Xu Hejian Looks Forward to Seeing More Works from Foreign Production Teams Showcasing Charming Beijing

On February 27, the Charming Beijing Overseas Communication Achievements Exhibition and the 2023 Launch Ceremony of Charming Beijing TV Series took place in Beijing. The event was sponsored by the Information Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality and organized by CRI Online of China Media Group. Xu Hejian, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Director of the Information Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality attended and addressed the event.

Xu Hejian, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Director of the Information Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality

Xu Hejian's said in his speech that the year 2022 not only marked the successful organization of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games but also the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism, and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the two countries, namely the Republic of Korea and Croatia. Foreign production teams from Italy, the Republic of Korea, and Croatia came to Beijing under invitations for the 2022 Charming Beijing TV series project. Focusing on Cultural Beijing, Technological Innovation in Beijing, and Green Beijing, the production teams carried out interviews and visited the Summer Palace, the Grand Canal in Tongzhou District, the Capital Museum, the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, the National Speed Skating Oval (aka the Ice Ribbon), the South Korea Entrepreneurship Park, the ZGC Software Park, and the No. 10 exhibition hall of Shougang Park to showcase Beijing's history, culture, and vitality in scientific and technological innovation. Moreover, the production teams also acquainted themselves with the openness, impetus for growth, inclusiveness, and friendliness of the city during interviews and TV series production. 

Xu Hejian, based on the urban functions of the city, depicted Beijing from three perspectives, namely cultural Beijing, technological innovation in Beijing, and green Beijing. According to Xu, Beijing boasts a profound and elegant culture and history. By the end of 2021, there were 204 museums in the city, among which 18 were first-class. The number took first place in China, making Beijing one of the cities with the most museum resources worldwide. Beijing concentrated on the application for UNESCO recognition of the Central Axis as a world heritage site and promoted its preservation. The development of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt, the Xishan Mountain-Yongding River Cultural Belt, and the Great Wall Cultural Belt was advanced steadily in recent years. Beijing has charming vitality in scientific and technological innovation. The city insists on offering services at top standards and aiming high at a world-class environment to effectively build the International Center for Science and Technology Innovation in Beijing as well as the Zhongguancun Science Park, the world's premier science park, and set up a major science center and innovation hub around the globe. The Nature Index Science Cities, an annual list released by the UK-based Springer Nature Publishing Group indicated that Beijing topped the list again in 2022 while the city took first place five times. The 2022 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII) released by the World Intellectual Property Organization showed that Beijing ranked third in the list of the top 100 global science and technology clusters. At present, Beijing is the domestic city with the most powerful strengths for innovation and entrepreneurship. Besides, it is a livable green space presenting harmony between man and nature. The city takes active and steady measures to reduce carbon emissions and also spares no effort to maintain good air quality. The blue sky in Beijing has become normal for daily life and the green environment has also been a prominent feature of the city. As a well-known historical and cultural city, Beijing showcases its excellent moments of the new era.

According to Xu, as Charming Beijing TV series gradually went on air in the mainstream media of different countries, the diverse charm of Beijing, the renowned historical and cultural city and the Dual Olympic City, would be presented in a better way. More overseas friends would have a better understanding of the development of Beijing, the capital of China in the new era through the TV series. Xu also looked forward to seeing more excellent works from other foreign production teams showcasing Beijing's openness, inclusiveness, and vitality to the world.

Charming Beijing TV series is an overseas communication project aimed to strengthen cultural exchanges between China and other countries. It creates a new international channel to carry out in-depth cooperation with the mainstream media of countries that have friendly relationships with China. After being launched in 2019 for the first time, the project of Charming Beijing TV series has invited production teams from ten countries, namely Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Russia, Japan, Serbia, Italy, Croatia, and the Republic of Korea to carry out interviews and video shooting in Beijing. The corresponding TV series has won popularity in those countries after going on air on their TV stations.