For the first time in 16 years, a Chinese TV series focused on the Korean War will hit TV screens. (Photo : YouTube)
China's first TV series that tackles the forbidden topic of Korean War, titled "38th Parallel," will be available in small screens on May 28, the Global Times reported.
First announced last year, the TV series is titled "38th Parallel," which pertains to the border that separated North and South Korea before the Korean War.
The series, which started airing on May 28, "broke the nation's silence on Korean War," said the Global Times.
"Considering the country's strict review and approval system, film and television works have always been a good indicator of how the political winds in China are blowing," the news website noted. "Taking stable Sino-U.S. relations into account, no TV series on the Korean War have been allowed to air since 2000."
To stay accurate, the production tapped PLA General Liu Yuan and Major General Qin Tian as consultants. The latter's father, General Qin Jiwei, was a commander at the Battle of Triangle Hill.
Anticipating controversies related to politics, the series' director was quick to say that there are no hidden political motives behind the show.
"The '38th Parallel' is not a way to brag but a way to show our respect for the accomplishments of older generations in history," director Meng Ji said in an interview with takungpao.com.
Screenwriter Wang Haiping shared that she could not help but be a bit emotional when doing the script.
"It took about three or four years to write the script. Every time I got to a moving scene, I couldn't help bursting into tears," Wang said in a report by Beijing Today.
The crew had to study various documents and files, as well as interview survivors, to make the series as accurate and realistic as possible.
Main cast includes Wang Ting, Wang Pei, Cao Xiwen and Zhang Guoqiang.
Beijing Today noted that the show spent more than 100 million yuan on locations and costumes, a relatively big amount for a TV series.
