A filming location of This Thriving Land in Yinan county, Linyi. [Photo/WeChat account: ymhsys]

The recent popularity of the TV drama series This Thriving Land has brought nationwide attention to the cultural richness of Linyi in Shandong province.

The 36-episode drama depicts the struggles of rural families in southern Shandong from 1926 to 1944, highlighting both the profound attachment of farmers to their land and their indomitable spirit of perseverance.

This Thriving Land is adapted from part of writer Zhao Defa's 1996 novel Qianquan Yu Juejue (literally Deep Attachment and Decided Severance). 

The book, set against the backdrop of the Yimeng Mountain area in Linyi, spans four generations and tells of the evolving relationship of farmers with the land as times change.

Zhao said that the soil, water and stories of Yimeng Mountain area nourished his imagination and inspired his lifelong dedication to rural literature. 

For him, the Yimeng Mountain area was not only a backdrop but also a literary treasure trove, providing materials and spiritual strength for ideas and creativity.

The perseverance and resilience of farmers in the face of adversity resonate deeply with the Yimeng Spirit, which was forged in the Yimeng Mountain region during China’s revolutionary struggle of the 1930s and 1940s.

During the revolutionary war, more than 1.2 million of the 4.2 million people living in the Yimeng Mountain area made efforts to support the Red Army, with more than 200,000 joining the army to fight.

Their spirit of hard work, self-improvement, selflessness and dedication was later referred to as the "Yimeng spirit", which has inspired generations of Chinese people since then to create a better life.

The stories of Yimeng Mountain have inspired many artists, who created a diversity of art forms, such as ballets and movies, to speak of the history of the place, said Tie Liu, deputy director of the Reportage Literature Committee of the China Writers Association, who himself drew inspiration from the area for a series of novels.

Linyi has recently been advancing cultural innovation while preserving its traditions. This Thriving Land was partially filmed in Changshanzhuang village, Yinan county in the city. The film base there still preserves the authentic rural scenery of the Yimeng Mountain area as it appeared in the 1930s.

To date, more than 450 film and television productions have been shot there. With the rising popularity of This Thriving Land, the village has attracted growing numbers of tourists, bringing renewed attention to the area's cultural and historical significance.