally is the monster, which blocks the Yangtze over 2 km wide. In Yicheng, we are welcomed by Liao Huasheng, an engineer working on the construction of the dam. Thanks to him, We have access to areas that are prohibited to the public. Above all, he will explain to us in more detail the reasons for this very controversial achievement. I feel like I’m in the sea there. Yes, it’s true, It’s a bit the same. There are a lot of waves. Because the water is released with great force from the dam. The idea of harnessing the waters of the Yangtze began in 1921 with Sonia Tsen. The aim was to limit the damage caused by flooding downstream and in the middle of the river. It is important to realize that the Three Gorges Dam has significantly reduced the risk of flooding in these areas. We went from once every 10 years to once every 100 years. It also has the advantage of producing a lot of electricity while discharging the excess water. In the 20th century, The Yangtze River floods caused the death of 300,000 people, millions displaced and billions of yuan in damage. At the end of 2008, date of completion of the work, The output of the dam’s hydroelectric power plant will amount to 22 gigawatts, which corresponds to 10% of China’s annual consumption. And this will reduce coal combustion by 50 million tonnes. These are the main arguments of the defenders of the dam, and probably the best. But aren’t there other ways? In China, the Yangtze is called the golden canal, because river traffic is developed there. When the dam did not exist, at certain times of the year, the river level was too low. The boats were forced to stop. Since the construction of the dam, This problem is solved. Even large ships of 10,000 tons can easily go up the river to Chongqing, which makes navigation smoother. This allows development to move from the East Coast to the interior of the country, and especially in Chongqing. By car, we will cross the dam and go upstream, in front of the locks. We would like to stop, But the site is heavily guarded by the army. Everything has been done to promote river traffic, which is to open up western China. A five-level lock system for vessels weighing 10,000 tonnes and a lift for vessels weighing less than 3,000 tonnes, allows the 120-metre drop to be crossed in less than an hour and a half. Why was the construction of this dam a symbol for China? And at the same time, a necessity An economic necessity like the Great Wall was a necessity to defend the country from Mongol invasions. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the Chinese of the time. Building the dam was a unifying dream for all of us. When the first blow of the pickaxe was struck, We felt that this dream could come true. Given the immensity of its construction and its impact on the world, It’s true that we can consider it without any problem. Like the New Wall of China. It was over the great dam that the first official divisions took place within the government and the party itself. But it remains the symbol of the country’s power and independence, who will not shy away from any sacrifice to consolidate its growth. Whether we are for or against, now that it’s built, The only alternative is to do everything possible to avoid an ecological catastrophe. Being optimistic, The dam can even be seen as an opportunity for the Chinese. Who are now forced to treat their wastewater if they want to avoid the death of the lake and the river. We are still quite far from the bank with these plants and they are completely in the water. And then, behind, we see trees that are completely in the water. There are options. We have to get the truck up, the tricycle in a truck or do 100 km more. I’m the one asking you what you want to do. Frankly, put in the truck, They told us it was 100 yuan, that’s 10 euros. And make the detour, It makes us 80 km. We didn’t even try to see if it was possible to get through the bottom. With the passerby’s permission. We saw that authorization was required. We’ve been talking about it for an hour already. You make your decision. Ah, that’s it, it’s mounted, It wasn’t very complicated. We have 1200 km left to travel to reach the end of our journey. We expect to reach the mouth in less than a month. The tricycle finally rolls smoothly. For 30 euros, We had a brand new radiator installed. Fortunately, because the outside temperature is approaching… 40 degrees. We are entering the richest part of China and we will see that increasingly useful water must be managed over time. There I am in the water of the Yangtze. It’s a little crazy because I’m in Wuhan, which is a city of one million inhabitants. And I don’t think they all have water purification before flushing their toilets. But there is a little watermelon smell. Maybe there are a lot of people who throw their watermelon into the water, anyway. I don’t know. By dint of going around the boats, We make friends with a fishing family who offer to let us come back early the next day. to spend the day with them. You go up We are quite excited, because since Chongqing, We often asked boatmen to take us on board. But they always refused. If they are not accredited for tourism, They are strictly forbidden from having foreigners on board. I can tell you that we are very happy because… Iron fishermen, it’s their job, that is, instead of catching fish, They fish for iron. They offered us to come and spend a day with them. I don’t know what you think about it, but it’s quite extraordinary. They offered it to us spontaneously, we spoke with them, We told them that we were interested in people who lived off the water, who lived with water. It’s funny, but we are happy. This is a joke! Iron was laid in the river this morning. The technique seems simple, but the current is very strong and the river bottom is not really smooth. Once the magnet is thrown, it descends to the bottom and drifts with the current. It then takes great skill on the part of the pilot to keep the boat