YOG kicks off in Nanjing
Colorful life at Youth Olympic Village of Nanjing 2014 YOG
Royal Taoist temple to open to public
Female soldiers at quake-hit area
Shocking photos of cruel battles in Ukraine
Amphibious armored vehicle unit conducts open sea drill
Water relay in Henan
Ethnic culture feasts eyes of travelers
80 security dogs assembled in Nanjing police dog training base
Graffiti artists paint on street walls in Xinjiang
A scene from Empresses in the Palace, a historical drama that was introduced in Japan.
His center is one of the country's major institutions promoting Chinese productions abroad. Its first attempt in taking A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era, a family drama, to Tanzania in 2010 was a trial.
"There were only a few scattered organizations in China making translated TV series for export then," he recalls. "We didn't charge for that project. We can only do business after foreign audiences know what Chinese TV series are like."
Luo was surprised that the show proved popular in that country. The Chinese public, meanwhile, did not know that a Chinese TV series was broadcast in an African country until President Xi mentioned it during his visit to Tanzania last year.
CRI also took the family drama series Jin Tailang's Happy Life to Myanmar last year. The more recent Marriage Battle, which depicts a husband-wife relationship, has been one of the most-watched programs on Myanmar's national MNTV since it premiered in April.
"African and Southeast Asian societies share similar big family structures with China," he says, "and their audiences can relate to the dramas."
Imagine a scenario in which a middle-aged housewife in Dar es Salaam or Yangon talks to her friends about their fictional Chinese counterparts' quarrels with husbands or mothers-in-law. It's just like young Chinese people complaining about an unreasonable roommate, will likely cite The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, probably the best-known figure from an American TV series in China today.
Luo admits that the family theme is not enough to win a diverse overseas audience, and additional topics will be needed to grow a wider market.
![]() | ![]() |
Special holidays
World's top 10 fighters
'Stewardesses' serve in hospital
Beautiful night scenery of Nanjing
‘Peace Mission -2014’ joint anti-terror military exercise kicks off in China
Eye-catching guides at the opening ceremony of YOG in Nanjing
A female missile launch company of PLA
China, the U.S., Britain and the Soviet Union call for Japan's unconditional surrender
The biggest duty-free store of the world
Volunteers bid farewell to YOG
More police dogs join anti-terror campaign in Inner Mongolia
Picturesque Dayilan Manchu village in NE China
Athletes experience the charm of Chinese traditional opera in Nanjing
Contestants for Miss Bikini World experience Chinese traditional cultureDay|Week|Month