A forum on the production of Chinese war epic TV series "Decisive Victory" is held in Beijing, China, August 10, 2021. /CMG
A forum on the production of Chinese war epic TV series "Decisive Victory" was held in Beijing on Tuesday.
Shen Haixiong, president of China Media Group (CMG), and the production team of the TV series as well as scholars and experts attended the forum and discussed the stories behind the making of the 49-episode drama.
The TV series, produced by CMG, follows the historical events between September 1948 and January 1949, specifically the "three great battles" – the Liaoshen Campaign, the Huaihai Campaign and the Pingjin Campaign.
The success of the TV series lies in its notion of creation that is people-centered, Shen said at the forum. It also breaks the stereotyped and standardized forms of expression and vividly portrays the heroes in history, he said.
The TV series aims to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and offers new insights into its history through the stories of renowned military commanders as well as soldiers on the front line.
Actor Liu Jin, who plays former Premier Zhou Enlai in the TV series "Decisive Victory," speaks at the forum in Beijing, China, August 10, 2021. /CMG
According to producer Liang Renhong, filming of the series started last November and lasted about 120 days, and then it took more than three months to finish post-production.
Some of the country's most recognized faces can be seen in the series. Chinese veteran actor Tang Guoqiang stars as Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People's Republic of China, while actor Liu Jin plays the role of former Premier Zhou Enlai. Both actors have played historical figures in dozens of films and TV dramas over the past decades.
The TV drama has received nationwide acclaim since its launch on June 25 for its unique historical narrative, vivid portrayals of battlefields, touching heroic deeds and great acting performances.
During the series' first run, the average TV ratings were 1.23 percent with the highest single episode ratings reaching 1.86 percent.
The series has garnered a total of more than 1.5 billion views on multiple online video platforms with the relevant hashtags accumulating over one billion views on China's Twitter-like social media platform Sina Weibo.