in the same place and allow the fishermen to feel with their ropes. When the magnet attaches to a piece of iron. To catch fish, it’s much easier, It’s fun. Magnet fishing, it’s much more physical, But both require sensitive hands. When the magnet sticks to a piece of iron, the rope reacts. And we feel it right away with our hands. You have to go slowly because if you pull too hard, the magnet comes loose and they lose their coin. It’s really like fishing. Some areas are richer than others, around bridges, for example. Because during their construction, workers throw or drop pieces of iron. But as its price increases, people are throwing away less and less. Actually, It’s funny because it’s a family. They are four children, like us. There, it’s the second, he does well. Over there, he is the eldest, there is a girl in between. These tidal boats at the quayside are real floating villages. For fishermen, they have the advantage of throwing everything into the river, iron, including. It took us three days to pull our best catch from the bottom. It was a cylinder about this big, about one meter in diameter. A person could get into it. We used the strength of our three boats to tow it. It weighed five tons. We were happy. It’s like we found a wallet on the floor. When we started this job in 1992, used iron was systematically thrown into the river. In one morning of fishing with three boats, at least a ton of iron could be recovered. In 15 years, the price of iron has more than doubled. It is therefore becoming rarer. Today, A good iron can sell for 2 yuan per kilo. And in France, Are there rivers like that? In France, it exists, but not as big. A river so big, it doesn’t exist. The Yangtze-Qiang, It is 6,500 kilometers long. We are working on the largest river in Asia. We can be proud. Third largest river in the world. The evening, We are invited to the meal with the rest of the family. But luckily, We will not eat the catch of the day. Come on, come, we eat. It all looks good, No He doesn’t eat spicy food. Hold, you can taste this. It’s good and it’s not spicy. We left Wuhan early in the morning to avoid encountering overzealous police officers. It’s you, YOU, the X of the Base You have to behave. In the villages, water is not yet distributed by the municipality. There are then wells in the street, accessible to all. But many houses have their own too. It’s noon and it’s already 40 degrees. We decide to stop in the village of Meijié for lunch. The family who run the restaurant is very welcoming. After the meal, their daughter, Yang Mengjiao, offers to show us around his house. Yes, This is the bathroom. Here, we take a shower. There, It’s the toilet. There is also a sink for washing hands. The water we use comes from here. Simply operate this pump to raise the water. Oh, yes, She is very fresh. It’s groundwater. The hand pump is used for washing dishes or vegetables. My father also installed an electric pump that raises water to the roof. Once the water, it passes through a solar water heater. Thanks to this, We have hot water throughout the house. It’s more pleasant when you take a shower. These are the famous solar panels. They heat the water for the shower. The tank you see there, It is used to store water. It’s good, there is quite a bit of water. Solar water heaters are very common in China, because their energy consumption is zero. And in this case, Is it really drinkable? No, No, it is not drinkable, even if it is groundwater. It would need to be treated to be drinkable. As a treatment, we boil it, and then we can drink it. Hold, touch, It’s still hot. Once boiled, we store it in these thermoses that you see there. As soon as we are thirsty, we pour ourselves some tea. They are eels, you know It doesn’t work, That No, No. There Meeting this family gave us the opportunity to see that running water is not always drinkable. And this is the case for 75% of Chinese people living in the countryside. We cover the 300 kilometers that separate us from the province of Shanghai in two days. We are going directly into the Yangtze estuary, in Changming, an island of one million inhabitants who live mainly from agriculture and fishing. We are with two students from the University of Ecology, Wang Haifeng and Li Chang, who will present their… projects, as well as the island’s Nature Reserve. We are 45 minutes from Shanghai, on an island called Changming, where the government is carrying out several pilot village projects, which are ecological villages. And we, We’re going to see what they’re doing with the water. These pilot villages were built with the aim of being completely independent in terms of water and energy. Li Chang invites us to see the method used for the ecological treatment of water, by bacteria and by the rhizosphere, that is to say by the roots. Such treatment is valid for a village with sufficient surface area. But is it possible for the water of a large city or that of industrial zones? The water is clean, you see. And she doesn’t feel anything either. On the island, The government’s next step is to create an ecological city of 500,000 inhabitants, near the Dongtan Nature Reserve. Wang Haifeng takes us there to talk about Chinese development. Do you have this feeling of living in a pivotal time? Wherever the Chinese dream will continue, either he will fall into horror. And if the Chinese dream turns into horror, This means that the whole world is also falling into horror. The Chinese are facing a situation today that does not give rise to much optimism. But I think history repeats itself. It is inevitable that our country will first go through the stage of pollution, then by that of waste treatment. You have some milestones to overcome. For example, in a megalopolis like Shanghai, When you pass the threshold of 6000 dollars per year per inhabitant, you can start investing in environmental protection. We are on the mountainside, without knowing whether to go up or down. I think we