Multimedia project shows attractions in a different light

A multimedia project highlighting China's culture, history and development kicked off in Beijing in June.

New Era, New Home uses videos, live broadcasts, photos and articles to explore various dimensions of 100 domestic destinations.

It was initiated by the videostreaming website Youku, China Youth Tour Service and Peopledigital Co, a Beijing-based digital communication company under People's Daily.

"We hope to pay tribute to the new era and the achievements made over the 40 years of reform and opening-up," Peopledigital Co's president Xu Tao says.

The project will go beyond merely showing scenery, customs and cultures but also will reveal urban development and rural revitalization, Xu says.

The videos can be viewed on Youku via smartphone and will also be shown on the 20,000 public screens People's Daily operates nationwide.

Projects released so far on Youku show the changes in Qinghai province's Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture since the 2010 earthquake, the allure of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region's prairies and a road-trip route through Heilongjiang province.

"It's a good platform to promote our province's tourism," Heilongjiang tourism development commission deputy director Hou Wei says.

The Heilongjiang video shows rivers, forests and wetlands along the 2,200-kilometer drive from China's easternmost point, Fuyuan, to its northernmost county, Mohe. Adjacent articles provide travel tips.

The project has come at an opportune time, since Heilongjiang is currently promoting summer tourism, Hou says.

Heilongjiang joined the project via China Youth Tour Service, which cooperates with various levels of government to portray local development, the travel agency's president Kang Guoming says.

The project is part of the cooperation between the media lab jointly developed by Youku and Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group.

It strives to create a multidimensional, detailed and interactive experience, Xu says.

For example, visitors to the Heilongjiang multimedia package can click on a video to tour of the birch forests hosted by China Youth Tour Service, Xu explains.