The past is another country

Family saga revisits different era to find out how we got here, Wang Qian reports.

The year is 1969 in China's Northeast. When Zhou Zhigang, a construction worker, is dispatched to engage in a large-scale infrastructure project in Southwest China, his eldest son and daughter become zhiqing, a term referring to educated youth sent to the countryside, leaving the youngest son and his mother at home.

Focusing on the ups and downs of Zhou's family over five decades, realistic drama A Lifelong Journey has been a huge hit on TV and online, evoking nostalgia among many viewers, especially those born in the 1960s. It premiered on China Central Television and streaming platform iQiyi on Jan 28.

Rated 8.1 points out of 10 by more than 47,000 users on review platform Douban by Monday, many viewers describe the show as a time machine to drift into the past, reflecting how we got here.

Adapted from Liang Xiaosheng's award-winning novel of the same name, the 58-episode show explores themes of family, friendship and romance in a bittersweet story. Given that A Lifelong Journey is set in the 1960s, it's not surprising that the family has to deal with lots of social changes and turmoil, like the resumption of gaokao (the national college entrance exam), the country's reform and opening-up, the zeal for xiahai ("jumping into the sea" or becoming self-employed in private business) and the nation's anti-graft campaign.

"China has witnessed dramatic changes over the past five decades and it is time to create such a drama to remember the bygone times," the show's director Li Lu says. The 56-year-old director became well-known for his anti-corruption series In the Name of the People that was released in 2017.

With questions about happiness and father-son relationships still at the forefront of discussions today, Li says he hopes that A Lifelong Journey can stand the test of time.

Disney has announced that it has acquired the drama series for a release internationally on its streaming platform Disney Plus this year.

"There is tremendous appetite globally for high quality Asian content and original stories with great cultural resonance. We will continue investing in the best content and collaborating with the most sought-after creative talent and storytellers in the region so they can shine on the world stage," British magazine Tatler quoted Jessica Kam-Engle, head of Disney's content and development in the Asia-Pacific region, as saying last month.