Hong Kong film director Wong Kar-wai’s first foray into television becomes a huge hit in China and evokes the memories of the ‘good old days’ of Shanghai. Set in 1990s Shanghai, Wong’s new drama ‘Blossoms Shanghai’ depicts the urban landscape, changes, and emotional entanglements of the characters during that era.

“Blossoms Shanghai” has reportedly been watched by a billion people. The story is an adaptation of the 2012 novel by Shanghai native Jin Yu-cheng and presents the lives of several characters from 1960s to China’s first economic boom of the 1990s. Wong Kar-wai, who was born in the city, has revived nostalgia for Shanghai’s boom years.

The series of “Blossoms Shanghai” has sparked a wave of enthusiasm in mainland China. At the end of its original run at the start of January, the show landed 362 hot searches on Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent, with 10.28 billion accumulated views. According to data from the Trip.com platform, the search frequency of “Shanghai” increased by more than 20% month-on-month from the launch of “Blossoms Shanghai” on December 27, 2023, to January 5 this year.

Landmark buildings featured in the drama, such as the Fairmont Peace Hotel and Huanghe Road, have become popular check-in spots for new Internet personalities, attracting countless tourists. Delicacies presented in the drama, such as Pork Ribs Rice Cake, have also been imitated by many restaurants and have become new signature dishes. Wong emigrated to Hong Kong when he was 5 years old with his family. He is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. Wong is an important figure in contemporary cinema, regarded as one of the best filmmakers of his generation. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree by Harvard University in 2018.