Food workers documentary serves authentic flavors of life

Hi Lives, a serial documentary recently streamed on Bilibili, captures the struggles and aspirations of ordinary people through the lens of employees at Beijing branches of hotpot chain giant Haidilao.

Comprising six episodes, the series portrays the lives of workers from diverse backgrounds, including a 1980s-born store manager whose hobby is raising pigeons in his rural hometown in Yunnan province and a recent graduate from a prestigious university who left an office job to embrace a new lifestyle.

According to producers, the restaurants are described as "social laboratories", showcasing how hardworking individuals pursue their dreams. The restaurants not only employ young people but also offer opportunities to older workers, such as a woman in her 60s who restarted her career after retirement by earning a barista certificate.

The documentary also captures the employees' vulnerable moments.

For example, Yang Yunxiao, a highly capable manager overseeing two successful branches, earns an impressive monthly salary of up to 100,000 yuan ($13,900) — yet she struggles with loneliness and homesickness, and misses her family who lives in another city.

In another case, a young noodle chef refuses to take even a single day off, driven by the need to support his family — despite having earned 450,000 yuan in bonuses over three years, on top of his regular salary.

Since it premiered on May 28, the documentary has amassed 54.9 million views online, with some audiences praising it for authentically reflecting the stress and striving of ordinary workers in the catering industry.