AllMovie

Legacy: The Origins of Civilization is a series of programs that focuses on ancient cultures that flourished through centuries, only to lose their power over time. Filmed on four different continents, the programs are hosted by historian Michael Wood. In Legacy: The Origins of Civilization - China, The Mandate of Heaven, he travels to central China's An Yan, site of the first Chinese civilization. The traditional culture is still in place. There is reverence for ancestors, a reach for a harmonious existence, and belief in Confucianism. Although the modern world has intruded, the Chinese are still strongly influenced by the past.