(Source: CGTN)

In addition to World Book Day, last weekend also saw the observance of Earth Day, a global campaign aimed at raising environmental awareness. And in honor of the occasion, Disney Nature - a subsidiary of the animation giant - is releasing a special film, called Born in China.

A rare and breathtaking glimpse, into the so-called Middle Kingdom's animal kingdom. 'Born in China' follows the stories of three animal families through China's vast terrains. Golden monkeys, snow leopards, and of course, the country's beloved giant pandas.

"Whether you're telling a story about a family of bears in Alaska, or whether you are telling a story about a snow leopard in Qinghai plateau - 14,000 or 15,000 feet above sea level - the core element of their survival is so important to the world and each individual," Roy Conli, producer of "Born in China", said.

The film's Chinese director says it gives the world a chance to see a different side of China.

"China is kind of a very popular idea in Western audiences, but I think they never had the chance to see the beautiful landscape of China, they never had the chance to see the wild animals in China, so I think it's a good opportunity for me to deliver this kind of good, beautiful image to those audiences," Lu Chuan, director of "Born In China", said.

Chinese officials say: films like this transcend borders.

"The film born in China, a Disney co-production with Chinese institutions for the first time, is undoubtedly a masterpiece, and a symbol of the deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges between our two countries," Cui Yuying with Chinese State Council Information Office, said.

For nearly a decade, DisneyNature has released its films to coincide with Earth Day. Previous movies took viewers on a journey through Africa. In 2009, "Oceans" took them underwater. But DisneyNature calls this: it's most ambitious film yet.

"We filmed across the entirety of China. That really required a massive undertaking, putting multiple crews out the field at the same time, all over the country to capture some remarkable wildlife. So it's the challenge of time the time that we were in, for two-and-a-half to three years, and the extreme conditions, was remarkable," Paul Baribault, North America head of Disneynature, said.

DisneyNature has made six of the seven highest grossing nature films out there. Many are hoping 'Born in China' will join the list, and maybe even top it.