A CCTV crew descended on Taicang, Jiangsu province, to film a documentary about the Yangtze River on Jan 8.

High on the broadcaster's list of filming locations was Liuhe Town, Tianfei Palace, the Port of Taicang and Zhenghe Park. The shooting started last September at the Yangtze River's headwaters in Qinghai province.

Two main filming locations and crews were set up at Liuhe Town and the city's port area.

Among Liuhe Town's ancient buildings is Tianfei Palace, where seafarers once visited to worship Mazu, the goddess of the sea. The temple formed a highlight of the documentary due to the city's rich naval history. The documentary will also touch on Zheng He, a maritime explorer from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) who led a series of voyages from Taicang to the wider world.

Taicang's bustling modern port was another focus of the documentary. The team recorded the magnificent view of the convergence point of the Liuhe River and the Yangtze River.

Taicang port's handling capacity reached 200 million tons in 2015, the city's maritime bureau announced on Dec 28. Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River (where the river's waters empty into East China Sea), the port is a key transportation hub in the region.

Taicang has proven to be a popular filming destination of late, with UK producer Steward Binn visiting the city in Oct 2015 to film a documentary about the city's maritime culture.

The CCTV documentary will be screened over six episodes on CCTV's documentary channel at the beginning of 2017.

Editedy by Jacob Hooson