1st season of China-ASEAN cultural documentary released in Jakarta

The first season of a China-ASEAN cultural documentary Dan's Way has been released, which kicked off celebrations of the China-ASEAN Year of Media Exchanges at the Jakarta Channel.

Officials, including Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Huang Xilian, ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Kung Phoak, ASEAN-China Center Secretary General Chen Dehai and the Philippines Permanent Representative to ASEAN Elizabeth Buensuceso, and media professionals convened in Jakarta on Monday for the presentation of Dan's Way-Indonesia and the start of filming in other countries.

According to Huang, Dan's way is about stories of ordinary people at the grassroots in ASEAN member states. In the first season on Indonesia, each of the 10 episodes features one character, most of whom have no prominent background, yet their courage, tenacity, perseverance and love of life make them truly inspirational heroes in their own families and our world.

"It reveals how much we share in common and what we can achieve in cross-cultural communication," Huang added.

Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso highly praised DAN's Way, saying that DAN's Way is featured with the peoples, cultures, traditions of ASEAN member States.

"It is a unique way of introducing ASEAN to the Chinese people," she said.

Elizabeth noted that the documentary would promote people to people exchange and strengthen mutual trust and understanding between ASEAN members and China.

At the 21st China-ASEAN summit held in Singapore last November, leaders agreed to designate the year of 2019 as the China-ASEAN Year of Media Exchanges. As an important part of the programs to mark the media exchange year, Dan's Way, the first cultural documentary between China and ASEAN, shows the view of famous Chinese TV host Zhu Dan in chronicling daily life in Indonesia and other ASEAN members states.

The TV documentary will eventually be filmed in all 10 ASEAN member states.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups 10 members -- Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.