Blockbuster series charts principal's course

As China's first public all-female high school to offer free education and financial assistance for living expenses, the school has helped more than 2,000 girls from impoverished rural backgrounds to enter colleges.

In 2021, Zhang — who was born in Heilongjiang province in 1957 — was awarded the July 1 Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the Communist Party of China upon outstanding members.

Preparations for the TV series began in June 2020, and went through three years of script writing, shooting, and post-production, seeking to bring Zhang's self-sacrifice and steadfast determination to the screen.

In the belief that teenagers without acting experience would be able to more convincingly portray rural students, the producers chose 100 girls to take part in a three-month training program before the official start of filming.

Veteran scriptwriter Yuan Zidan, who is known for popular TV dramas like the Ode to Joy franchise, tells China Daily that she felt stressed and nervous when she was first approached to write the biographical account in early 2021.