have to overcome our fears in order to move forward. There is a fashionable phrase that illustrates this paradox well. Growth brings happiness and damages the environment. It pains us. But we have nothing, without anything. Yes, nothing for nothing. After crossing all of China, We realize that our planet will not support only one billion. Six hundred million Chinese consume as much as Westerners. Fortunately, The Chinese seem willing to pave a new path for future generations. We finally arrive in the city of Shanghai, where we have an appointment with Wang Haifeng. We decided to give him our tricycle, because he works as a volunteer in an NGO that helps farmers on Chongming Island. So, you are responsible for the keys to the Tricycle. Yeah, ok. I hope you don’t ride the motorcycle in Shanghai. Oh, no, No, I can’t. On the other hand, I will take it very seriously. Yes, I’m sure of that. Wang Haifeng must, unfortunately, leave us. So we will, with his friends, engage in an activity that the Chinese love. We’ll take Let it be, It’s always very simple to sing. Let it be. In Shanghai, we have lots of things to go see. Asia’s largest petrochemical center, the mouth of the Yangtze, the end of our long journey, And the city center where the tallest building rises to 492 meters. The main petrochemical industries have been grouped in this area, where they have easy access to the sea, and where their effluents are collected, analyzed and treated in a specific manner, to prohibit any risk of pollution. We have an appointment with two engineers from Sino-French Water. The water treatment company. I got you a box for you, I think we had to put that in. Yes, THANKS. On the way to visit the treatment plant Sinofrench. So, It is located within Skip Park, who is Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park. It’s not to read better, In fact, it’s to protect me, because we’re going to the lab. Yes, Me too, I would like to go to France. You are really… You have to put them on your nose. Here are the different wastewaters that we treat and which are discharged by industries. Won’t you taste it for me? No, I can’t. There are a lot of pollutants in there. Most of these factory effluents are extremely toxic. These chemicals, They can be found on trays, in soup. In the Tangou-Lachanne mountains, there is no factory, no chemical factory. So we can’t find all these pollutants. Wang Xiaoshi is the director of the laboratory. It is she who certifies the proper progress of water treatment. The water is very polluted because it provides infinitely more service here than in the Tangu Lashan mountains. It is therefore vital to manage it sparingly and seriously. Our mission is to adopt methods that rely on advanced technologies to treat this wastewater so that it can be reused and thus make our development sustainable. Ning Jing specializes in the bacteriological treatment of effluents. And she’s going to show us how it works up close. I don’t understand why the water coming from this industrial area is so brown. This is a biological treatment basin. The principle is to use bacteria to digest water pollutants. We call these activated ends. And usually, the color is brown, light. I was looking for you. I am here, at the mouth of the river. It took us 5 months to get here. It’s impressive to realize that there, It’s teeming with boats. There are plenty of them, there are dozens of them, hundreds. Shanghai, It is the third largest port in the world. And they’re coming to build one outside of Shanghai to make Shanghai the world’s leading port. That is, they built a deep-water port. It’s on Yangshan Island, off the coast of Shanghai, that China has begun construction of the world’s largest port. It will be completed in 2020. Today, The port can handle traffic of more than 4 million containers per year. In the long term… This figure will increase to 20 million. To transport containers by truck, The Chinese built the Donghai Bridge in three years, the longest in the world at 32.5 km. Facing this future largest port in the world, which is at the mouth of the Slovre, We realize and understand better this idea of Yonsekiang, Growth Highway. So here we have the mouthpiece, we have Shanghai, and the growth highway that will bring back… Thanks to this river, growth towards the West and towards the Tibetan plateaus. who is it that you discovered during these five months of expedition Go down this river from the source to Shanghai, It’s a tea that’s a bit like going back 200 years. And relive for five months what we have experienced in France for 200 years in terms of access to water. In any case, that is, rediscovering what people were doing, our great-great-grandparents, When they went to fetch water from the well every day, And for some, the well was further away than for others, And then rediscover the first access to water, the first tap in the village, and ease, And then the first faucet in the house, and so really there, luxury, Short. It’s incredibly easy. And then, when the water arrives at this tap and is drinkable, it’s inconceivable for a large part of the planet. Whereas for us, in France, it seems so natural, Besides, we don’t even know where it comes from anymore. This water, it flows from the tap, it is pure, Sometimes it’s hot, you can even drink it directly by putting your mouth underneath. So, for you Geoffroy, what was it like going down this river? When I am here in Shanghai, It’s true that I can’t help but imagine. Where we were, a little over five months ago at the source, And to tell me that from this gigantic river that we have here, at the mouth of the Yangtze, It was a small drip of nothing at all. And I also… We had done this scenario, we had put a lot of things on. This is what we want to show, access to water, what will it bring, what does it allow? It’s true that I had to see it, I had to meet people. To truly understand the role and place of water in our society. So, After, we had a good laugh, No