An up-close look inside architecture industry

Veteran director Liu Jin's latest offering "The Ideal City" is now airing on Dragon TV and iQiyi.

Liu is well known for the popular spy thriller series "The Brink" and urban romance "A Servant of Two Masters." In 2018, he received the Best Director award at the 24th Shanghai TV Festival for the epic series "White Deer Plain."

This time, Liu focuses his lens on the development of China's architecture industry, and a group of young people pursuing their dreams and fighting for their careers.

The series features actors and actresses from different generations, including Sun Li, Mark Chao, Yu Hewei and Yang Chaoyue.

Sun, who was hailed by many as China's "Queen of Television" for her roles in "Empresses in the Palace" and "The Legend of Miyue," portrays Su Xiao, a construction cost engineer.

Ti Gong

From a small city, Su moves to Shanghai and is confronted with many career challenges. With a never-yielding spirit and hard work, she distinguishes herself in a male-dominated industry and wins people's recognition. However, at the peak of her career, an incident occurs and she is demoted, forcing her to rebuild her confidence under enormous pressure.

Sun said the character is different from her former role Fang Sijin, a real estate agent in the 2020 TV drama "I Will Find You a Better Home."

"Although both of their work is related to houses, they are not the same type of person," Sun said. "Without family support, Fang is obsessed with anxiety and the feeling of insecurity. However, Su grows up in a warm family and gains her power and faith from her parents' love and support."

She is also touched by Su's perseverance in pursuing her career. To depict the real working conditions of a cost engineer, who needs going to construction sites and works overnight, Sun doesn't wear much makeup or fashionable clothing in the role.

The series is not only about a young engineer's growth, but also about different people's choices in the architecture industry. Some people choose to adopt the "hidden rules" for big benefits, but some stay true to their original aspiration.

Many viewers speak highly of the urban career drama for its solid and grounded script. Netizen Angelico said on Douban, China's film and TV review website, that he is touched by the lead character's forthrightness, passion and idealism.

"At some time during our careers, we work hard not to change the world, but not to be changed by the world," Angelico said.

Netizen "Bucket Hat" said the conflicts and narration of experiences seem to be very familiar and real, as he is also in the architecture industry.

The series examines social problems related to the industry, such as back pay, fake data and landslides. It is also one of the few domestic TV productions that provides insights into the architecture industry.

Many of the series' scenes were shot in Shanghai, Suzhou, Kunshan and Huzhou. Dai Ying, vice president of iQiyi and a producer of the series, said it's based on real-life stories, full of positive energy and can encourage people not to give up on their dreams.