Beijing, China – To comprehensively showcase a new Beijing in the new era, Beijing Radio and Television Station will launch a 14-episode multi-platform documentary titled “Where the Spring Breeze Blows” from July 1 to July 18. Each episode, approximately 12 minutes long, will air from Monday to Friday at 7:30 PM on BTV and the btime.com app.
Where the Spring Breeze Blows revolves around 14 themes, including urban planning, Red Beijing, international exchanges, the Double Olympic City, sustainable development, regional collaboration, Beijing’s intelligent industry and innovation, the city as a science and technology innovation center, democracy and rule of law, cultural heritage, green initiatives, good governance, urban-rural integration, and party leadership. It vividly showcases the dynamic transformation of Beijing, the capital of China and a megacity, through vibrant visual language and real-life cases.
The program delves into representative landmarks of the new Beijing, exploring the “extraordinary ordinary people” deeply connected to these places, recording their memories, experiences, and insights while authentically presenting the vitality of Beijing enjoying the animating spring breeze.
As a multi-platform documentary, Where the Spring Breeze Blows features two prominent characteristics: a people’s perspective and lively expression.
The first characteristic is the simple, relatable perspective of everyday people, providing deep observations and genuine insights that thread through all 14 episodes.
“A Science and Technology Innovation Center”
Meet a patient implanted with a brain chip— a 29-year-old man paralyzed for five years due to an accident. His simple wish is to walk his child to school one day. Through a brain-machine interface, he takes his first step by controlling an exoskeleton with his mind. The people-focused technological innovation gives him a fresh start in life.
“Good Governance of a Big City”
The smoothly run subway network of Beijing is a great example of the city addressing the challenges of a major city by pinpointing key issues, effectively utilizing “precision methods,” and honing its “delicate skills.” This approach promotes the wisdom and experience that underpin the city’s effective urban governance. “True good governance is never about forcefully reshaping the city; rather, it involves a meticulous approach to precisely addressing the pain points of people’s livelihoods while leveraging the role of technology.” This program aims to present a new understanding and resonance of this vibrant city from the perspective of its citizens, which enhances the multi-platform attributes of the series.
The second characteristic and defining tone of the series is authenticity, with its honest recording of memories, observations, and insights.
“Cultural Heritage of Beijing”
Following the successful inscription of the Beijing Central Axis as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the preservation of cultural heritage has continuously improved the living conditions of residents in Nanluoguxiang. Li Xujun, a local who enjoys raising katydids, a kind of grasshopper, said that in the past, he kept katydids because the hutong environment was poor and he wanted to hear the sounds of insects. Now that the environment has improved, raising katydids has become more of an emotional affair, a nostalgia-tinted pursuit that embodies the flavor of old Beijing.
“Double Olympic City”
The former Olympic venue at HUAXI LIVE·Wukesong has been transformed into a vibrant cultural and commercial hub bustling with concerts and other cultural and commercial events and showcasing the sustainable use of Olympic heritage. The post-Olympic use of venues is a global challenge. Beijing’s sustainable approach has left foreign visitors attending concerts there amazed, with one remarking, “I’ve never been to such a venue before. We really need to take notes; here, there’s truly nothing that can’t be done, only things that haven’t been thought of.”
“Intelligent Manufacturing”
This aspect of Beijing’s development is presented through jaw-dropping footage. In Beijing’s super automobile factory, each assembly step takes a maximum of 76 seconds, showcasing the astonishing speed of the super factory and Chinese efficiency.
“International Exchanges”
The world’s only Pop Mart City Park captivates many foreign visitors. The growing popularity of Chinese tourism and the deepening influence of Chinese culture globally are increasingly evident.
“Urban Planning”
An eye-catching example of the AIGC technology used in this absorbing documentary shows little divine beasts leaping into the water at the first bridge on Beijing Central Axis—Wanning Bridge—nestled in picturesque scenery.
“Green Initiatives”
The nationally protected Eurasian eagle-owl, which lives near Beijing’s most important drinking water source, the Miyun Reservoir, has “flown” into the Grand Canal Museum’s “This is the Shang” exhibition, engaging in an ecological dialogue that spans 3,200 years with an ancient owl-shaped artifact.
The series’ gripping forms of expression vividly portray the new outlook of the new Beijing in the new era.
