Cities full of heroes

Everyday heroes receive the attention they deserve in new TV series that focuses on the real lives of China's firefighters and rescue workers, Wang Xingwei reports.

They say there are a thousand heroes in a thousand people's eyes. For director Li Muge, a hero in peacetime like today is someone who can save people either physically or mentally and guard their dreams — just like the firefighters in his latest work Fireworks of My Heart.

The TV series, which began airing at home and abroad in July, has not only become a trendy topic on Chinese social media but also topped the most-searched list on a number of overseas websites including Google.

In Li's eyes, the story discusses the relationship between an individual and a city.

As a fire chief, the protagonist Song Yan dedicates his life to saving others in a fictional city called Yancheng. Going through fire and water, he happens to meet emergency doctor Xu Qin, who turns out to be his sweetheart back from his school days a decade ago. Brought together by their work, the two have to consider their relationships and reflect on their own career lives. And it's from there that the story unfolds.

"The hero and heroine, who are a firefighter and a doctor by profession, are more like the guardians of a city," Li noted. "People living there wouldn't be able to enjoy their safe and comfortable lives without the support of the guardians."