International Chinese Television Network, the largest Chinese television media company in the United States, will launch a new program aiming to introduce Chinese tourism and culture to American audience from November this year.

The program was launched in Beijing on Wednesday.

The program, which is named Joy in China, will offer people in the US a new platform to know Chinese historic and scenic spots, modern metropolis from an international perspective, said Li Yan, president of Beauty Media Co Ltd, the parent company of ICN.

"The launch of this one-hour program will show the image of Chinese cities, promote Sino-US economic and trade development and cultural exchange, as well as provide a new platform to promote the influence of Chinese culture overseas," Li said.

Mark Lewis, commercial officer at the US embassy in Beijing, believed the new service is very helpful and informative to US citizens who want to travel to China.

"The number of American people traveled to China has been on the rise each year. In the first half of this year, about 1 million American people had visited China," said Lewis.

"ICN's new program will facilitate the greater exchanges of people in US and China."

In 2009, Beauty Media acquired ICN, becoming the first Chinese media company to gain access to America's digital terrestrial broadcast network.

ICN has 16 channels, covering Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Austin, Dallas in US, and Vancouver, Toronto in Canada. About 100 viewers in North America can watch its program by the wireless and cable.

Contact the writer at liulu@chinadaily.com.cn.