In the context of globalization, information flows freely through digital medias. The approach for nations to build their national image and strengthen their soft power through cultural communication is changing rapidly. This article tries to explore the ability of the documentary to shape national image by recording and inheriting its culture. It takes the Chinese documentary program CCTV-4 Around China as a case study, and combines content analysis method to reveal the impact of the documentary on shaping the authentic national image through cultural inheritance and on its international communication. The results of the study show that the documentary plays an important role in providing cultural richness to a nation’s cultural heritage, naturally integrating the discourse and activities of local communities and presenting an authentic and attractive national image to the world. However, the international communication power is still weak for the shortcomings of documentary itself, and more research space should be expanded from the dimensions of cultural heritage, local communities’ participation, and the perspective of international communication function which are different from the previous studies. Overall, it seems that documentary is not only a digital platform for recording and inheriting culture, but also a carrier for telling authentic national stories. Documentary will have a greater political and cultural impact in the digital future.

Keywords: National Image, Cultural Heritage, Digital Documentary, International Communication.