A scene from The Connection, a film to mark the 40th anniversary of the launch of reform and opening-up in China. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Roads have always been an issue in Sichuan as the region features complex landscapes, including plateaus, basins and mountains. And while these geographical features give the region an edge in the production of tea, silk, besides making it a haven for wild pandas, its lack of connectivity has often hampered its economic development.

The Yaxi Expressway, a section of the Beijing-Kunming highway that cost 20.6 billion yuan ($3.3 billion) and took five years to build, has now linked the province to the country's north and south since it opened to motorists in April.

To build the expressway which has 270 viaducts and 25 tunnels, engineers and workers had to overcome many geological hazards such as gas eruptions, water spouts and rock falls.

All this inspired Miao, who believes the road represents one of Sichuan's biggest achievements brought about by the reform policy.

Besides, the huge project spawned a number of human interest stories.

For Miao, a scriptwriter-turned-director, a good storyteller must be a diligent journalist first.

And she did just that, repeating what she had done with Hold Your Hands-a heartwarming story based on the true stories of local villagers' efforts to reduce poverty in Central China's Hunan province.

So, she trekked hundreds of kilometers to interview those who were part of the project.