Long ago, in the days when horses still had short tails
there lived a strange man.
He often lied on the hill facing downwards.
A huge tree pierced his chest right through to his back.
The top of the tree pointed up to the sky.
Because a century before he had drunk from the spring of long life
he lived for a full hundred years.
But his wife and his family all left this world long before him.
So the strange man lived an unhappy life.
He tried to kill himself by impaling his body onto a tree.
But the tree was nurtured by the water from the spring of long life.
He ended up living for a hundred years with the tree stuck in his body.
He sprinkled the water from the spring of long life onto the forest
and let the plants grow forever.
My uncle once said that if you put your hand into a hole in a tree
you can feel the tree's heart beating just like that of a lamb,
bringing you comfort.
Lying like this relaxes me.
I can feel the plants bouncing about around me.
Khader.
Tokpas.
Arsin Khazer.
Sultan Khazer.
Zair Khazer.
Orman Khazer.
Abdul Khazer.
I looked for ages but couldn't find my name.
I could only find my grandfather's grandfather's name.
Perhaps from my grandfather's generation onwards
our names became too small to be shown on the tree.
I would have to use a microscope to see my generation.
- Bring the milk in. - Okay.
This is my uncle, Yerken Bek.
He taught me all I know about plant collecting.
He'd often jokingly call me "the botanist".
He once told me
that a Frenchman called Rousseau stood amongst his sheep and told him
that even someone who doesn't know the name of a single plant
can become an accomplished botanist.
Be gone, be gone!
All bad things be gone.
My name is Arsin Abdul Khazer.
I'm Kazakh.
I'm 13 years old.
I'm 1.55 metres tall.
I weigh 41 kilos.
I'm blood type A.
I live on the northern grasslands of Xinjiang.
My grandfather was from the Kerait tribe.
If you look at a map you'll see
this place is only five kilometres away from Kazakhstan
in the most northwesterly corner of China.
Ringing in your ears is the laughter two leaves make
as they rub against each other in the wind.
Each leaf represents different people’s lives.
When a child is born
a new leaf grows.
If a leaf turn yellow and wilts
it means someone must be in trouble.
Three winters ago
my uncle disappeared in the mountains around my village.
We had a lot of snow that year.
The snow was higher than I am now.
Our family still haven't found my uncle.
Some people say he must have frozen to death.
But I don't believe that.
Maybe he found the spring of long life and didn't want to come back.
Or he got lost on purpose.
Inspired by my grandfather
Uncle Yerken temporarily became the village doctor in his youth.
He later fell in love with a girl from the village.
My grandfather was against it but he wouldn't listen.
My uncle and the girl went to live in the forest for a long time.
Until one day my uncle returned alone from the forest.
From then on he lived here alone.
Can you help me out?
Your hand.
Hey, Nurbul.
How are you, dude?
Did you see the photo of the sheep I sent you?
You never call me. Up to no good as usual?
You'd be better off back here.
We'd watch over hundreds of sheep like wolves.
For sure.
Of course it's good money.
Hello?
Our sheep are getting mixed up with the others.
Brother!
The sheep!
Watch your sheep!
Don't chase them over there.
Get your sheep out of here!
That's my brother.
He's also my grandmother's son.
It's Kazakh tradition to give your firstborn to his grandparents.
But I don't like calling him Uncle.
Because that just reminds me of my Uncle Yerken Bek.
What did you just call me?
Brother.
What am I to you?
My brother.
My uncle.
Uncle.
My uncle told me that lambs eat different types of grasses
as they make their way up the mountain.
You can't let them retrace their steps.
So that in the following year
the lambs can eat the grass that grows in those places in the next year.
The natural gas produced by the company will be transported to inland provinces and regions.
by-products such as tar, middle distillates, and naphtha can also be produced.
It will be able to become the world's largest single-unit coal-based natural gas enterprise.
Relying on high-quality coal resources, Xinjiang is focusing on coal bases such as Yili and Zhundong
to create a modern coal chemical industry cluster.
accelerating the process of converting resource advantages into economic advantages.
Give it back.
Stealing again!
Come on.
My mum says no tabs.
Call your dad.
He does what my mum says.
You're a feisty one.
How much?
One yuan.
Arsin.
Thanks for last time.
This is on the house.
Let me take you somewhere.
Here.
It tastes really nice.
Look.
Well done!
It's true.
She may be Han Chinese.
But so what?
Grandma?
Tell your uncle to come and eat.
You mean my brother?
No, I mean your uncle.
