A television drama centered on the centuries-old craft of xuan paper, hailed as one of the Four Treasures of the Chinese Scholar's Study, has given a fresh boost to tourism and cultural industries in its filming locations in Anhui province, according to a symposium held in Beijing earlier this week.
Zhong Mo Yuan, also known as Paper Dreams in Ink, reached 270 million viewers and averaged an audience rating of 2.75 percent nationwide, ranking No 1 among all dramas airing during the same period. Boosted by its popularity, visitor numbers in Jingxian county, in western Xuancheng, where the story is set and much of the drama was filmed, rose 84.6 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, visitors to China Xuan Paper Town, a cultural and industrial tourism zone, surged by 214 percent.
The figures demonstrate how a popular television production can extend beyond the screen and generate economic and cultural value, participants said.
Feng Shengyong, director of the television drama department of the National Radio and Television Administration, attributed the drama's success to four factors: putting the script and content first, drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese culture, exploring new combinations of genres and themes, and adhering to realism.
He called for creators of intangible cultural heritage-themed productions to combine historical depth with contemporary relevance and cultural roots with innovative expression, urging television dramas to play a greater role in economic and social development.
The production team researched Jingxian for three years, with several national-level inheritors of xuan paper-making guiding filming. Director Zhang Ke said the challenge was to turn a "quiet craft" into a compelling drama by making the craft part of the characters' lives and destinies.
Producer Yi Sirong said the team's approach was to "film people and stories rather than craftsmanship alone". The drama presents the message that traditional culture survives not by being placed on a pedestal, but by being actively used and renewed, she added.
The ripple effects have been substantial. During the drama's broadcast, tourism in Xuancheng and Jingxian increased 23.6 percent and 84.6 percent, respectively. More than 600 cultural and creative products inspired by xuan paper were launched. At the same time, the city's Four Treasures of the Study industry generated 18.9 billion yuan ($2.82 billion) in revenue, up 20 percent year-on-year.
The drama's impact, participants said, offers a case study of how film and television can help transform cultural heritage into contemporary cultural and economic momentum.
