Zhejiang's TV dramas pioneer cultural innovation

The recently concluded TV drama Legend of Zang Hai sparked a binge-watching frenzy upon its release in China, and its popularity quickly spread abroad after its broadcast in 190 countries and regions.

Across various international social media platforms, phrases such as "Chinese Aesthetics" and "Xia Culture" frequently appeared in comment sections. This reflects not only the Zhejiang television industry's unique vision in theme selection, but also serves as a microcosm of the province's ongoing cultural system reform.

According to Ding Lili, a professor at the School of Television and Audiovisual Arts at the Communication University of Zhejiang and deputy secretary-general of the Zhejiang Literature and Art Critics Association, the province has long led the country in TV drama development — from productions such as Family on the Go and Feather Flies to the Sky to more recent works.

"The success of Zhejiang-produced dramas in capturing the spirit of the times and staying ahead of cultural trends stems from the provincial Party committee and government's unwavering commitment to cultural development, as well as Zhejiang's deep cultural roots and sustained strengths in the creative sector," Ding said.

The eighth plenary session of the 11th Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, which was held on July 28-29 in 2005, reviewed and approved the decision by the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee to accelerate the construction of a culturally strong province.

It laid out the "Eight Projects" of cultural construction, which span eight major areas: civic quality, cultural excellence, cultural research, cultural preservation, cultural industry promotion, cultural infrastructure, cultural communication and cultural talent development. These initiatives have continuously injected momentum into Zhejiang's cultural growth.

In the 20 years that the initiatives have been in place, Zhejiang-produced dramas — rich in ideological depth, artistic value and audience appeal — have formed a diverse and innovative creative landscape. These works have achieved socioeconomic success, becoming a formidable force in China's domestic drama market.

In the first half of this year, 21 Zhejiang-produced quality dramas premiered, a 50 percent increase compared with the same period last year. Upcoming releases such as Swords into Ploughshares and Ball Lightning are also generating anticipation among fans.

Zhejiang has also had a strong year on the awards front. At the 34th Flying Apsaras Awards, the country's top honor for television dramas, four Zhejiang-produced titles received the "Outstanding Television Drama Award" — tying with Shanghai for the highest number of accolades, a historic first. The "Made in Zhejiang" label has become a hallmark for quality television productions.

Zhejiang Huace Film & TV Co, a leading enterprise in the province's film and television sector, continues to take a forward-looking and pioneering approach.

Fu Binxing, president of Huace Group, said, "For themes already common in the market, we explore new angles for adaptation. For groundbreaking and uncertain topics, we're willing to conduct in-depth research and carefully refine them to open new creative fields for the industry."

In the 1990s, China's TV drama industry underwent a difficult transformation. As private film and television companies emerged, questions were raised about whether non-State entities could play a meaningful role in the cultural sector. But Zhejiang's 2005 strategy to build a culturally strong province sent a clear signal to private producers that opportunity had arrived.

Since then, the province has rolled out a series of supportive, guiding and regulatory policies to help elevate Zhejiang-produced content to new heights.

Launched in 2020, the Zhejiang Cultural and Arts Development Fund allocates 130 million yuan ($18.1 million) annually, with up to 10 million yuan available per project. Notable projects such as The Knockout and Legend of Zang Hai have benefited from the fund.

The "Zhijiang Tide" Cultural Awards Program, which will be held every three years beginning this year, recognizes achievements in theory, literature, film and television that feature innovations and breakthroughs. Additional support mechanisms include full-process content management such as specialized promotion teams, script review and guidance, production supervision, pre-broadcast review and expert training.

From humble beginnings as a small workshop to its emergence as a major company, Huace Group Chairman Zhao Yifang credited the province's creative ecosystem for its success.

"Huace's development is inseparable from the fertile ground of Zhejiang," Zhao said. "Zhejiang will always be Huace's main base."

Today, Zhejiang is one of China's most dynamic film and TV production hubs, home to more than 4,000 production entities. It ranks first in the country in both the number and scale of its film and television bases.

Zheng Zeng, manager of the film and television services department at Xiangshan Film and Television City Cultural Industry Group, said the site already includes real-world sets such as Xiangyang City and Tang City, along with over 30 professional studios. Plans are underway to expand its scale with actor and screenwriter villages, as well as high-tech studios.

"To be considered a true masterpiece today, a drama must excel not only in storytelling, but also in costumes, makeup and props," said Gu Xiaoyan, an associate professor at Zhejiang University's College of Media and International Culture. "Zhejiang people are bold and action-oriented. We have professional production hubs such as Hengdian and Xiangshan, along with full-cycle service systems from project approval to broadcast. All of this demonstrates our capability and confidence in producing great dramas."

These combined strengths have helped elevate the brand of "Zhejiang-produced quality dramas", allowing more critically acclaimed and commercially successful works such as Legend of Zang Hai to emerge.

On Monday afternoon, a provincial symposium was held in Hangzhou to mark the 20th anniversary of the Eight Projects.

Wang Hao, Zhejiang's Party secretary, noted that the province has followed a consistent development blueprint over the past two decades, using culture as a key engine of high-quality growth and a pillar in building a demonstration zone for common prosperity.

"Culture," he said, "has become a shining hallmark of Zhejiang and a distinctive foundation for advancing Chinese modernization at the provincial level."