Village people

For instance, in the drama series, a middle-aged, lazy bachelor in the village, who is used to relying on government subsidies, becomes a hardworking beekeeper and develops the courage to pursue the affections of his crush. The changes in his psychology throughout this metamorphosis will be described with subtlety, promises the director.

To find a secluded location that fits the image of the fictitious Wanmixi village, the production design team visited 400 or so villages in Hunan province. Finally, they settled on Mudixi village in Zhang Jiajie, which hosts a majority of the on-location scenes.

"Every day, we commuted by road for more than five hours between the film set and where we were staying in the city," recalls An, adding that the narrow and rugged mountain road with its twists and turns took a toll on their cars that sometimes broke down along the way.

"Then it was always tricky for us to find parking for all of the vehicles in the steep, mountainous area," he adds.

Despite these unfavorable conditions, the production unit still successfully completed the work. In An's view, the drama series provides a perfect example of how these remote villages in and around the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture get out of poverty.

He says he hopes the series will encourage more young people to use their talent to bring positive changes to rural areas across the country.