The Magical Craftsmanship of Suzhou (trailer), a 90-minute documentary that panoramically showcases the city's centuries-old crafts, was screened at the China Film Archive in Beijing on Jan 8.

The documentary, which was released across China on July last year, is now scheduled to be distributed overseas in an effort to help more foreign audience learn about traditional Chinese culture.

Through the perspective of 12 veterans, the film traces down nine forms of crafts, including olive-pit carving, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)-style furniture making and silk embroidery of Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu province, a historic city dating back to 2,500 years ago.

The screening was part of a series of activities titled as "Meeting Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River) in Beijing", which runs until Jan 20.

Su Xianghui, curator of China Film Archive, revealed that the archive has collaborated with Suzhou municipal government and jointly held an international film exhibition of restored classics for two years in a row.

"We are impressed by the city's distinctive cultural charm and its creative characteristics," said Sun, adding that she wished to enhance such cooperation to introduce more of China's traditional culture to the world.