CCTV news: In the past ten years, the countries co-building the "Belt and Road" have carried out rich and colorful cultural exchanges. As cultural forms that the masses love to see, various excellent movies, animations, and theatrical performances have been more widely disseminated through the "Belt and Road" in recent years. They not only provide people from various countries with audio-visual enjoyment, but also promote cultural exchanges and bring each other closer.

CCTV reporter Zhang Jian: Looking at China on its new journey, "One Belt, One Road" and ten years of cooperation. Today I would like to introduce two friends to you. This is Kong Xiaoxi from China, and this is Hakim from Saudi Arabia. Say hello to everyone. They are the two protagonists of "Kong Xiaoxi and Hakeem", the first co-production animation between China and Saudi Arabia. What kind of sparks will the two teenagers from different countries and cultural backgrounds collide with? Our story begins here.

Kong Xiaoxi and her brother Kong Xiaodong came to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to participate in the China-Saudi Arabia exchange program. By chance, they met the Hakim family who opened a local restaurant and became good friends. Facing competition from local Western restaurants, Kong Xiaoxi used Chinese food and Chinese wisdom to help Hakim overcome difficulties time and time again, and finally won the championship in the Saudi Arabian Food Competition. This is the story of "Kong Xiaoxi and Hakim".

Producer of the animation "Kong Xiaoxi and Hakim" Zhao Yun: Although it is the first animation work co-produced by China and Saudi Arabia, it is actually the first domestic cartoon in Saudi history. Because I used a city like Riyadh, their capital, as the background of the story, the children were very excited to see the familiar streets and familiar city buildings, because they had not seen such scenes in other cartoons, and they felt as if they were seeing their own daily life.

During the production process of the animation, the Chinese team conducted a lot of communication with the Saudi side, and finally successfully displayed the profound Chinese culture and the exotic Arab world in this animation. Not only has the animation been well received in Saudi Arabia, but after it was broadcast in China, many Chinese audiences have developed a strong interest in Saudi Arabia.

Zhao Yun, producer of the animation "Kong Xiaoxi and Hakim": During this process, we can read that no matter what kind of culture it is, the core part must be the pursuit of unity and harmony. In fact, you see, Chinese culture is also pursuing this. I think this is the greatest value of our cultural products and works. I discovered that different cultures are actually connected and we can understand each other.

Faisal Bartoyour, former CEO of the Saudi Film Commission: Saudi families and children particularly like this animation. We have also decided to increase cooperation with China and build a greater bridge between Saudi Arabia and China in terms of culture and products.

It can be an animation or a performance that allows the people of the two countries to understand each other better. Hoi An, a thousand-year-old ancient town in Vietnam, was once an important stop on the Maritime Silk Road. Here, a real-life landscape performance "Hoi An Memory" jointly created by China and Vietnam is being staged. The performance uses a Vietnamese loom girl as the lead, and uses a blend of performance, poetry, music, and lighting to tell the past and present of this ancient town and its beautiful memories of connecting with the world.

Mei Ling, Customer Service Supervisor of Hoi An Impression Theme Park: There are historical allusions in our performances, which help me understand Vietnam’s history and culture better. I learned Chinese just so that when Chinese people come to Hoi An to watch performances, I will have the opportunity to introduce the history of Hoi An to them.

In 2019, "Hoi An Memory" became one of the 45 key international cooperation projects in the cultural tourism industry along the "Belt and Road" announced by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Along with the "One Belt and One Road", "Hoi An Memory" brings the Chinese landscape performance form abroad for the first time, integrating Chinese wisdom with Vietnamese stories, and building a cultural bridge for Sino-Vietnamese artistic cooperation.

CCTV reporter Zhang Jian: As an important part of cultural exchanges, China and the countries co-building the "Belt and Road" have also achieved fruitful results in film cooperation over the years, including film shooting and production, the development of the film market, the cultivation of film talents, etc., all of which have given each country a deeper understanding of each other's culture.

In June this year, the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival "Belt and Road" Film Week was successfully held. 20 outstanding new films met the audience, fully demonstrating the colorful culture and diverse civilizations of the countries co-building the "Belt and Road".

Simon Popek, Artistic Director of the Ljubljana International Film Festival in Slovenia: I think even far away countries should work together. I think the “One Belt, One Road” initiative is a good idea. I have met people from all over the world here, even in Slovenia, which has a population of only about 2 million. I am very happy that Slovenian movies can be screened here.

This year is also the fifth year that the “Belt and Road” Film Week has been held in Shanghai. In the past five years, the "Belt and Road" Film Festival Alliance has grown from the first batch of 29 countries and 31 film institutions to 48 countries and 55 institutions today. A large number of excellent Chinese and foreign films were screened in other countries through film festivals, and some of them were successfully introduced afterwards and achieved impressive box office results.

Experts say that movies, a popular form of entertainment for the general public, will make it easier for people to take the initiative to understand a country and feel its culture and folk customs. This powerful communication power is also a great advantage of movies.

China Film Archive Program Planner Sha Dan: Through movies, I think everyone can quickly know what citizens and friends of various countries are thinking, doing, liking, eating, watching, and playing. I think they are all very touching. Back when movies were still copies, we all said that movies were "ambassadors in tin boxes", and the movie copies were all packed in tin boxes. Now, with the development of digital movies, it is more convenient for people from all over the world, especially movie fans and the public in the "Belt and Road" countries themselves, to better understand some of China's voices and ideas. Movies are actually a very good vehicle.

CCTV reporter Zhang Jian: In the past ten years, Chinese culture has been "going overseas" and "out of the circle". The vitality of the cultural industry has exploded, and the competitiveness of cultural products has continued to increase, becoming an important force in promoting Sino-foreign exchanges and people-to-people bonds. At the same time, more and more excellent foreign cultural products are entering China through the “Belt and Road Initiative”, allowing us to see a broader and more diverse world. Thank you for watching this episode of "Seeing China on a New Journey."