What is this drama about?
In this series we have many stories of people connected to Shenzen, a city of dreams. Ordinary people created, and continue to create, this city. Their efforts, their work, their sacrifices, and their dreams. It may be very idealistic, but that doesn’t bother me. Watching it, I felt incredibly motivated that anything is possible, that you can’t give up, that you have to dream and believe in the good of others.
Episodes 1-2 tell the story of a mother who wants to financially support her son and takes on the job of a tower runner. Over these two episodes, we learn what it’s like to work as a tower runner. They receive orders from couriers and must quickly deliver them to the right customer. The problem is that the skyscraper is a maze of companies. At the end of the episode, the real tower runners are shown. Every job counts!
Episodes 3-4 tell the story of an employee from a Shenzen company who travels to Tibet to pierce and insure yaks. Unlike life in the big city, the Tibetan plains show him what it’s like to live in harmony with nature, and he shows ordinary people how technology can make their lives easier and solve their everyday problems. A very enjoyable story. Young Niu Niu is adorable.
Episodes 5-6 This time, we’re in 1997. A simple diner and its customers. Each of them has their own story. They came to Shenzen hoping for a better life. A very funny episode.
Episodes 7-8 address the expansion of Shenzen at the expense of villages and the natural environment. Despite attempts by developers, the beautiful mangrove forests along the bay have been preserved.
Episodes 9-10 take us to 1990, when the black market in stocks is booming and leading to trouble. To stop this, the Shenzen Stock Exchange, currently the second largest in China, is established.
Episodes 11-12 The story begins in 2010 and ends in 2025. It tells the story of two college friends who patiently built their tech startup to support surgeons. We see their ups and downs, their hopes, family struggles, their persistence, and their true brotherhood.
Episodes 13-14 feature a fantasy story familiar from many other films and dramas: a portal connecting 2016 and 2025, with the portal being a book.
Episode15 This story is only one episode long, but it’s my favorite, and I think the sweet Wang Anyu plays a significant role here. It’s a wonderfully warm story of a long-standing friendship between a young man looking for a job in 2011 and a simple older woman he met in the men’s room. Despite a painful beginning, this relationship endured for many years.
Episode 16 is another one-episode story that shows that nothing is impossible for Shenzhen, because with combined efforts, the impossible can be achieved.
Episode 17 is another one-episode story. This time, we meet students at a school that holds classes in the evenings. Each of them wants to learn English to develop and fulfill their dreams.
Episode 18 Well, I cried when a little boy noticed the animal problem in the city. Shenzen is shown as a city striving to live in harmony with nature and support it.
Episodes 19-20: This episode references artistic sculptures depicting ordinary Shenzen citizens and their daily lives. One of the sculptures has lost its head, and its original living prototype sets out to find it.
Episodes 21-22: An interesting story about construction workers of both sexes who, in the 1980s, used experimental methods to build the tallest building in China. Entire families came to work here despite the harsh conditions, believing in a better future.
Episode 23: A one-episode story about investing in AI and robotics. The story of a family who learns they will have a third child and are looking for a housekeeper. A male version is found. A very enjoyable, lighthearted story with a twist at the end.
Episode 24: A great episode to conclude the series. A young boy dreams of dancing on a large stage, and his dream comes true. He performs in a performance that combines the lightness of dance with the power of kung fu. It shows the dancers practicing, but also a beautiful piece of the performance. I wouldn’t mind seeing the whole thing. This dance is meant to showcase the true spirit of the Chinese people, and they succeeded.
Each story had its own personal message. At the end of almost every episode, photos and videos, often archival, related to the episode’s theme were shown.
I personally recommend these five stories that captivated me the most, and I could watch them over and over again. You can find them in episodes 5-6, 15, 24, 13-14, and 23.
