Today's Highlights：
1. CMG Short Drama Qi Ji (The Miracles) Premieres, Sparking Widespread Discussion
2. Jin Xiu Shan He Set to Premiere on December 26, Spotlighting Intangible Cultural Heritage
3. Mini Series Nan Hai Shen Yi Zhao Fu Rong (The South China Sea Miracle Doctor Zhao Furong) Garners Popularity, Offering A New Perspective on Chengmai's Longevity Culture
4. Mini Series Jue Jin Nv Wang (Queen of the Nuggests): Never Lose the Courage to Begin Anew
5. Zhengzhou Launches Mini Series Overseas Expansion Plan
6. 250,000 RMB Prize and Top Mentor Lineup Power Tongxiang Mini Series Competition
CMG Short Drama Qi Ji (The Miracles) Premieres, Sparking Widespread Discussion
On December 22, the first original high-quality short drama produced by China Media Group (CMG), Qi Ji (The Miracles), premiered in the prime-time slot on CCTV-1 and Tencent Video, quickly generating widespread public attention. Set against the backdrop of Shenzhen's development, the drama stands out for its unique narrative perspective, strong sense of the times, and rich artistic expression. From the episodes already aired, each story is deeply rooted in real life and closely follows the pulse of social change. While every episode centers on a distinct theme, together they form a coherent whole, making the drama a benchmark among high-quality Chinese short drama series. By adopting 15 stories about ordinary people's struggles and 24 episodes with strong emotional resonance, Qi Ji vividly portrays the spirit and character of a modern international city. The 15 unit stories are like 15 different puzzle pieces, varied in color and texture, coming from different eras and perspectives to collectively form a shared picture of Chinese-style modernization.
The joint creation by central and local media, telling 15 stories around one city, represents an innovation in television production. What is even more impressive is the series' artistic expression, presenting creative exploration and attempt. Instead of following a single linear storyline, the series adopts a unit-based structure, with each story featuring a different style, including nostalgia, youth, comedy, suspense, fantasy, and romance. The creative team shows great boldness and imagination. If compared to a feast, the series resembles a rich banquet with diverse flavors and carefully prepared dishes.
Another highlight is its ordinary-people-centered narrative. Qi Ji does not tell the stories of a privileged few, but by everyday people who live earnestly, such as a retired woman delivering food, an insurance worker on the plateau, a street food stall owner, or a construction worker. Through their hard work, wisdom, and warmth, they create these "miracles" together. This storytelling approach greatly enhances the city's sense of closeness and identification, delivering a clear message: through perseverance and effort, everyone can live better and create their own miracles.
Jin Xiu Shan He Set to Premiere on December 26, Spotlighting Intangible Cultural Heritage
The mini series Jin Xiu Shan He, which focuses on the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage such as Shu brocade and Shu embroidery, has recently announced its premiere on December 26, with exclusive release on the Hongguo platform. Reservation channels across platforms are now open, allowing viewers to sign up by searching the title of the series. As the first key project under the "Watch Intangible Cultural Heritage through Mini Series" creation plan, the series closely follows the guidelines issued by the National Radio and Television Administration, and adopts the widely accessible format of mini series to bring new vitality to the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. Drawing deeply from Bashu culture, the series skillfully weaves traditional cultural elements, such as the craftsmanship of Shu brocade and Shu embroidery, as well as calligraphy, into its narrative. It fully presents the complete production process of Shu brocade and Shu embroidery, from material selection to finished products, allowing these ancient crafts to reach a wider audience through the strengths of short-form video storytelling.
The story centers on Du Jinxiu, a master artisan of Shu brocade and embroidery in Chengdu. Now in her fifties, she has spent her whole life working with needle and thread. Her greatest wish is to pass on her family's craft. Yet her path is fraught with challenges: she must recover core techniques that were lost over generations, face her children's lack of understanding of traditional culture, and confront external forces seeking to appropriate the essence of Shu brocade and embroidery. Undeterred, Du Jinxiu never backs down. She travels to visit veteran artisans, consults ancient books, and gradually restores the lost techniques. She patiently guides her children to appreciate the value of cultural inheritance and firmly safeguards the roots of national craftsmanship. In the end, she successfully revives the family embroidery workshop, with the next generation willingly stepping forward to carry on the legacy.
Mini Series Nan Hai Shen Yi Zhao Fu Rong (The South China Sea Miracle Doctor Zhao Furong) Garners Popularity, Offering A New Perspective on Chengmai's Longevity Culture
The mini series Nan Hai Shen Yi Zhao Fu Rong (The South China Sea Miracle Doctor Zhao Furong) has recently premiered on the Hongguo Mini Series platform to an enthusiastic reception. With "a doctor's benevolence, saving lives and helping the world" as its narrative theme, the series is deeply infused with the regional cultural identity of Chengmai, renowned as a "World Longevity Town." The series seamlessly combines health and wellness concepts with humanistic warmth in the storyline, allowing viewers to intuitively experience the unique charm and city warmth of "Longevity Chengmai" while immersing themselves in the drama.
The series portrays a highly distinctive "miracle doctor" character: the protagonist, Zhao Furong, possesses a carefree and somewhat unconventional demeanor, yet possesses divine medical skills and a kind, upright heart. The story begins when Zhang Haiyue, the eldest daughter of the Zhang family, seeks Zhao Furong's help to cure her poisoned sister, disrupting Zhao Furong's peaceful life. From then on, he faces life-threatening crises due to imbalanced yin and yang, and is also targeted by powerful forces seeking to suppress his exceptional medical abilities. However, Zhao Furong remains unbound by fame and wealth, staying true to his original mission of saving lives. In the vast South China Sea, he writes his own legendary story as a divine doctor.
