On Monday, industry experts and scholars gathered in Beijing for a special seminar centered on the new Belt and Road Initiative documentary *Journey Across Jungle: The China-Laos Railway*, where they collectively argued that well-crafted Chinese documentaries have emerged as a powerful, accessible tool to advance people-to-people connectivity and more effective international communication between China and global audiences.
As a flagship media project developed under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, *Journey Across Jungle: The China-Laos Railway* adopts a unique narrative perspective that follows well-known British photographer Thomas Heaton as he travels the full length of the cross-border railway between China and Laos. To capture authentic, grounded stories, the production crew completed three separate on-location filming trips across both countries, documenting the daily lives and personal experiences of railway builders, on-site operators, and local communities living alongside the rail line.
Following its production, the documentary made its global premiere between April 14 and 16, airing simultaneously on China’s CCTV-9 documentary channel and the Lao National Television network. An English-language adaptation of the film has also been distributed to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, bringing the story of the China-Laos Railway and the local communities it connects to a truly global viewership.
During the seminar, participants focused on how the visual storytelling format used in documentaries helps break down cultural and language barriers that often hinder cross-cultural communication, allowing international audiences to engage with firsthand, human-centered stories rather than abstract information. Experts noted that this approach to storytelling, centered on ordinary people’s experiences, helps build greater mutual understanding and empathy between China and the rest of the world, positioning high-quality Chinese documentaries as a core asset for strengthening global cultural exchange.