Film honors military hero's sacrifice to the country

Over seven decades after the passing of military hero Yang Gensi, a film retelling his heroic fight to the death has gained popularity on China's major streaming sites, including Tencent Video and iQiyi, according to producers at a seminar held in Beijing earlier this week.

The film Chong Feng (Charge) follows 28-year-old platoon leader Yang as he and his soldiers repelled eight enemy attacks during the Battle of Lake Changjin (Chosin Reservoir) on Nov 29, 1950. Yang, the last survivor in his platoon, carried a bag of explosives and sacrificed himself to take out the enemy.

This battle was pivotal in changing the tide of the Korean War (1950-53). Yang was bestowed the title of Special-class Combat Hero of the Chinese People's Volunteers, becoming the first to receive the honor since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The movie debuted online on Sept 27 on Tencent Video and became one of the most popular streaming movies during the National Day holiday, said Cui Chao, deputy director of the operation department of Tencent Video.

Producer Zhan Hanwen revealed that they conducted extensive research, traveling to Yang's hometown in Taixing county in Jiangsu province and interviewing local seniors and retired veterans.

Actor Li Gan, who plays Yang, said that he felt it was a great honor as well as a source of stress to play the hero. To better understand his role, Li delved into many historical archives but it was a picture book published in the early 1980s that left the deepest impression.

The book, chronicling Yang's life from his childhood in a poverty-stricken farmer family to joining the Communist Party-led army and fighting in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the War of Liberation (1946-49), vividly demonstrates his 28-year life, said Li.