The Kyrgyz audience is gaining broader access to Chinese documentaries, series, and cultural programs. In Bishkek, a new showcase of nearly ten programs produced by China Media Group has been launched, focusing on Chinese crafts, intangible cultural heritage, traditional medicine, and everyday life.
The programs will be broadcast until the end of October through Kyrgyz national television and other regional media.
This project follows an agreement on media cooperation signed last year by China Media Group and the Kyrgyz National Television and Radio Company UTRK during a visit by the Kyrgyz president to Beijing.
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with Kyrgyzstan, as the current chair country, hosting the SCO summit. This is why cultural and media cooperation between the two countries is receiving further attention.
The General Director of UTRK, Ulanbek Satiev, stated that cooperation has been gradually deepening in recent years, helping residents of both countries to better understand each other's cultures and social development. He believes that it could be expanded in the future into areas such as news coverage and joint content creation.
From Traditional Medicine to Everyday Life
The selection of Chinese programs is diverse in genre, including short cultural formats, longer series, and documentary cycles.
One dramatic series, for example, takes place in a restaurant in northwestern China and captures the daily life of local residents through its gastronomic setting.
Other documentary programs focus on traditional artistic crafts, herbal medicine, or Chinese design heritage. This aims to present Kyrgyz audiences with a broader picture of Chinese culture than is typically offered by well-known film productions.
The Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Li Hua, stated that the showcase can help viewers better understand China, its people, and its cultural traditions.
China Media Group has been gradually expanding its presence in Central Asia in recent years. Previous programming projects have brought nearly two dozen Chinese programs focused on culture, art, and contemporary life to regional television screens.
The current showcase in Bishkek is also being watched by media from other SCO member countries. This project fits into a broader effort to strengthen cultural and media contacts between China and the Central Asian countries.
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