Youths chasing dream in Xizang featured in TV series

Bakuo Street in Lhasa Old Town is a place that every visitor to Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region can't miss as the "heart of Lhasa" is not only a well-known bustling bazaar for tourists but also a place to chase dreams and make them a reality for young people.    

A new TV series City of Sunlight is set to air on China's state TV and streaming sites including Mango TV starting on October 2, as a part of the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. 

"As China's first TV series about contemporary Tibetan stories, the series aims to present truth, objectivity and authenticity," show producer Bao Jianhua told the Global Times. "Every character in the drama is based on true stories. We are telling a story about chasing dreams and realizing self-worth through a relaxed narrative method."

Taking place along the Holy Road, which preserves the traditional appearance and life of the ancient city of Lhasa, six young men, including Suolang, follow their hearts to turn their dreams into reality. 

"Their sunshine, optimism and perseverance are like seeds of highland barley, taking root and sprouting in the snowy plateau, bringing greenery, hope and strength to the land," Bao added. "It is very precious and I hope that the ideal light can be passed on to more young people."

In order to better tell the story and find more inspiration, the cast and crew, including Bao, scriptwriter Yu Xiaoqian and others, paid a visit to Xizang in October 2021. They interviewed hundreds of people of all ages and professions, and took down more than 1 million words of interview notes, which laid a solid foundation for the creation of this realistic work. 

These life stories are also connected to the ancient and vast natural and cultural features in Xizang. In the series, the audience can not only see the beauty of Lhasa's landmark buildings such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka, and other ancient buildings in the old city, but also learn about Tibetan opera, Tibetan food and clothing, embroidery, horse racing, thangka and other cultural heritages of the region. 

For scriptwriter Yu Xiaoqian, the biggest problem that he encountered was "How to tell stories of contemporary Lhasa," "How can we make the people in Lhasa recognize that this is a representation of their lives," and "How to create emotional resonance with the audience."

First of all, they abandoned the perspective of curious tourists. Instead, they sought to tell the stories from the perspective of the local people. According to Yu, they set the story in a yard on Bakuo Street for the traditional side of the show and chose local high buildings to present the modern side. 

Li Wei, a doctor from Beijing Anzhen Hospital, used to be a member of a medical aid team to Xizang. His story has inspired the character Yin Wei in the series. After seeing the series, Li said, "It helped me travel back in time in Lhasa. The audiences can immerse themselves in the scenes and empathize with these roles." 

In recent years, a number of Chinese TV series have promoted tourism in local areas across the country, such as Rising with The Wind, Blossoms Shanghai and To the Wonder. 

At the "Promoting High-Quality Development" press conference on Friday, Zhu Yonglei, a vice minister of the National Radio and Television Administration, said that the administration has established a collaboration mechanism with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Watching upcoming series such as City of Sunlight, audiences can enjoy the ups and downs of the story, while appreciating the beautiful scenery in Xizang, he noted.