Popular TV series revisits Chinese entrepreneurs' stuggle in 1990s

Wild Bloom, a popular TV series that revisits the early struggles of Chinese entrepreneurs from over three decades ago, has garnered attention overseas as it has been translated into over eight languages, including English and Arabic, according to a symposium held in Beijing.

Starring A-list actress Zhao Liying as a determined businesswoman, the 36-episode drama has aired on two satellite TV channels in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, as well as on the streaming site iQiyi.

Wang Xiaohui, chief content officer with iQiyi, said the drama has reached 6.625 percent of the television program audience in Zhejiang and 5.438 percent in Jiangsu, and has topped a series of rating lists on more than six major review aggregators such as Douban and Zhihu.

Wang said the drama topped all the new shows when it was released on iQiyi in December and was one of the three most-watched dramas on their foreign platforms, available in over six countries, such as Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada. Describing the show as an inspirational drama, Wang emphasized that it pays homage to China's reform and opening-up over the past four decades, serving as a testament to how China has reached its current position with the hard work and dedication of the Chinese people.

Dai Ying, deputy senior president of iQiyi, said the drama took a total of 1,222 days to make, including 15 months for polishing the script and 144 days for shooting. It was primarily filmed in Ningbo in Zhejiang province and Harbin in Heilongjiang province.

Liang Zhenhua, the show's literary consultant, said the drama has a high level of literary quality with its abundant use of metaphors and symbolism based on its adapted novel, Bu De Wang Sheng (Cannot Pass Away), which is a crafted tale that looks back on how privately-owned enterprises survived and thrived during the "taking-off" period of the Chinese market economy.

The symposium gathered major creators, including actor Li Guangjie, as well as some critics and industry analysts. Most of them praised the drama, which currently has a rating of 8.2 out of 10 on Douban, for its captivating portrayal of a woman's journey in establishing her own business from scratch in the male-dominated steel industry.