To commemorate the 120th birthday of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997), a popular TV series revisiting his early years working in southwestern China recently concluded its first run on China Central Television's CCTV-1, said producers during a Beijing seminar.

According to statistics released during the event, Zou Xiang Da Xi Nan (Advancing Southwest) attracted over 200 million viewers and was watched over 241 million times with all 23 episodes receiving an average rating of 2.76 percent. Additionally, it has amassed more than 100 million views of its related entries on the short video-sharing platform Douyin.

In July 1949, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China established a regional branch in southwestern China, assuming leadership over Chongqing and Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, as well as the then-Xikang province, which now encompasses western Sichuan and the eastern Xizang autonomous region.

Deng served as the first secretary of the Southwest Bureau of the CPC Central Committee between 1949 and 1952. During this time, he led a population of 70 million people in efforts to conduct development projects and combat challenges, with his endeavors spanning various fields from restoring the economy to stabilizing social order.

As the first of its kind, the series revisits a previously unexplored aspect of Deng's history, bridging the gap left by previous movies and television projects that primarily focused on his leadership during China's reform and opening-up era or his early years studying in France, said some critics at the event.

Scriptwriter Zhang Qiang revealed that the drama was shot in Chongqing, and Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, with nearly 6,000 costumes and over 10,000 props tailored to the story. Additionally, around 60 percent of the scenes were filmed at historical revolutionary sites to ensure a faithful depiction of past reality, Zhang added.