Inspirational tales of the ages

The production team created a short dance performance based on the story of Xu Xiujuan, after getting further details from Xu Zhuo.

At a nature reserve in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, they were able to quickly film the precious scene of the birth of a red-crowned crane chick with the guidance of the reserve's personnel.

"It's so adorable! It's of yellowish brown color," says executive director Fu Shaofeng.

An actress performs a dance with a young man, who will later transform into a crane created by computer generated imagery, to continue the dance. The dance presents how they become friends.

The actress also interacts with a real red-crowned crane such as feeding it, after establishing mutual trust.

Fu believes such creations based on true stories are appealing to audiences.

"It's not a traditional TV program about poems. Poems are not just about the beauty of words, but also the spirit of the Chinese people that has endured for several thousand years.

"Such poems offer the strength of mind to support us," Fu says.