Epic 15,000 km journey to ASEAN countries launches in Beijing

An event to promote cultural and media exchanges between China and ASEAN countries was launched in Beijing on Wednesday.

Co-hosted by the China Intercontinental Communication Center and Shaanxi Satellite TV, the 2019 Silk Road Journey will take Chinese media and companies to ASEAN countries about 50 days. The date of departure is to be determined.

Setting off from Beijing and stopping in Northwest China's Shaanxi, East China's Fujian, and South China's Guangdong provinces; South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and Southwest China's Yunnan province, the participants will head to Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. The whole journey will span 15,000 kilometers.

TV programs and video products will be produced in cooperation with media outlets from ASEAN countries, while cultural events, such as galleries and lantern shows, will be hosted along the way for local audiences.

Guided by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, ASEAN-China Centre and the provincial publicity department of Shaanxi, the event is part of the activities marking the 2019 China-ASEAN Year of Media Exchanges.

The 2019 Silk Road Journey is expected to serve as a comprehensive platform for economic and cultural exchanges between China and ASEAN countries, according to a news release.

Ling Li, an official with the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said he hopes the event will further strengthen people-to-people bonds between China and ASEAN countries.