A documentary about Chinese geography and culture that has been two years in the making will be premiered to coincide with President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States.

China From Above, a 100-minute film covering geographic distinctions, cultural diversity and various lifestyles in around 20 provinces, cities and regions, will be broadcast on the National Geographic Channel in the United States on Thursday.

Split into two episodes, the first part is mostly aerial shots of famous places and traditional events including boat racing in Xishuangbanna in Yunnan province, Shaolin Kungfu in Songshan, Henan province and the 57-meter-tall Stone Buddha at Leshan Mountain in Sichuan province.

The second part examines how modern Chinese travel and bring about environmental problems generated by the consumption of fossil fuel energy.

The film is an epic journey revealing the secrets and patterns of life in traditional and modern China. Through a combination of innovative aerial photography and stories of local residents in a wide range of locations, audiences are able to see China as they never seen it before, according to the China International Communication Center, one of the film's major investors.

Wang Yuanyuan, a producer at the communication center, said China is a land of immense scale and diversity, an ancient civilization with thousands of years of history.

"How have the traditions of this centuries-old civilization shaped its landscape and people, and how do they hold up in the present day? To capture its scale and complexity we embark on an epic aerial journey across China's varied landscapes and cultures to uncover how these practices and icons endure. From monumental engineering feats of the Great Wall to a massive water splashing festival in the tropical South, we unveil the secrets and patterns of China's living past in a fresh new perspective".

From ancient monuments and customs, through astonishing landscapes and megacities, and on to the high tech world, the film reveals what makes China a fascinating country and shows its impact on the planet, Wang said.

"In episode two, we take to the air to reveal how modern China lives, eats, works, travels and plays – on a mega scale. We will learn how this nation has transformed its cities and infrastructure in three decades while still retaining its traditions; we gain a greater understanding of how China's industrialization impacts the planet in negative ways and how they are seeking solutions; and we find out what a billion strong population do for fun and how it crosses its huge expanses".

The film was produced by the State Council's Information Office and was jointly created by the National Geographic Channel, China International Communication Center and the Beach House, Natural History New Zealand Limited.