Grandma says it's time to eat, Brother.
You go on ahead.
Let's go home then.
I'll go without you then.
Come and play, Arsin.
It's too small. And there's a crack in it.
It's not worth anything.
Bigger stones are better.
Where's it from?
The canal.
Hey, boss!
Yep?
Let's go! Bazaar's closing.
Let's go. I'm coming.
I've got to go now.
Lock the door, Meiyu.
Okay.
Hey, did you know?
there was once a scholar
who heard that praying mantises used a leaf to make themselves invisible.
One day he managed to find such a leaf.
He went around with the leaf over his eyes
stealing from people.
But he was found out.
Do you know why?
The leaf was over his eyes and he couldn't see anyone.
But he thought people couldn't see him.
Maybe there really is such a leaf
and your uncle found it.
And he's hiding behind it.
It would have to be a really big leaf to hide him completely.
If we're lucky
maybe we can find one.
Brother?
What did you say?
Brother.
- Be thorough. Pick all the wool up. - Okay.
Have some grapes.
Okay.
Is that your friend?
Call him over.
Mum, are you home?
I'm here.
How are you?
I'm fine.
In good health?
Yes.
I brought you some tea, vegetables and fruit.
Just a few things.
Lovely.
Who else's home?
Arsin.
Long time no see, Arsin. How are you?
You're so tall now.
You best take these things inside.
I’ll help Grandma.
What are you cooking?
Naan bread.
You need to add a log to the stove.
- I need to take this call, Mum. - Okay.
Hello?
It's been checked. Do we have to check it again?
Does it have to be today?
I'm back at my mother's house.
It's a hassle to go back now.
It's all on my desktop.
Okay. I'll go back then.
- Mum? - Yes?
My boss wants me to go back to the office to hand in some paperwork.
I have to go.
Have some tea first.
Next time.
I'll visit another time.
Take care!
Eat up.
Cold naan bread isn't very nice.
I made too many.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Meiyu gave me a plant.
She said that 30 million years ago
this plant lived at the bottom of the ocean
and that this place was once a vast sea.
The wind strokes the surface of the sea.
The waves lap the shore.
Ready?
I'm opening my eyes.
Arsin?
You're scaring me.
How are you, my boy?
I just came from the place where your uncle lives.
What are you on about? Where's my uncle?
He's drinking tea in his yurt.
Arsin?
He can't be.
If you don't believe me I'll recite a poem.
You're scaring me, Arsin.
My friend!
When the cold rain falls from the sky above
Please follow the river to seek what you find.
- The air drifts across the plains. - I'm going.
Like ripples from a spring.
You will learn to breathe.
You will...
Go away.
What's up with you?
Looks like your head is in the clouds.
I'm trying to find a leaf that can make people invisible.
What rubbish. You sound like your brother.
Did you ever find your uncle?
I remember it was your uncle
who taught us to wrestle.
But I beat him.
That was just once.
Your uncle's girlfriend was looking for him or something.
I know where your uncle's ex-girlfriend lives.
No way! Where does she live?
If you agree to a rematch
I'll tell you.
Forget it.
No wonder your head is in the clouds.
Is that the best you can do?
By 2015, 2.6 million tons of coal-based urea, 800,000 tons of coal-based dimethyl ether
100 billion cubic meters of coal-based natural gas
and 1 million tons of coal-based ethylene glycol will be produced...
Hey, boy.
Hang on.
Help me check this camera.
Move to the left.
Now to the right.
More to the right.
Now to the left.
Stand back a little.
Move forward a little.
Now to the left.
Okay. Thank you!
The goat's inside. Chase it out.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
How are you, Batar?
You never call me.
I hear you're making big bucks in the city.
Don't you plan to come back?
Okay. Enjoy the good life!
My brother once looked after horses for someone in Beijing.
One day he and his flatmate were using the washing machine
and they got into an argument.
My brother hit his flatmate.
He thought he'd get turned in to the police.
So he put his wet clothes in his suitcase and left Beijing.
He carried his drenched suitcase
all the way back home.
As he got home he felt more relaxed.
When he saw the grasslands
from the bus window he started to cry.
When I went to Shanghai
I met a girl in a restaurant.
I doubt that.
You're drunk.
We talked all night on the streets of Shanghai.
When the sun came up we even had coffee together.
We lost track of time.
But guess what?
Later I found out
she was from Uliya Village down the road.
From the fourth house on lane 18 in the east of the village.
Her house door was blue.
