Blazing a trail

"Interestingly, I noticed that news about firefighters that appears among the trending topics on social media is often about them saving a cat, getting rid of a hornet's nest, catching a bat in an apartment and doing other things that are closely connected to our urban lives," says Chi.

"That inspired me to probe into what it is like to be a firefighter by producing a reality show, in which they could be portrayed in a relatable and authentic way," he says.

After following groups of firefighters for several months with his camera, Chi himself got a deeper insight into the profession.

"I was once curious about how these young firefighters, mostly around the age of 20, spend their spare time in the fire station," Chi says.

"One day, I came across a fireman who silently makes cross-stitch works as a pastime, which is really cute," he recalls.

He also found that the firefighters encounter various tricky problems on each emergency call, sometimes even being misunderstood by the citizens whom they are helping.