CGTN`s Chongqing series film started broadcasting to the World

By Rui Hu, Xiangyi Cao, iChongqing News

Chongqing – on Feb. 24, a series film about Chongqing Navigating the Hills of Chongqing on CGTN`s Travelogue started broadcasting. Through the featured angle of transportation, CGTN has explored Chongqing’s culture, history, and development of transportation to showcase this mountain megacity. The series film started broadcasting by CGTN`s English channel, Spanish channel, French channel, Arabic channel, Russian channel, and YouTube channel. A three-dimensional unique Chongqing was displayed to overseas people. This film has gained favorable comments in China and aboard. 

In CGTN`s series film, they recorded how cableway transit

6 episodes will be finished within 2019

CGTN`s Travelogue planned to produce 6 episodes of the themed series documentary Chongqing in order to promote its history, arts and culture, and tourism. The planned production will be finished in 2019.

Sichuan Opera in Ciqikou

From October 24th to November 3rd, 2018, the crews went shooting day and night. They made great efforts on filming successively in Jiefangbei CBD, Hongyadong, Qiansimen Bridge, Shancheng Alley, Crown Grande Escalator, Liziba Subway Station, E`ling Park (TESTBED 2), Yangtze River Cableway, Nanbin Road, Chongqing Hot Pot Museum, etc. The 1st episode of series of Chongqing is Transportation was completed and broadcast on February 24th and the second episode Life was broadcasted on March 3rd, 2019.

 Unique Ways of Transportation

The story of the first episode Transportation has been broadcasted from the cultural and historical perspective of Chongqing. The host of CCTV International Channel Megan Zhang has visited Chaotianmen, Yangtze River Cableway, Ciqikou, and Longmenhao Old Street, which are all outstanding attractions in Chongqing. Chongqing's unique transportation and logistics solutions such as Crown Escalator, Liziba Subway Station, and Orchard Port to explore the origin and development of Chongqing`s ways of transportation.

“Not only a travel guide, but also a development path of Chongqing’s culture, history, economy, and life” demonstrated from an audience’s comment to the film.

A journalist from iChongqing has shown up in film

In this episode, there is a conversation between the host Megan and Parker Walkers, an American Journalist from iChongqing. Walker is a part-time foreign employee of Chongqing International Communication Center. As a foreigner who has lived in Chongqing for 7 years, his feeling for Chongqing is “a real, unpretentious city.” Walkers and the team of Chongqing International Communication Center cooperated with CGTN on filming. The crews were out day and night, and they completed the first two episodes of the series film.

Parker Walkers from iChongqing in a conversation of the film

Interpreting Chongqing to the world in English

Travelogue is a TV program about traveling on CGTN and is one of the highest ratings in CGTN English channel. Currently, it is also the only English-language TV program broadcasted in China.

Hou Li, the director of the series film, has suggested that “Chongqing has changed intensively within years and its development speed is so fast. However, the construction of Chongqing is not destructive. Urban transportation and construction were according to its geographical characteristics. In the meanwhile, it has retained many traditional buildings and historical and cultural relics. Unique urban landscape - surrounded by mountains and waters, new and old, 3D three-dimensional... Chongqing is outstanding in the country and the world.” She also told us that in the past two years, Chongqing enjoys a relatively high reputation for tourism in China. Nevertheless, it is still relatively unfamiliar to foreign tourists. Therefore, CGTN's Travelogue decided to shoot a Chongqing series film, which is a systematic and comprehensive introduction to Chongqing to foreign audiences.

Next, CGTN's "Chongqing" series of tourism feature films will travel to all districts and counties in Chongqing. They will explore more historical sites of this city. At the same time, they will look to the natural heritage Wulong, the cultural heritage Dazu Rock Carvings, and the intangible cultural heritage Tongliang Dragon Dance, and etc. It is expected that all six episodes will be filmed within this year. A three-dimensional Chongqing with its different aspects will be introduced to overseas tourists.