China's 1st TV drama on Anhui ink culture to premiere this weekend

China's first major television drama centered on Anhui Province's ink culture, Jia Ye (Family Legacy), is scheduled to begin airing on CCTV-8 on May 17. The series tells the compelling story of a local ink-making family, marking the country's first TV production to focus on the intangible cultural heritage of ink in Anhui.

Set during the Jiajing Emperor's reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the drama follows Li Zhen, the youngest daughter of the Li family, who defies the traditional rule of "passing the craft only to sons.”Using her extraordinary talent in ink-making, she leads the family business back to its peak and ensures the continuation of the family's unique ink craftsmanship.

Filming took place in several culturally rich locations across Huangshan, including Hongcun and Xidi in Yixian County. The production team also filmed a fish lantern festival in Shexian County, and shot scenes in Tangmo and Chengkan in Huizhou, showcasing the region's heritage through a diverse array of visual narratives.

In a bid to promote ink culture and encourage interest among young people, Huangshan University is hosting a competition for students to create secondary works based on Family Legacy using new media formats like short videos. Students may participate individually or in teams of up to three, with unlimited submissions per person.

Creative directions include plot summaries and reviews, character analysis, education on typical Huizhou cultural elements (ink, opera, sculpture, cuisine, architecture, etc.), location vlogs, creative dubbing and editing, cosplay, derivative short dramas, and AI-generated content.

The initiative aims to engage younger generations in preserving and creatively promoting the rich local cultural heritage.