On November 18 (UTC+4), under the supervision of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the overseas launch ceremony for the 2024 "Charming Beijing" TV series was held in Dubai in the UAE. The ceremony was hosted by the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and organized by CRI Online.

The overseas launch ceremony for the 2024 "Charming Beijing" TV series

The "Charming Beijing" TV series, as an overseas communication project, serves as a brand project jointly launched by the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and CRI Online to enhance cultural exchanges between China and other countries. Since its inception in 2019, five seasons have been launched, successively inviting production teams from 14 countries including Laos, Russia, Italy, Brazil, Germany, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia to Beijing to conduct interviews and film for the co-production and broadcast of the TV series. So far, the first four seasons of the series have been broadcast on mainstream television stations in more than 10 countries and viewed 300 million times. A series of themed short videos and graphic content have been released across various websites including the video-sharing ones, as well as overseas social media platforms, garnering nearly 200 million views overseas. The series has gained recognition and popularity among overseas audiences.

The year 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE and the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Saudi Arabia. In September this year, the 2024 season of the TV series specially invited filming teams from Abu Dhabi TV from the UAE and Al Arabiya TV from Saudi Arabia. Focusing on two themes: "Beijing's Development" and "Beijing's Opportunities", they filmed in various locations such as Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, ZGC E-Town International Robot Industrial Park, the Temple of Heaven, and the Palace Museum. The members of the filming teams experienced the dynamic vitality of Beijing's innovative development from multiple angles, captured the beauty of this ancient capital up close, and appreciated its charm of diversity and vibrancy in a comprehensive manner.

Mohammed Abdulkareem, Host of UAE's Abu Dhabi TV, delivering a speech

During the theme sharing session, Mohammed Abdulkareem, Host of UAE's Abu Dhabi TV, said that the experience of traveling to Beijing in September this year to participate in the filming of the "Charming Beijing" TV series was unforgettable, and he believed that the TV series would convey the beauty of Chinese culture and Chinese people's pragmatic spirit to the people of the UAE and fully demonstrate the image of modern China.

Hazar Bahbouh, Representative of Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya TV, delivering a speech

A poetry recitation performance by primary school students from Hamdan Bin Zayed School in the UAE

Wu Xiaohong (C), Member of the Executive Meeting, Director of the Overseas Communication Center of CRI Online, awarding the certificates of cooperation filming to the representatives of UAE's Abu Dhabi TV and Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya TV

Following the launch ceremony, the "Charming Beijing" documentary will be showcased in a touring exhibition on platforms such as UAE's Abu Dhabi TV and Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya TV, targeting the  audiences in the Arab region. The documentary aims to showcase the diverse charms and rich historical heritage of Beijing as a "City of Opportunities", enhancing the mutual understanding and communication between the peoples of China and the UAE, as well as China and Saudi Arabia.

(Source: CRI Online)