'Beijing Central Axis' Documentary Series Released

english.beijing.gov.cn
2023-03-30

March 29, 2023 saw the official launch event for "Beijing Central Axis" take place at Beijing Radio and Television Station (BRTV). "Beijing Central Axis" is a themed international documentary series presented by the Information Office of Beijing Municipality, and jointly produced by NEO Media (Beijing) Investment Co., Ltd. and BRTV's Documentary, Science and Education Channel.

Guests in attendance at BRTV included key figures in the fields of cultural heritage preservation and documentary studies, as well as representatives of international media outlets and notable international invitees. Guests discussed the core values inherent in the Central Axis of Beijing, which is on its journey to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site, and learned about the fantastic stories that have revolved around it throughout history.

The series consists of three episodes, titled "Eternity", "Time" and "Integration", each with a 40-minute runtime. This is the first documentary series to elaborate on Beijing's Central Axis from a more international perspective, and the episodes aim to tell centuries-old stories, entwined with the present day. Starting from the formation and development of the Central Axis, episodes dig into the progression of thousands of years of Chinese civilization, enabling the audience to really feel the Chinese cultural development and continual striving for better life. Stories about people from different countries also allow audiences to see the theme of a global community with a shared future, in which people are inextricably linked.

Xu Hejian, Deputy Director-General of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Director of the Information Office of Beijing Municipality, pointed out in his speech: "This documentary series digs deep into the stories on the Central Axis of Beijing, and explains to the world what significance the Central Axis of Beijing carries in a highly realistic and vivid way. It elaborates on the excellent culture that, with Chinese characteristics, embodies the Chinese spirit and Chinese wisdom, promotes cultural exchanges between the Chinese people and people from all over the world, and contributes to the mutual understanding of the peoples of all countries."

Bian Jian, a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Editor-in-chief of BRTV, said that the documentary crew of "Beijing Central Axis" has conversed with international production teams on their creation process many times, setting a solid foundation for shot quality and ensuring that the end result not only accurately portrays the Central Axis, but also suits the international communication context.

In another keynote speech, Chen Mingjie, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director-General of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau and Director of Beijing Central Axis Protection Work Office, said that the production and publicity of this series are an important part of public support for the protection of Central Axis-related cultural heritage.

The event's guests from around the world, who are involved in global communication and media, had an in-depth discussion on "Communicating the Core Values of Beijing's Central Axis to the International Community" and "Cross-cultural Communication Methods and Cases for Chinese Stories", with the theme of "Quality International Communication for Chinese Stories".

"Beijing Central Axis" will be broadcast on BRTV's Documentary, Science and Education Channel at 21:50 on March 30, March 31, and April 1, and thereafter on CGTN, the Belt and Road Media Communication Alliance, the "Charming Beijing" overseas broadcasting platform and the "Doc China" broadcasting platform. The series will also be aired on multiple international network platforms.

(Source: Information Office of Beijing Municipality)


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