The World

Synopsis

"A Lifelong Journey" is a 2022 family period drama with an 8.1 rating on Douban, directed by Li Lu and starring Lei Jiayin, Xin Baiqing, Song Jia, and Yin Tao. Adapted from Liang Xiaosheng’s Mao Dun Literature Prize-winning novel, it tells the story of the three siblings of the Zhou family in the northern city of Guangzipian, spanning half a century of fateful changes. As the 2022 ratings champion, Lei Jiayin won multiple Best Actor awards for his role.

Overview

A Lifelong Journey is a family period drama that premiered simultaneously on CCTV-1 and iQiyi in January 2022. Directed by Li Lu and written by Wang Hailing and Wang Da'ou, it is adapted from the eponymous full-length novel by Liang Xiaosheng, which won the Mao Dun Literature Prize. Lei Jiayin plays Zhou Bingkun, Xin Baiqing plays Zhou Bingyi, Song Jia plays Zhou Rong, and Yin Tao plays Zheng Juan. The entire series consists of 58 episodes and holds a Douban rating of 8.1 (based on over 220,000 reviews). It was a ratings hit and a major topic of discussion in early 2022.

Set against the backdrop of a commoner's neighborhood called Guangzipian in a northern Chinese city, A Lifelong Journey tells the story of the fateful changes over half a century, from the 1970s to the early 2000s, experienced by the three siblings of the Zhou family. This work has been called a people's epic—it is not a story of kings and generals, nor a legend of the elite, but a portrayal of the lives of millions of ordinary Chinese people. The three Zhou siblings represent three different life choices of that era: the eldest brother, Zhou Bingyi, embarked on an official career; the second sister, Zhou Rong, pursued academic ideals; and the youngest brother, Zhou Bingkun, remained in the grassroots community, silently supporting the entire family.

Plot

The story begins in the early 1970s. The Zhou family is an ordinary working-class family in the Guangzipian neighborhood. The father, Zhou Zhigang, is a construction worker who spends years away from home participating in the Third Front construction. The mother, Li Suhua, manages the household. The Zhou family has three children: the eldest son, Zhou Bingyi, is outstanding in both character and scholarship, the pride of the whole family; the daughter, Zhou Rong, is intelligent and independent, daring to pursue her own love and ideals; the youngest son, Zhou Bingkun, has poor academic performance since childhood but is honest and kind-hearted.

As the times change, the three Zhou siblings embark on completely different life paths. Zhou Bingyi (played by Xin Baiqing) is admitted to Peking University and later enters officialdom, becoming an upright and honest official. He adheres to his principles in the political arena but also has to face the contradictions between ideals and reality. Zhou Rong (played by Song Jia) is also admitted to Peking University and becomes a university professor. She marries for true love and moves to a mountainous area in Guizhou, experiencing the breakdown of her marriage and a fresh start in life.

Zhou Bingkun (played by Lei Jiayin) is the central character of the entire series. Lacking the talent and opportunities of his older siblings, he remains in Guangzipian as an ordinary worker. However, he shoulders the entire responsibility of caring for his parents and maintaining the family. His love story with Zheng Juan (played by Yin Tao) is the most touching thread in the series—Zheng Juan is a woman with a tragic fate but unwavering resilience. She and Zhou Bingkun support each other through hardships.

Cast

Lei Jiayin's performance is the biggest highlight of the series. He portrays Zhou Bingkun, an ordinary little person, with the tragic grandeur and greatness of a major era. Zhou Bingkun never does anything earth-shattering, but he silently shoulders burdens his entire life—the weight of the family, the injustice of fate, and the pressure of the times. Through nuanced acting, Lei Jiayin elevates this character from ordinary to great, from commonplace to deeply moving. For this role, Lei Jiayin won the Best Actor award at the Shanghai Television Festival's Magnolia Awards.

Yin Tao's portrayal of Zheng Juan is equally unforgettable. Zheng Juan's life is filled with suffering—she experiences the cruelest of fates but never loses her kindness and dignity. Yin Tao masterfully depicts the layers of this character's strength and vulnerability, endurance and outbursts.

Cultural Impact

The reason A Lifelong Journey has resonated so widely in society is that it touches the deepest emotions of the Chinese people—family. The story of the Zhou family in the series is a microcosm of millions of Chinese families. The different choices of the three siblings represent the life decisions faced by young people of that era, and the parents' unconditional dedication and sacrifice for their children represent the core emotional bond of the Chinese family.

The series is also a poignant retrospective on half a century of social change in China. From the Down to the Countryside Movement to the restoration of the college entrance examination, from reform and opening-up to state-owned enterprise reforms, from a planned economy to a market economy—every major historical event in the series is presented authentically and meticulously through the fate of the Zhou family.

References

1. Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/35207856/
2. Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/人世间
3. Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/人世间_(电视剧)