Along the Banks of the Yangtze

In this third series, Ruben Terlou takes us through China again. This time he explores how Chinese people see their own, their children’s, and their country’s futures. He experiences how rapidly China is developing under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, and how this is affecting the lives of ordinary individuals. Once again Ruben finds himself in exceptional situations, meets extraordinary people, and sees some dreams coming true and others being shattered.

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?

In the travel series Through the heart of China photographer Ruben Terlou and director Maaik Krijgsman make their way from the far North to the Southern tip of China: from the dried-out steppes of inner Mongolia to the tropical coast of Macau-straight through the heart of China indeed.