Synopsis
"A Lifelong Journey" is the 2022 CCTV New Year drama, directed by Li Lu and starring Lei Jiayin, Xin Baiqing, Song Jia, and Yin Tao. It is adapted from the Mao Dun Literature Prize-winning novel of the same name by Liang Xiaosheng. The series tells the story of the fateful changes over half a century for three siblings of the Zhou family in a northern city. It has a Douban rating of 8.4 and set a new high for CCTV viewership in nearly five years.
Overview
A Lifelong Journey is a 2022 realistic TV series produced by China Central Television (CCTV). Directed by Li Lu and written by Wang Hailing and Wang Da'ou, it is adapted from the full-length novel of the same name by Liang Xiaosheng, which won the Mao Dun Literature Prize. The series stars Lei Jiayin, Xin Baiqing, Song Jia, and Yin Tao, with Chen Daoming making a special appearance. The 58-episode series premiered in the prime-time slot on CCTV-1 in January 2022. It holds a Douban rating of 8.4, ranking fourth on the 2022 Chinese-language TV series rating chart.
Set against the backdrop of a commoner's neighborhood called Guangzipian in a northern city, the series chronicles the half-century-long fate of the three siblings of the Zhou family—eldest brother Zhou Bingyi, elder sister Zhou Rong, and younger brother Zhou Bingkun—from the 1970s to the early 21st century. Through the joys and sorrows of an ordinary family, it portrays the life trajectories and emotional journeys of three generations of ordinary Chinese people amidst the monumental societal transformations from a planned economy to reform and opening-up.
Plot
In the early 1970s, in the Guangzipian commoner's district of a provincial capital city in Northeast China, the Zhou family is an enviable intellectual household. The father, Zhou Zhigang, is an upright worker, and the mother is gentle and kind-hearted. Among the three children, the eldest brother, Zhou Bingyi (played by Xin Baiqing), excels in both character and scholarship and later becomes a pragmatic and people-oriented cadre. The elder sister, Zhou Rong (played by Song Jia), is intelligent and beautiful; she travels to a mountainous area in Guizhou to work as a teacher for love, experiencing marital ups and downs. The younger brother, Zhou Bingkun (played by Lei Jiayin), though not as outstanding as his siblings, is kind, honest, diligent, and steadfast, serving as the most reliable support for his parents.
Zhou Bingkun is the central character of the series. Lacking his brother's political career or his sister's talents, he is just an ordinary worker. Yet, he protects his family and friends in the most unadorned way. His love story with Zheng Juan (played by Yin Tao) is the most touching emotional thread in the series—Zheng Juan has a troubled past, but Zhou Bingkun falls in love with her against all odds, winning her heart with sincerity and perseverance.
As times change, the residents of Guangzipian experience a series of significant transformations, including waves of layoffs, demolition and redevelopment, and social transition. The three Zhou siblings strive on their respective life paths—some enter politics, some go into business, and some remain true to their roots. Their destinies are intricately intertwined with the nation's development, painting a magnificent panorama of the era.
Cast
| Actor | Role | Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Lei Jiayin | Zhou Bingkun | Youngest son of the Zhou family, a kind and simple ordinary worker |
| Xin Baiqing | Zhou Bingyi | Eldest son of the Zhou family, an upright and capable cadre |
| Song Jia | Zhou Rong | Daughter of the Zhou family, pursuing freedom and ideals |
| Yin Tao | Zheng Juan | Wife of Zhou Bingkun, a resilient and kind-hearted woman |
| Chen Daoming | — | Special appearance |
| Ding Yongdai | Zhou Zhigang | Father of the Zhou family, an upright worker |
| Sa Rina | Li Suhua | Mother of the Zhou family, gentle and loving |
Cultural Impact
Following its broadcast, A Lifelong Journey sparked a nationwide viewing frenzy, setting a new high for the average viewership ratings of CCTV dramas in the past five years. The series deeply moved countless viewers with its extremely authentic portrayal of life and profound humanistic care, especially middle-aged and elderly audiences who lived through the reform and opening-up era, seeing reflections of their own past in the story.
Lei Jiayin's portrayal of Zhou Bingkun is considered one of the most touching ordinary characters on the Chinese screen in recent years. He performs no heroic feats nor achieves dramatic reversals of fortune; he is simply an ordinary person who maintains kindness and dignity under the weight of life's pressures. Yin Tao's portrayal of Zheng Juan showcases the resilience and tenderness of Chinese women in the face of adversity. Their performances have been praised by audiences as textbook-level acting.
Liang Xiaosheng's original novel is itself a monumental literary work. The TV adaptation retains the core spirit of the original while making the story more accessible and the emotions more delicate and moving. The success of the series demonstrates the immense appeal of realistic themes among Chinese audiences.
References
- Douban Movie: https://movie.douban.com/subject/35207856/
- Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/人世间_(电视剧)
- Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/人世间_(电视剧)
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