Documentary Passage to China released in Beijing

Guests attend the premiere ceremony of Passage to China in Beijing on Feb 9, 2015. [Zhu Jing/ culturalink.gov.cn]

Passage to China, a large-scale documentary series produced by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP), was released in Beijing on Feb 9.

The three-episode documentary is a visual feast for audiences to get a closer look at China. In each episode, the presenter Denise Keller will lead the exploration of the inheritance and development of Chinese culture and its integration with other civilizations in the world.

The documentary, covering nearly 10 provinces across China, shows different Chinese landscapes and unique ethnic cultures to international audiences and reflects the inclusiveness, innovation, and vitality of Chinese culture, said Li Liyan, assistant secretary of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, at the launch ceremony.

Li said that the documentary also includes multiple clues of the origins of culture and intriguing cultural and entertainment elements, which enable audiences to acquire an all-round perception of Chinese culture.

Zhang Fang, DNAP senior vice president and general manager in China, said that he felt very pleased to cooperate with the Ministry of Culture to produce the documentary.

China's long history and abundant culture provides numerous themes for a documentary, and Discovery will pay close attention to the development and changes in China to present to the world a portrait of a civilized nation with great cultural charm, said Zhang.

The first episode of Passage to China will debut on Feb 21, followed by the next two. During Spring Festival the documentary will be televised on Discovery's TLC (Travel & Living Channel) in 15 languages in 37 countries and regions around the world. After Spring Festival, Chinese audiences can watch the program on the Travel Channel, DNAP official website and Chinaculture.org, an English-language website sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, as well as other new media platforms.