With a sixty-episode TV drama about the life of "great Asian diva" Teresa Teng about to begin shooting in Pingtan, Fujian province, Zhang Zhaomin, Party chief of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, met the crew on April 14.

The eagerly-anticipated show will tell the life story of Teresa Teng, or Teng Lichun, the influential pop star from Taiwan who was billed as one of the "Five Great Asian Divas" during the 1970s and 1980s.

Zhang met with the crew, headed by Deng Changfu, Teresa Teng's third oldest brother and president of Teresa Teng Foundation, extending a warm welcome to them.

"Teresa Teng is an irreplaceable super star in Chinese musical history," said Zhang. "It is a great honor for Pingtan to be chosen as the shooting location for the TV drama."

Pingtan is currently working to build itself into an international tourism island, and shooting the drama in the city shall greatly improve Pingtan's profile across the country, giving an impetus to the long-term development of its tourism sector, Zhang added.

He also pledged that the local government shall spare no efforts to make sure the shooting goes smoothly.

Impressed by the beauty of the city's old stone houses and unspoiled natural landscapes, Deng Changfu said that Pingtan was a perfect place to shoot the drama. He also expressed his hope that more people would get to know the city through the TV drama.

Teresa Teng, or Teng Lichun, was a popular and influential pop singer from Taiwan, who was best known for her folk songs and romantic ballads. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]