CRI听力:"Panda and Mole" to Entertain Chinese and Czech People

The well-known figures are actually animals, namely a panda, which for many around the world is a national symbol of China, and a mole.

The mole character is already a well-known commodity in the Czech Republic, as well as in China.

They are the main characters of a new animated series simply titled "Panda and Little Mole."

The 52-episode series began airing in China on Monday, the same day President Xi Jinping arrived in the Czech Republic for his 3-day visit.

The series itself is a new twist on a well-known cartoon series known as "Little Mole."

It was the brainchild of Zdenek Miler, who created the character 60 years ago.

The original cartoon series, famous for its simplicity, was a hit throughout Eastern Europe and in France for decades.

It also aired in China back in the 1980s, and became widely popular among Chinese children.

"In the 1980s, there weren't many cartoons on the TV in China. So every time Little Mole came on, kids made sure they were around a TV set."

"Little Mole" helped popularize Czech animation. Developers of the new series, in which the mole is joined by a panda, will be equally popular.

Most of the stories in the series will be take place in China, except for the first one.

Unlike the original, the new version will also include dialogue among the characters in Chinese. Zdenek Miler passed away in 2011.

The rights to "Little Mole" are now owned by his granddaughter, Karolina, who works from her grandfather's old studio in the suburbs of Prague.

She has an active role in the new animation series, and began working with China Central Television last year.

"I'm very glad to be a part of Little Mole and Panda because I know the Chinese people are very familiar with Little Mole and have deep feelings for it. I also need this cooperation to carry forward my grandfather's work."

The new series is part of a cultural exchange program endorsed by the Chinese and Czech presidents two years ago during a meeting in Beijing.

Czech TV station Barrandov aired the first of the series on Monday.

Jaromir Szokup with Barrandov says they have high hopes for the ratings.

"This cartoon movie, the new series of Panda and Little Mole is expected to be so popular. So the first round of this series, we plan to broadcast it on the main channel. Because among adult people, it's well known. And I expect adult people will watch it. And among young people, I expect it can be popular, too."

Barrandov began introducing a number of Chinese programs into its line-up over the past couple of years.

Szokup says the new cartoon should help increase ties between China and the Czech Republic.

"Over the past two years, we've broadcast lots of Chinese content, especially documents and kid contents. They were successful. If these two symbols can help enhance relationships between the two nations and the two peoples, we will appreciate it."

26 episodes are now finished.

The other 26 are in the final stages of production.

Here in China, "Panda and Little Mole" will be aired on CCTV's children's channel.

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.