The Great Rivers

Synopsis

"Like a Flowing River" is a period drama produced by Daylight Entertainment in 2018, directed by Kong Sheng and Huang Wei, starring Wang Kai, Yang Shuo, Dong Zijian, and Tong Yao. Adapted from A Nai's novel, it tells the story of three young people from different backgrounds striving and growing amid the tides of reform and opening up in 1978. With a Douban rating of 8.8 and 47 episodes, it topped the list of highest-rated mainland Chinese TV series on Douban in 2018.

Overview

"Like a Flowing River" is a period drama television series that premiered on December 10, 2018. It is a co-production by Shanghai Media Group, Daylight Entertainment, and SMG Pictures. Directed by Kong Sheng and Huang Wei, produced by Hou Hongliang, and written by Yuan Keping and Tang Yao, the series is adapted from A Nai's novel "The Great River Goes East." It stars Wang Kai and Yang Shuo, with Dong Zijian, Tong Yao, Yang Lixin, and others joining the cast. The series consists of 47 episodes, holds a Douban rating of 8.8, and topped the list of highest-rated mainland Chinese TV series on Douban in 2018.

Set against the backdrop of the early stages of China's reform and opening-up from 1978 to 1992, the drama tells the story of three young men from different backgrounds and with distinct personalities—Song Yunhui, Lei Dongbao, and Yang Xun—as they strive and grow amidst the waves of epochal change. With its consistent high-quality production and rigorous approach, Daylight Entertainment portrays this magnificent chapter of reform and opening-up history with both an epic sense and a down-to-earth, relatable quality.

Plot

Song Yunhui (played by Wang Kai) is intelligent but comes from a poor family background; his father was once labeled a rightist, and the family suffered political discrimination. When news of the reinstatement of the college entrance examination in 1977 arrives, Song Yunhui seizes the opportunity to change his fate. Through hard work, he gains admission to university and, after graduation, becomes a technician in a state-owned enterprise. He gradually climbs the ranks through his solid professional skills and upright character.

Lei Dongbao (played by Yang Shuo) is Song Yunhui's brother-in-law, a rough-and-ready demobilized soldier. After returning to his hometown, he becomes the Party secretary of Xiaoleijia Village. He leads the entire village in implementing the household responsibility system and developing the collective economy, gradually guiding the impoverished Xiaoleijia Village onto a path to prosperity. However, his impetuous and aggressive approach also sows the seeds for future troubles.

Yang Xun (played by Dong Zijian) is an individual entrepreneur from a poor background. To support his mother and younger siblings, he starts doing business from a young age, progressing from selling steamed buns to leasing market stalls, navigating the turbulent waves of reform and opening-up. His entrepreneurial journey represents the struggle of countless individual business owners of that era.

The storylines of the three protagonists intertwine, showcasing the tremendous changes across various levels of Chinese society in the early stages of reform and opening-up—rural reform, state-owned enterprise reform, and the rise of the individual economy—each transformation profoundly impacting the fate of ordinary people.

Cast

Cultural Impact

"Like a Flowing River" is another masterpiece from Daylight Entertainment following "Nirvana in Fire" and "The Disguiser." Daylight Entertainment's choice of the reform and opening-up theme was a challenge to its own creative capabilities—period dramas require a high degree of historical accuracy and social insight, and a slight misstep could result in empty preaching. However, "Like a Flowing River" successfully uses the vivid fates of three characters to connect the historical process of reform and opening-up, giving the grand theme of the era a tangible, relatable warmth.

Wang Kai's performance is the core of the entire series. He portrays Song Yunhui's transformation from a cautious young man from a farming family into a capable technical backbone with distinct layers. Particularly, the stubbornness and perseverance revealed through his endurance in the face of injustice and hardship resonate strongly with the audience.

The series also performed excellently in terms of viewership, topping the ratings charts for consecutive days after its premiere, with ratings exceeding 1%. Media called it a warm current in the cold winter, proving that quality content can gain audience recognition regardless of the broadcast schedule. The second and third installments were released in 2020 and 2024 respectively, forming a complete trilogy series.

References

1. Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/26797690/
2. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/大江大河
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/大江大河_(电视剧)