Voices from the fields

Authentic countryside

Unlike traditional documentaries, Zhao intentionally avoids typical characters and locations. Instead, he adopts a more spontaneous approach — capturing moments as they unfold without a set plan.

"By moving away from conventional case studies, I get a more authentic, comprehensive, and expansive view of village life," Zhao explained.

In 2023, for example, he came across a mobile cinema van while driving through a village. Curious, he followed it and discovered the story of an elderly projectionist who had been screening public-service films in rural areas since 1978.

"This man would travel between villages at night to show films and work on his farm during the day — a routine he's kept for over 40 years," Zhao recalled.

He later learned that the projectionist was a military veteran who had enlisted in 1969.This discovery inspired Zhao to return in 2025 to produce a video about veterans living in rural areas.

After years of documenting everyday life in villages and towns across China, Zhao shifted his focus in April 2023 to broader, more systematic stories. One standout series examines China's economic crops, which has since expanded into 14 episodes.

"I wanted to give the audience a deeper, more nuanced look at rural life through specific perspectives," Zhao said. "Agriculture is the foundation of rural communities, and the crops grown in different regions offer a natural starting point for exploration."

Creating these thematic videos often requires at least a year of preparation and repeated visits. One episode on lychees, for example, spanned from 2022 to 2025, covering four lychee seasons.

These crops not only shape the countryside's landscape but also reveal the struggles farmers face, from low market prices to high production costs.