China releases large-scale culture documentary Passage to China

Travel host Denise Keller talks about impressive moments of the journey at the launch ceremony in Beijing on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. (Photo: ECNS)

(ECNS) – Passage to China, a grand documentary series produced by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP), was released in Beijing on Monday, and will be available for audiences on Feb 21.

The three-episode documentary is a visual feast for audience to get a close look at the Chinese culture. Denise Keller, the travel host who is half Chinese and half German, leads the exploration of the inheritance and development of Chinese culture and its integration with other civilizations.

The documentary, which involved four-months of shooting in 10 provinces, presents the Chinese landscape and various ethnic cultures, as well as the innovation and vitality of the Chinese culture, said Li Liyan, assistant secretary of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

Fang Chang, DNAP senior vice president and general manager in China, said China's long history and abundant culture provide a rich pool of topics for documentaries, and the series will create an all-round and in-depth portrait of China's rich cultural heritage.

Keller said the experience is a "significant and powerful journey that helps identify the Chinese roots" in her.

The first episode will debut on Feb 21 during the Spring Festival in 15 languages in 37 countries and regions on Discovery's Travel and Living Channel, followed by the next two.