China’s efforts in environmental protection portrayed on small screen

Promoational material for Sunrise on the River Courtesy of Mango TV

A recent TV series has quickly gained attention from both audiences and TV critics for the way it integrates multiple environmental issues into the plot, vividly showing the practice and exploration of China's efforts in environmental protection and how the country has put the vision of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into practice.

The series, Sunrise on the River, which debuted on Hunan Satellite TV and Mango TV on Thursday, centers on stories taking place in the fictional city of Qijiang, where environmental issues, particularly water pollution, have come to light.

Zheng Hanjiang, played by actor Huang Zhizhong, a professor at Qijiang University, is appointed as the city's deputy mayor in charge of environmental protection. He embarks on a mission to find a balance between environmental conservation and economic development, during which he had to deal with various cases of pollution that have troubled the city.

Through these cases, the close connection between environmental issues and people's daily lives is fully represented on the small screen. Inspired by real cases, a range of ecological and environmental governance issues, including water, air and soil pollution control are addressed in the story line. Narratives include improving hygiene at street food stalls, the resolution of covert wastewater discharge incidents and the development of hotels.

In terms of artistic creation, the series attempts to use a fast-paced, multi-perspective and strong narrative method to explore innovative expressions of this theme. Meanwhile, the series strikingly presents multiple environmental issues. 

Promotional material for Sunrise on the River Photo:Courtesy of Mango TV

The TV series not only provides a visual feast for audiences, but also provides viewers with an important reference for thinking about how to seek a balance between economic development and environmental protection. 

These evocative stories and real characters show the country's efforts and achievements in the battle against pollution and the construction of a beautiful country. 

More importantly, we can understand and learn about China's determination in the battle against pollution and efforts to create a beautiful country.

Some of us may think that these environmental issues are far from daily life. 

However, so many cases about pollution and the terrible results it brings remind us to pay more attention to this issue.

"We need such literary and artistic works that pay attention to realistic issues like ecology and environmental protection as more people can think about them and gain some understanding of them too," Zhang Ting, the scriptwriter of the series, shared. 

In order to be as realistic as possible, Zhang said that they also hired expert consultants in the field of environmental protection to work on the show.

Think before taking action. We never know what comes next unless we think about it first. Water, air and soil pollution occurs from time to time. The series presents the difficulties behind ecological environment governance. It is never too late to act and do as much as we can.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. [email protected]