The Shape And Spread Of National Image In A Bite Of China

National image, as an essential part of states’ soft strength, is an important index to measure a country’s comprehensive strength. Good image of a country is beneficial to enhance its national confidence and cohesion, get other countries’ acceptance and have more international support. The mass media play an irreplaceable role in national image shaping and spread because of its own characteristics. Among them, documentary film, as a relatively new mode of communications, plays its unique rule in the area of national image’s shaping and spread. Documentary films, as a television program that records history and reality with high reliability and credibility, make communications between different ideological and cultural concepts possible around the world. Documentary films with high quality and national characteristics are of great use for a country in improving international influence and shaping good national image.This food documentary, A Bite of China, received widespread attention and identification since it was broadcast on CCTV with simple showing Chinese life-styles and human feelings. With abundant traditional culture and local customs, A Bite of China successfully realized the expression of Chinese contemporary environment, so that we can see a real China.This article choose documentary A Bite of China Ⅰ & Ⅱ as analysis objects to analyze the Chinese elements in it, and text analysis and case study are the main methods. First, along with previous vivid images in Chinese documentaries, this essay sum special expressions of A Bite of China Ⅰ & Ⅱ in 5 points:wild China, rural and urban, art in China, feelings of China, legend of China. Second, this documentary also gives spectators deep impression in audio-visual production area. So this essay tries to analyze the appropriate application of film language, actual sound, caption and details in this documentary. The successful experiences of A Bite of China Ⅰ & Ⅱ are also included in this essay。 With the study of Chinese image in A Bite of China Ⅰ & Ⅱ, this article try to provide reasonable recommendations for national image’s shaping and spread.Although A Bite of China can’t represent the whole, the study of this documentary is beneficial for both national image’s communication and Chinese documentary’s development.