Senior officials of Jiangxi province launch the media tour in Nanchang on Dec 21, 2015. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A media tour, with the theme of China's Belt and Road Initiative and the era of Chinese high-speed rail, kicked off in Nanchang, capital of East China's Jiangxi province, on Monday.

Senior officials of Jiangxi province and a group of more than 40 journalists from major media outlets around the country were present at the activity.

Yao Yaping, head of the provincial publicity department, delivered a speech at the launch ceremony. He said that Jiangxi is the key strategic passageway linking the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" in southeastern China and the "Silk Road Economic Belt" in the county's northwest.

China's Belt and Road Initiative and the arrival of the high-speed rail era present great prospects for the development of Jiangxi. By the end of China's 13th five-year plan, there will be more than 5000 kilometers of railways within the borders of Jiangxi, boosting faster, more open, and greener development of the province, Yao said.

On behalf of the journalists, Liu Huiping, head of Jiangxi Bureau of People's Tribune, said that Jiangxi, as one of the major exporters of commodities and cultural products along the ancient Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road, plays a crucial role in the implementation of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Liu was confident that the media tour would be a success and it will present a new Jiangxi featuring coordinated development of ecology and economy to the world.

Boasting rich natural and cultural resources, Jiangxi maintained a healthy and steady economic growth in recent years.

During the subsequent week, the journalists will visit many places in Jiangxi, including Nanchang county, Jingdezhen city, Wannian county, Xinyu city, and Pangxiang city. They will present Jiangxi's prosperity in economy, tourism, and culture through their lens.

The activity is organized by the Jiangxi bureaus of China National Radio, China Radio International, and www.cnr.cn.