A six-part series, from source to sea, about China's most violent river - and the cradle of its early civilization. 4: The Dwellers in Earth
It is probably the muddiest river in the world. Its cargo of yellow silt is picked up when the river cuts across a vast plateau of 'loess' - fine sand deposited over the millenia by the winds blowing from the deserts of central Asia. Carving their way into this soft rock, the local people - many millions of them - have constructed their troglodytic houses. The attitudes and customs of these people are their own - they are not much affected by the philosophies of far-away Peking.
Written and narrated by Stephen Jessel , former BBC correspondent in China Film editor KEITH WILTON
Producer VIVIANA WOODRUFF
An NHK production in association with BBCtv