China's leap of faith

Directed by Diana Dai

China, the world's most populous country, a booming new economic superpower. And now, after decades of official atheism, religious fervor is exploding in China, unleashed by government reforms. Part One: The Gods Come Home The Gods Come Home reveals the rebirth of the indigenous faiths of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, and the revival of the local "folk religions" that govern village life. The government is wary of the power of religion, and is trying to both control and exploit this resurgence at the same time. Part Two: The Bamboo Cross Christianity is growing faster in China than anywhere else in the world. The Bamboo Cross follows the stories of a cross-section of Chinese Christians, from migrant workers to Bishops to rebel pastors, who have to make a choice between worshipping openly or in the shadows. They live in an atmosphere where "unofficial" and "official" churches proliferate side by side, both vying for the souls of one million new Christians every year.