Is Shanghai really that fun?
Shanghai's nice enough.
But it's too remote.
Brother?
Shining like a star.
Roaring like the waves.
Oh, life!
Let me kickstart my life!
With an indominable spirit!
Let me fire up my life!
There are so many twists and turns ahead.
And so few people to guide me.
But my precious dreams have always been kept alive.
They are bound to come true in the bright of dawn.
Life is a long journey!
People envy you when you succeed.
But no one cares if you fail.
Oh, life of illusions!
You cannot embrace goodwill.
Or stop yourself from failing.
Oh, unfortunate life!
There are so many twists and turns ahead...
After he got to the village
my brother was constantly on edge.
He worried his boss in Beijing would send someone
to find him or make him pay compensation.
But no one ever came.
No one even called him.
It was like he'd never left the village.
He simply stayed in the village.
Did you just fart?
Stop farting.
I want to.
Stop it!
That's your uncle's ex-lover.
Xinjiang is rich in mineral resources.
Over the past 60 years
especially since the Central Xinjiang Work Symposium.
The situation of lack of oil and electricity and backwardness
in resource development in Xinjiang has changed dramatically.
The pattern of all-round development of various types of resources has gradually taken shape...
Though no one knows the names of the plants that grow in the village
that doesn't stop them from growing.
I thought Meiyu and I
would also grow up here.
But today she told me
she's going to Shanghai.
Her mum has arranged for her to go to boarding school.
She'll leave after the summer holidays.
The distance from here to Shanghai is 4792km.
If I were to walk to where Meiyu's going...
I did the maths.
It would take me 1657 hours and 20 minutes.
That's around 69 days and nights.
Maybe I'd get there in a month on horseback.
It might be faster by bus.
But I'd have to get a night bus to the city.
Then take a night train to Urumqi.
Then from Urumqi
I'd have to get a train for two days and three nights to reach Shanghai.
It wouldn't take me that long to get to Shanghai.
Who on earth are you?
I can get to Shanghai in a flash.
Stop bragging.
If you don't believe me
close your eyes.
When I count down to one, you can open them.
Three.
Two.
One.
Hello?
Hi, babe.
What are you doing?
Miss me?
Herding the sheep. What else?
I need to get rich to take you out for hotpot.
Who are you with?
How about I meet you tonight?
In my private jet of course.
In order to prevent water from evaporating
thistles convert their leaves into prickly thorns.
This is a resilient strategy
that this plant adopts to survive in specific conditions.
I suppose I should be stronger like a thistle.
But of course I don't want to hurt her with thorns.
ACHNATERUM SPLENDENS: A LUCKY GRASS THAT CAN STOP PEOPLE FALLING FROM THEIR HORSE
Who will you miss when you go to Shanghai?
Do you really want to go?
Where are you going this early?
Don't be back too late.
Come and play, Arsin.
- What are you doing? - None of your business!
The sheep got in!
The total tax revenue provided to our county is expected to exceed 150 million yuan
and local employment for the children of farmers and herders has reached 65 people.
Go away. She doesn't want to hang out with you.
Go away, you weirdo.
Your uncle's a weirdo too.
You uncle's a drunk who doesn't pay his debts.
The woman said that when she started seeing her future husband
because they lived far away from each other
every evening they'd go to the top of the hill
and wave a flashlight to show they cared for each other.
But one day,
the man went up the mountain with his sheep and never came back.
But the woman continued to go to the hill
and wave her flashlight,
waiting for her lover to return.
Do you know my uncle Yerken Bek, madam?
No.
Meiyu's leaving.
She's going to get the night bus to the city.
Then the night train to Urumqi.
Then from Urumqi
she'll get a train for two days and three nights to Shanghai.
In Shanghai there's a Shanghai Station,
a Shanghai South Station,
a Shanghai Hongqiao Station,
and a Shanghai West Station.
I asked her which station in Shanghai she'd arrive at.
But she said she didn't know.
My uncle said everyone who leaves
goes round in a circle.
Eventually they all come back to the village.
I keep telling myself I must remember all of this.
If only all of this
were a herbarium,
it could be preserved intact forever.
This is for you, buddy.
I'm going to the autumn pastures. Take care.
The grass is like our mother's hair.
If you pick grass like that their heads will hurt.
Hello?
Where are you going, Brother?
Beijing.
Uncle Bek once told me a love story.
After heaven and earth had been created
the sun and moon fell in love.
They were dying to get close to each other.
But however hard they tried they simply couldn't.