A five-episode TV documentary produced by Kunshan Tourist Resort and directed by Phoenix TV was recently broadcast on Chinese, American and various European channels.

While in modern times Kunshan, located in the eastern part of Jiangsu province, has developed into a thriving center for business due to its position along the Shanghai-Nanjing economic corridor, as the documentary demonstrates it remains a city steeped in its historical legacy and presents tourists with a unique and wholesome experience.

Everyone Loves Our Hometown Kunshan effectively introduces the town's historical and cultural legacy, ancient set of customs and status in the modern era. The well-executed documentary also captures the spirit of local people and offers the viewer an everyday perspective.

The documentary casts much-lauded contemporary opera singers Yu Jiulin and Gu Weiying as ambassadors for their hometown and the pair guide audiences through Kunshan's charming and diverse scenery.

Episodes of Everyone Loves Our Hometown Kunshan run for 8 minutes each. Three of the five episodes depict a number of picturesque local towns. Among the featured towns are: the 1,000-year-old water town of Zhouzhuang, considered the most exemplary of its kind in South China, the town of Jinxi, acclaimed as the capital of Chinese folk museums, and Bacheng, a historical town located on Yangcheng Lake famed for its delicious crab.

Of the remaining two episodes, one is dedicated to local cuisine and the other to local opera. The region is home to Kunqu Opera, from which all other variants of Chinese opera spawned. The city's immense contribution to music and theatre was recognized in 2001 through its designation by UNESCO as a site of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is this legacy, in particular its artistic dominance from the 16th to the 18th century, that continues to entice and charm modern travellers.

It is hoped that the documentary series will boost the city's popularity with tourists through demonstrating its cultural and historical importance.

Artists perform Suzhou Pingtan, a mixture of storytelling and ballad performance using the regional Suzhou dialect. [Photo/Zhouzhuang.net]