Telling “The Story of China” in Six Hours is Futile, But Give BBC Credit for Trying

It can be difficult to convey the broad sweep of China’s history in six hours. More than one professor has struggled — even when given a whole semester of lectures — to properly tell the story from Yao to the Ming and then on to the Yao Ming. It’s hard, then, to fault the producers of the BBC Two documentary The Story of China (being broadcast this summer in the US on PBS, viewable online) for perhaps falling into the trap of the old Chinese saying, “走马看花” — to view flowers while racing a horse — i.e. attaining a superficial understanding through cursory observation.

Originally posted on Radii China July 5, 2017