Amateur drama of village life becomes a viral hit

In a quiet hillside village on the outskirts of Qingdao, Shandong province, an unlikely group of actors has turned everyday rural life into an online sensation.

Last September, more than 20 villagers from Beiliangjia village in the Qingdao West Coast New Area, none with any previous acting experience, gathered to film a micro-drama series — using nothing more than a smartphone.

Within two weeks of its launch on Chinese social media platforms, the series racked up more than 250 million views. The figure eventually climbed to 370 million and made the top three of trending dramas on the short-video platform Douyin.

Behind the project is director Ding Zhaoting, who handled filming and editing on a single mobile phone.

The cast came entirely from the village, including a woman who has run a local hair salon for more than 30 years, a 58-year-old shopkeeper, and a 64-year-old farmer who still works the fields.

Titled Hua Kai Shi Shang — literally Blooming on the Rocks — the series centers on a young woman who marries into a struggling household that includes three unmarried brothers. Through resilience and ingenuity, she gradually helps the family overcome hardship to build a happier life.

The story draws heavily from real experiences in the village, Ding said, adding: "Most of the stories come from things that actually happened around us, with a bit of fiction mixed in. The script was polished in just one week."

The project was initially aimed at helping the village sell local produce, such as chestnuts and sweet potatoes. Ding, a local who has experience developing social media accounts and livestream sales for farmers, realized that a typical promotional account might struggle to gain traction in a village with mostly older residents. Instead, he proposed telling rural stories with the villagers playing themselves.

The idea quickly won support from Zhang Wei, the village's Party chief, who helped coordinate the effort, offering free filming locations and recruiting residents as actors.

"More than 80 villagers — and some from neighboring communities — volunteered to audition, despite the fact of no payment,"Zhang said. "The budget was tiny, but everyone was incredibly enthusiastic."

For the cast, the process was both exhausting and unforgettable. Xiao Yuhong, 58, always rushed to the set after changing into clean clothes after a day's work in a greenhouse. Zhao Meixia, 64, often stayed up until three or four in the morning memorizing lines. "One scene took more than 50 takes," she said. "But the director was very patient and kept encouraging us."

When the series unexpectedly went viral, life in the village began to change. Some villagers found themselves experiencing a touch of unexpected fame, recognized by strangers at markets and on the streets.

"People would stare at me and then say they'd seen me in the drama online," said Zhang Yuxia, who portrayed a midwife in the production. "It feels a little like being a celebrity in our own village."

The sudden popularity also put Beiliangjia on the map. Viewers flooded online comment sections, asking where they could buy the chestnuts, wild mushrooms and other produce featured in the series.

According to Party chief Zhang, from September to December last year, the village's collective income rose by about 500,000 yuan ($72,000). A new vermicelli processing workshop has since opened and secured orders worth 50,000 yuan.

The unexpected success of Beiliangjia village's micro-dramas reflects the rapidly growing film and television ecosystem in the Qingdao West Coast New Area, which has emerged as a hub for creative production in recent years. Anchored by China Movie Metropolis, the area is now home to some 1,200 film and television companies.

So far, Beiliangjia village has produced six micro-dramas, with a seventh currently in production. The model of using the productions to promote rural products is also spreading to more villages across the district.

Zhao Fang, director of the Qingdao West Coast New Area Film and Television Industry Development Center, said supportive policies have been introduced to encourage micro-dramas as a tool for rural vitalization, helping boost agricultural sales while attracting visitors to the countryside.

Contact the writers at zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn