Representatives of the US tourism industry and media attend the screening, sharing thoughts about this film and offered advice and ideas for promoting Chongqing's tourism after the film. Hong Xiao / China Daily

A documentary named Chongqing: China's City for International Travel that was broadcast on WABC-TV in New York has put the inland city of China in spotlight in the US.

The 30-minute film illustrates the megacity from different aspects as the center of financial, culture and politics of southwest China.

Built on mountains and flanked by the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, Chongqing is known as a “mountain city” and a “city on rivers”.

Chongqing has UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Dazu Rock Carvings and Wulong Karst Landscape Region, along with top springs, mountains, caves and waterfalls scattered around the city. There also are luxury shopping malls, hotels and delicious cuisine.

Simone Olivier Bassous, executive director of the Pacific Asia Travel Association New York chapter, recalled taking a cruise on the Yangtze River in Chongqing several years ago.

"I think American audiences will love Chongqing because it has so much to offer, the growth there is constant, the beauty is constant and the food is terrific. ... It's like a mini New York," said Bassous at a screening on Wednesday at the office of Sino-American Friendship Association in New York.

“I'm glad that the American audiences could have a deeper, a more comprehensive and a more objective understanding of the city of Chongqing through watching this documentary,” said Pan Xiaopeng, deputy director of China National Tourist Office in New York.

“I look forward to more cities in China promoting tourism in a creative way, just like Chongqing, since the documentary is shot from a view of Americans, which made it more powerful,” she added.

The film also introduces the upcoming World Tourism Cities Federation Chongqing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2016. The annual summit brings together representatives of international tourism organizations, top government officials of tourism cities, and senior executives of tourism-related institutions. They share experience in tourism development, discuss issues crucial to tourism development in cities and lock in opportunities for tourism cooperation.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com