Unveiling the past

Compared to the first season, where the oldest artifacts date back to between 5000 BC and 3000 BC, the second season is slightly closer to the present day, covering the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) and the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).

Speaking about the characteristics of these dynasties, Xu Huan, head of the directors' team, says: "Those were very creative and imaginative times. You can see a lot of innovation across multiple fields, from political systems to their cultural products and technology. They laid out the foundations of civilization for the following 2,000 years."

Aside from pottery, jade and bronze－the main materials used for making artifacts in the first season－the forthcoming season will cover the rapid expansion in the development of products during that era, such as lacquerware, stone sculptures, bamboo scripts and brocade, adds Xu.

She also believes the documentary will act as a reference point that will help guide the audience through the different periods of Chinese history and civilization.

Aiming to appeal to younger audiences used to more entertainment-based content, the series employed some advanced techniques during the production process, such as three-dimensional scanning techniques and 8K-resolution filming, the latest technology for capturing ultra high-definition sequences, says Zhang Ning, deputy editor-in-chief of China Central Television.