Zhanjiang was in the national spotlight tonight when CCTV-4 aired a new episode of its popular travel show Faraway Home (yuanfang de jia) about the city's heritage as China's ancient gateway to the Maritime Silk Road.

CCTV-4 aired the 45-minute show introducing the city on the southwestern coast of Guangdong province at 5:15 pm on Oct 17, with a re-run later that night at 11:15 pm.

Viewers were given a taste of the city's famous seafood and cultural attractions during the show, but the meat of the episode will be Zhanjiang's history as one of China's most important ports.

Zhanjiang was a major port connecting China with countries along the Maritime Silk Road as far back as 2,000 years ago, and the ruins of the city's ancient Xuwen Port pre-date any other evidence of Chinese trade along international sea trade routes by more than 1,000 years.

This history of trade and openness has stayed with Zhanjiang throughout the centuries, and the city was one of the first batch of 14 coastal cities to open up to the outside world in 1984.

Now Zhanjiang is making efforts to build close ties with South East Asia as the city looks to become an important link in the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt.

The ocean has also shaped the city's cuisine throughout the centuries, as the show will highlight. Oyster is a particular trademark of Zhanjiang, with its firm but soft flesh delivering mouthfuls of freshness and sweetness accentuated by a range of secret unique sauces.

Zhanjiang's eight major well-known tourist attractions include the East Island, South Isles, and Donghai Island, the fifth largest island in China, which attract flocks of ocean-lovers.

The show aims to promote appreciation of Zhanjiang among audiences across China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative season.

Oysters, the most popular seafood in Zhanjiang, hang neatly under bamboo sticks. [Photo/zjphoto.yinsha.com]