CCTV China Documentary : Walk into Israel-The Land of Milk and Honey

CCTV, China’s national TV channel(s), produced a documentary TV series about Israel called “Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey” (走近以色列, zou jin yiselie). There was a recent launch event , and the episodes are already screening in China and available on the web.

Israeli TV station Channel 2 had an enthusiastic Hebrew introduction to the Chinese project :

Here’s from People’s Daily :

An event to mark the launch of the TV documentary series "Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey," the first comprehensive TV series about the Jewish civilization and the State of Israel produced by CCTV, was held at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on July 29.

"The TV documentary series ‘Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey’ is the most important TV series ever produced in China about Israel and the Jewish People, and it offers the viewer an historical, comprehensive and systematic introduction to the Jewish civilization and Israel," said Guy Kivetz, Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of Israel in Beijing.

"Through this amazing program, which explores and unveils the wonders of the State of Israel and the contributions of the Jewish Civilization to the world, we are now able to present the real and bountiful Israel to the Chinese public. We are sure that this program will enhance the understanding of Israel in China and will therefore further promote friendly relations between the two peoples," he said.
Amos Nadai, Ambassador of Israel to China, delivered a speech during the launching event.

He said "Israel and China are two great civilizations known for their contributions to mankind and two modern states that share a rich history and many modern challenges. After watching the TV series, people may have a better understanding of the history and development of the 4000-year-old Jewish civilization as well as the rapid development of the modern State of Israel. This series has the potential to enhance mutual understanding and traditional friendship between Chinese and Jewish nations, promote cooperation between the two peoples and jointly build a better future for all. "

The Global Times reports :

Visiting the holy city, or walking the Stations of the Cross, wailing at the Western Wall, or chanting the Ninety-nine of Allah, Israel is a land carved from beliefs. On July 29, at the launch of the TV documentary series Walk into Israel-The Land of Milk and Honey, around 450 people enjoyed a virtual tour of Israel to experience the art, music, history and faith of its people.

"The documentary series is a window which shows the miracle that is Israel to Chinese," said Le Qiliang, a Chinese audience.

The 12-episode TV series is also an interesting window into their own land for Israelis. "Seeing the amazing things presented in the series gives me a new-found respect for our civilization," said Israeli Sofia Ronen.

[…]  "Before I took over the program, I had little knowledge of Jewish civilization and people; my only knowledge was from movies such as Life is Beautiful and Schindler’s List. It took me two years to finish the documentary series," he said.

"And what shocked me most was the Jewish civilization and their national identity have been so well preserved throughout the 2,000 years and many hardships," Qi continued.

In the past two years, director Qi and his crew went to Israel several times, and used their lenses to explore and unveil the wonders of the State of Israel and their contributions to the world.

"Undeniably the program offers the viewer a historical, comprehensive and systematic introduction to the Jewish civilization and Israel. We are sure it will present the real and bountiful Israel to Chinese people and enhance the mutual understanding of the two nations," added Guy Kivetz, Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the embassy of Israel in Beijing.

Amos Nadai, Ambassador of Israel to China, spoke at the event, saying "After watching the TV series, people may have better understanding of the 4,000-year-old Jewish civilization, as well as the rapid development of the modern State of Israel." He added that he hopes the series will bring the better understanding of two peoples, promote cooperation between the Chinese and Israelis, and build a better future for all.

The 12-episode HDTV documentary series is now being broadcast on CCTV-2, and will be broad-cast on CCTV’s other leading channels in future.

Israel National News has a bit more to add about the Israel-China relations :

China’s CCTV has launched its first-ever series on Jewish history and Israel. The series, a documentary, is titled "Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey."

"Walk into Israel" was launched at an event in Beijing covered by the People’s Daily Online.

Israeli ambassador Amos Nadai spoke at the event, as did Guy Kivetz, the Israeli embassy’s Director of Communications. Both expressed hope that the TV show would “enhance understanding.” […]

Ties between Israel and China were virtually non-existent prior to the 1980s due to China’s support for the Muslim world and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The two nations developed military ties in the 1980s, and formally established diplomatic ties in the early 1990s.

Trade between the countries has since surpassed $4 billion per year.

Episode 1 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 2 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 3 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 4 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 5 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 6 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 7 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 8 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 9 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 10 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 11 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Episode 12 – Walk into Israel – The Land of Milk and Honey – CCTV

Original event invitation – Israel Chamber of Commerce in China.

I quickly browsed through the first couple of episodes. If you watched it, do let me know what you thought of it.