Actress Chen Xiaoyi. [Photo/China Daily]

Teng wants to show audiences how the Chinese have been influenced and affected by the huge social changes.

"The Chinese are nowadays becoming more indifferent to family connections," he says at a Beijing promotional event on Feb 25.

"If the drama can remind present-day viewers of the old days and values the elderly cherished, I would have succeeded in my mission," he says.

But the director is also concerned that the market may see his latest work as not "trendy" enough.

"Most popular TV shows now feature young stars and glamour photography. But as this is a serious drama, I did not want to make it (my series) too entertaining," he says.