Footprints of Change led by Ryan Cheng Lei and Tong Yao is classified as a unique Chinese drama

Three Generations, One Home: Zu Ji Brings Female-Centred Family Saga to Life (Photo: Tencent Video)

September is already looking stacked for C-drama fans, and now another heavyweight has joined the line-up. Zu Ji (祖迹)/Footprints of Change a female-centred multigenerational story headlined by Tong Yao and Cheng Lei, will officially premiere on 4 September 2025.

The series doesn’t just follow one timeline – it pieces together the lives of three generations of women, all tied to the same family home in Shanghai’s French Concession. That century-old house becomes more than just bricks and wood; it’s a silent witness to their triumphs, heartbreaks and resilience across the decades.

Alongside Tong Yao and Cheng Lei, the cast includes Liu Yijun, Lin Yun (Jelly Lin), Wang Herun, with special appearances by Yang Jue and Ning Li – so expect plenty of heavyweight performances.

---

Tong Yao’s Steady Rise, Cheng Lei’s Busy Season

Tong Yao has been on a roll ever since Nothing But Thirty (as Gu Jia) and Tender Light (as Nan Ya), and in Zu Ji she once again steps into the shoes of a strong, independent woman navigating turbulent times.

Meanwhile, Ryan Cheng Lei is arguably one of the busiest men in dramaland this year. 

After appearing in Legend of the Female General (with Zhou Ye) and Shadow Love (with Song Yi), he’s back with Zu Ji – making this his third big release of the year.

---

Zu Ji Synopsis: Three Women, Three Eras, One Home

The 1930s: Lin Siyun (played by Jelly Lin Yun) returns from studying overseas to find her family on the verge of bankruptcy and betrayed by her fiancé. 

Determined to rebuild, she transforms the family home into an obstetrics and gynaecology hospital. Along the way, she crosses paths with Cheng Ao (Cheng Lei), a young barrister. 

The 1950s: Siyun’s niece Yi Yi (Tong Yao), widowed from a Kuomintang official, faces social ostracism and unemployment after the new republic is established. 

Against the odds, she finds a supportive partnership with Wen Pu (Liu Yijun), while holding onto the family home now repurposed as a factory. 

The 1990s: Yi Yi’s granddaughter Ye Xining (Wang Herun) has her career at a state-owned company derailed due to an unlucky misunderstanding. 

While starting over, she partners with university lecturer Xiang Beichuan (Yang Jue) in a new venture, navigating the fast-changing economic tides of the era.

From passion to perseverance, and from loss to reinvention – the Lin family home captures it all.

---

Why Zu Ji Could Stand Out

Period family sagas are no stranger to C-drama, but Zu Ji is bringing a distinctly female-driven perspective, putting women’s struggles and resilience front and centre across three very different historical eras. With Tong Yao anchoring the narrative and Cheng Lei riding a hot streak, it might just become one of September’s most talked-about releases.