A scene in the documentary East to the Sea. [Photo provided to China Daily]

When the documentary East to the Sea was shot in Zhoushan, one of China's largest fishing harbors, director Huang Yu remembered photographers had to face off against the raging sea almost every day during their trips with local fishermen.

At a recent seminar held in Beijing to examine the success of a cultural project produced by Zhejiang Radio & TV Group, which has spawned five documentaries including East to the Sea, Huang recalls the challenges faced in making the documentary.

More than 20 cameras and eight drones were used to shoot the scenes, with several of the expensive pieces of equipment falling into the sea and being lost forever.

A scene in the documentary Seal in Time. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The five documentaries -- Seal in Time, The Southern Song Dynasty, Art North 30o and The Villages in China -- have received high popularity and critical acclaim for their unique content and novel narratives.

Lyu Jianchu, president of ZRTG, said the documentary series has demonstrated the local television industry's effort to explore an internationally centered approach to telling stories about the distinctive beauty and cultures in East China's Zhejiang province.

Experts attending the seminar mostly gave high reviews, saying these five documentaries create a "big picture" chronicling the history of Zhejiang, from Hangzhou serving as the prosperous capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) to the province's economic and cultural development in recent years.