China Nova

In central China, a vast underground mausoleum conceals a life-size terracotta army of cavalry, infantry, horses, chariots, weapons, administrators, acrobats, and musicians, all built to serve China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife. Lost and forgotten for over 2,200 years, this clay army, 8,000-strong, stands poised to help the First Emperor rule again beyond the grave.

In the series, NOVA crews attempt to ferret out long-forgotten secrets of early architects and engineers. How did they design and erect the medieval war machines known as trebuchets? Egyptian obelisks? The Easter Island stone monoliths called moais? Roman baths? The rainbow bridges of ancient China?

Explore the buried clay warriors, chariots, and bronze weapons of China's first emperor. In central China, a vast underground mausoleum conceals a life-size terracotta army of cavalry, infantry, horses, chariots, weapons, administrators, acrobats, and musicians, all built to serve China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife. Emperor's Ghost Army" explores how the Emperor directed the manufacture of the tens of thousands of bronze weapons carried by the clay soldiers.

onger than anywhere else on earth. Now a series of amazing archaeological discoveries, including whole chariots buried with their horses, enable a team of experts to probe the genius of China's first super-weapon. By recreating an actual battle chariot they investigate the design secrets which made them such a long-lived war machine, while discovering how they were used, what set them apart from the rest of the world and how they helped unify China.

Follow the race to rebuild the Blenheim Covered Bridge in New York State, an icon of 19th century American engineering. More than 15,000 wooden covered bridges once spanned the rivers of forested regions of the U.S., linking communities and opening up land for pioneering farmers. Built in 1855, the Blenheim structure was the longest single span covered bridge in the world until Hurricane Irene destroyed it in 2011. Watch a team of elite bridge builders and engineers faithfully reproduce the intricate timber structure under grueling time pressure - they must rebuild and move it on to new foundations before spring floods destroy their worksite.

Drill down to discover the treasures beneath our feet that power our world. Fossil fuels–coal, oil, and natural gas–powered the industrial revolution and allowed us to build a way of life that many cherish today. Personal cars, planes, lights, hot showers–all of these are gifts from our fossil fuels… but they have a dirty dark side in that they are polluting the planet. What is it about these natural resources that have allowed them to fuel our civilization? What secrets are locked in their molecules? Where did that energy come from, and can we find alternative energy resources that come in a cleaner form?

Discover the ingenious engineering of Beijing's Forbidden City, the power center of imperial China for nearly 500 years. Discover how the design of this vast complex of palaces and temples enabled it to survive centuries of earthquake shocks.

Uncover some of the oldest riddles of the ancient world. China is a land filled with mystical legends, stunning treasures and ancient history. To gain an insight into this intriguing culture we explore two of China s most famous ancient wonders the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden Palace.

There are few objects as compelling or iconic as the Great Wall of China and this feature length drama doc takes on this monumental subject with typical style and scale of ambition. Recently shown on Channel 4 this 1.45min film traces the story of the building of the wall in its latest, greatest guise the colossal brick structure that everyone recognizes as the Wall, from the terror of apocalyptic Mongol attacks in 1550 the Ming dynasty’s own 9/11 - through the founding of the nation s first professional army to the building of the wall itself and its testing in battle.

Documentary following the making of the British Museum's biggest exhibition in a generation and telling the story of its subject, the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi, who founded the world's oldest political entity and created the spectacular Terracotta Army to guard his vast tomb. Dan Snow follows museum curator Jane Portal and the design team as they create the exhibition, and travels to China to see the original Great Wall, the sacred mountain Tai Shan and the necropolis at Xian.