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| Zhao Liying & Huang Xiaoming Wrap Up Rural Drama ‘The City Maker’ – A 40-Year Journey of Grit and Growth |
It’s a wrap for The City Maker!
The rural epic starring Zhao Liying and Huang Xiaoming officially finished filming on May 1st, marking the end of months of shooting for this sweeping 36-episode drama based on Zhu Xiaojun’s novel Zhong Guo Nong Min Cheng (literally “Chinese Farmers City”).
Set against the backdrop of China’s economic reform era, the story follows Li Qiuping (played by Zhao Liying) and Zheng Decheng (Huang Xiaoming) as they lead a group of everyday farmers over the course of four decades – turning humble farmland into the foundation of a brand-new city.
Think grit, community, vision, and a lot of digging in both literally and metaphorically.
Zhao Liying, 37, has clearly been shifting gears in recent years – leaving behind the candyfloss roles and taking on meatier, more emotionally layered characters.
From The Story of Xingfu to Wild Bloom, and her intense performance in suspense drama The Unseen Sister where she played a troubled celeb grappling with her long-lost sister’s sudden return, Zhao Liying’s been serving serious acting chops.
The City Maker definitely continues that trajectory – no pretty frocks, no palace politics, just muddy boots and a ton of heart.
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Huang Xiaoming brings his steady screen presence as her co-lead, and the rest of the cast is nothing to sniff at either.
You’ve got Chen Minghao, Zhu Yuanyuan, Geng Le, Yu Ailei, Zhang Guoqiang, Wu Yanshu, Chen Farong, Fang Zibin and Song Ningfeng all lending their weight to the story.
Fans of Legend of Chusen might get a little nostalgic – Qin Junjie is making a special appearance, marking a mini reunion with Zhao Liying. (Yes, we see you connecting the dots!)
Directed by Sun Hao and written by Yuan Keping, the series leans hard into themes of rural reform, economic shifts and the quiet strength of community.
The City Maker is set to stream on Tencent Video and iQIYI – so get ready for some serious binge-watching when it drops.
No air date just yet, but with filming done and dusted, it’s only a matter of time before we see Zhao Liying and Huang Xiaoming back on our screens, this time building a city from scratch – one brick, one dream at a time.