New Chinese Television drama reaches Tanzania

The media company StarTimes Tanzania has announced that a new Swahili-dubbed Chinese television drama will soon be on air in the east African country.

At a recent launching ceremony, StarTimes Tanzania's staffers announced that starting on Monday, the Swahili-dubbed Chinese television drama "Let's Get Married" will be broadcast through Star Swahili channel every Monday and Wednesday at 9:40 p.m. local time.

The drama is a love story about a Beijing couple going through difficulties, overcoming challenges and finally getting married. It stars famous Chinese actor and actress Huang Haibo and Gao Yuanyuan.

Cultural exchanges between China and Tanzania have largely increased during recent years and have always been a highlight of the two countries' cooperation, said Liu Dong, the Cultural Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, who attended the ceremony and cut the ribbon.

So far, seven Chinese television dramas have been brought to Tanzania. He believes today's launch of the new drama will take China-Tanzania cultural interactions one step further.

"Chinese culture and Tanzanian culture are kind of like similar, " said Rehema Nathan, content analyst at StarTimes.

"Whatever it is that the Chinese people are going through, eventually Tanzanians will also have to go through that stage," she said, adding that Chinese television dramas resonate with Tanzanian viewers and the audience can learn life lessons through watching them.

Previously, StarTimes Tanzania has broadcast three Swahili- dubbed Chinese television dramas which have received positive feedbacks among local viewers.

Recent years have witnessed some popular Chinese TV series being introduced into Africa as one of many ways to promote better understanding between people in China and Africa.