Nan Hai Shen Yi Zhao Fu Rong is currently streaming on the Hongguo Short Drama platform. The entire series is available for free viewing, and audiences can access all episodes and the finale with a single click, experiencing a visual and auditory journey that blends legendary storytelling with cultural immersion.
Mini Series Jue Jin Nv Wang (Queen of the Nuggests): Never Lose the Courage to Begin Anew
Recently, the female entrepreneurship inspirational vertical-screen mini series Jue Jin Nv Wang (Queen of the Nuggests), co-produced by Hongguo's "Guoran Plan" and Jiangsu Hejun Film & Television, premiered on Douyin and Hongguo. The series reflects a grand historical era through small storylines, combining the fast-paced format of mini series with a strong sense of the times. It weaves the grassroots female growth story spanning 35 years into the broader currents of the era, showcasing over four decades of economic development and societal changes since the reform and opening-up, presenting a vivid historical tapestry.
Set against the backdrop of Shanghai's economic boom in the 1990s, Jue Jin Nv Wang tells the story of Chen Yuzhen, a young woman from Sichuan Province, who, with unyielding courage and a pioneering spirit, starts by selling jeans at a stall on Shanghai's Huating Road. Through perseverance, she progressively builds a women's fashion brand, opens a hotpot restaurant, and ultimately grows into a successful entrepreneur. The production team, Jiangsu Hejun Film & Television, is a well-established producer of traditional long-form dramas, maintaining high standards for the quality of the work. Their extensive experience in film and television production has enhanced the vertical mini series shooting.
As for the cast, leading actors such as Gai Yuexi, Dai Xiangyu, and Yuan Hao, all from long-form drama backgrounds, bring natural and subtle performances to the screen. Meanwhile, the production team's expertise in areas such as set design, costume and makeup, props, and color grading further elevates the quality. The series combines real-life shooting with period-appropriate sets to carefully restore the living scenes of the 1990s, highlighting the "vertical screen aesthetics" with a cinematic touch.
Zhengzhou Launches Mini Series Overseas Expansion Plan
On December 23, the Zhengzhou Mini Series Overseas Expansion Plan launch ceremony was held in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. The Henan Branch of Xinhua News Agency's News & Information Center and the Short Video & Short Film Working Committee of the Henan Audio-Video Association reached a cooperation agreement. They will jointly serve the high-quality development of the mini series industry, support Zhengzhou's efforts to build itself into a "Capital of Mini Series Creation" and a base for mini series creation for overseas market, while promoting the international dissemination of Chinese culture.
During the event, the "Strengthening Research on Mini Series Think Tank and Leading Industry Development" overseas expansion research plan was announced. The Henan Branch of Xinhua News Agency's News & Information Center and the Short Video & Short Film Working Committee of the Henan Audio-Video Association reached a cooperation consensus to provide targeted support and services for mini series enterprises in areas such as overseas expansion and communication resource integration. Both parties will combine resources to enhance Zhengzhou's overall competitiveness and influence in the mini series industry, and to jointly promote content innovation and cultural communication. This includes effectively telling Zhengzhou's story, Henan's story, and China's story, with the goal of building Zhengzhou into an agglomeration hub for the mini series industry and a source of cultural innovation and expression."
250,000 RMB Prize and Top Mentor Lineup Power Tongxiang Mini Series Competition
From December 22 to 30, the 2025 Tongxiang Mini Series Competition is held in Puyuan. A number of small but high-quality mini series that showcase the beauty of Tongxiang are ready to be presented. The competition is jointly organized by the Tongxiang Municipal People's Government and Communication University of Zhejiang. Since its launch in June this year, 75 mini series project proposals from different sectors of society have been submitted. After a strict first-round review, 10 outstanding teams were selected to advance to the proposal stage. On December 22, at the Proposal Presentation and Master Class Event, 10 shortlisted teams presented their projects one by one, receiving on-site evaluations and professional feedback from the judging panel.
From December 23 to 29, the selected winning teams will take part in a one-week on-site creative training camp and master workshop. They will carry out their productions at locations such as Puyuan Fashion Resort, the Wuzhen World Internet Science and Technology Museum, the Feng Zikai Memorial Hall, and Xingwutong Film and Television Base, completing their mini series within a limited timeframe. The training camp brings together leading creators in the field of mini series, including producer and director Shan Yinsheng (Representative work: Jia Dong Gong, Chai Men Xiao Fu Qi), director Huang Kai (Representative work: Du Gu Tian Xia Zhi Yi Tong), director Xiu Xiaonan (Representative work: Mei You Yi Dun Huo Guo Jie Jue Bu Liao De Shi), producer and director Sun Yang (Representative work: Meng Fei Gong Lve), director Liu Zhenguo (Representative work: Dai Dao Shi Wei Su Xiao Li), and director Liu Hongqiang (Representative work: Chang'an Mi Wen). Serving as mentors, they will provide full guidance on script development, filming, and post-production.
All completed works will be screened collectively on December 30, followed by professional reviews and awards presented by the mentor team. The final winning project will enter the "Birth of a Mini Series" incubation program, receive up to 250,000 RMB special funding, and move forward with long-term development under an industrialized production process.
