Film conveys realities of the Chinese Hajj

The China Intercontinental Communication Center and National Geographic Channel have joined hands to produce The Chinese Hajj, a 60-minute documentary on Chinese pilgrims' journey to Mecca.

The film focuses on the journey of five Muslims, whose 2010 pilgrimage to Mecca was supported by the China Islamic Association.

The filming locations include Beijing, the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Yunnan province, and Mecca and Medina.

China Islamic Institute vice-president Gao Zhanfu praises the documentary for being concise and full of human interest, and says it reflects the Chinese government's respect of religious faith.

The documentary premiered on National Geographic's Asian network on Feb 5, and will soon reach more than 300 million viewers in 165 countries through National Geographic's global network.