The past is another country

Details matter

With the majority of the narrative taking place in a shantytown, Guangzipian, where Zhou's family lives, the show takes viewers down the memory lane for its engaging plot and mesmerizing characters.

To create the neighborhood, the shooting crew built a set covering 8,000 square meters in Changchun, Jilin province, collecting many old items, such as vintage televisions and calendars, to re-create the past. The clothing, like Lei Feng-style hats, and interior spaces, also play an integral part, changing with time as the plot develops.

In the set, the Guangzipian neighborhood consists of five streets－Guangren, Guangyi, Guangli, Guangzhi and Guangxin－representing ren (benevolence), yi (righteousness), li (courtesy), zhi (wisdom) and xin (trust), the five virtues in Confucianism.

The virtues can be found in the lead character Zhou Bingkun, the youngest son played by Lei Jiayin. Lei, who was born in Northeast China's Liaoning province in 1983, says he can almost "see his father" in the script.

In the show, Zhou Bingkun used to be a factory worker. Although not good at studying at school as his elder brother and sister, he is the one who has taken care of the big family. He always does things for the family and friends selflessly.

"I was born in Changchun and spent my childhood there. I have met many blue-collar workers like Zhou Bingkun, who have been gradually neglected by society," Li says, adding that his younger brother, now a journalist, used to be a worker at Sinopec Jinling Company in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.

"Shooting a TV series that can reflect the life of blue-collar workers has been on my mind for years. Liang's novel is exactly what I have longed for," the director adds.

Following the lives of Zhou's family, the drama gives viewers an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese who have turned a country in poverty into the world's second-largest economy.

Although the novel doesn't mention the current days, the drama gives audience a full picture in terms of the time span. In the part about today's life, the director used bird's-eye view shots of skyscrapers and expressways in comparison with Guangzipian, reflecting the country's rapid development.

Without further spoilers, A Lifelong Journey is the kind of show that tugs at your heartstrings and lingers on your mind with nostalgic, tear-jerking, heartwarming stories, even if you've already read the book.