Cities full of heroes

For instance, the TV series recreates the daily work of firefighters and rescue workers in China during disasters such as fires, typhoons and earthquakes. Li said that every rescue scene in the series was a big challenge for the production crew. "It was really difficult for us to film under extreme circumstances like flood and fire. I couldn't imagine how hard it is for real-time firefighters to rescue trapped people and to stand by around the clock."

On July 6, Duan Mingyu, a real-life firefighter from the fire and rescue detachment of Chaoyang District, Beijing, attended a press conference for the TV show as a guest. He said that he strongly identified with the character Song, since the fire service and rescue operations Song takes part in in the show are mostly based on the frontline work of real firefighters. "You can see a number of techniques and rescue schemes in the drama that we utilize in real life," he said.

Take the case of a house fire as an example. When Song and his teammates arrive at the site, they quickly analyze the fire behavior and take the right action. According to Duan, a house fire, especially in old residential communities, is usually quite complicated, requiring firefighters to do preliminary research well. "Research on fire fighting techniques is an important part of our daily work," he said. "We need to be very familiar with different types of buildings in the district we are responsible for so that when an emergency occurs, we can immediately respond to it."

Physical training is also an integral part of firefighters' daily routine, which Yang Yang, the actor who plays Song, has experienced in order to better portray the role. "My military background allowed me to be mentally prepared for the training. But it's still hard to imagine how intense it is unless you have firsthand experience of it," he said.

Before and during the filming, according to Li and Yang, the crew had to spend some time in several fire stations, where they lived under the same roof with the frontline firefighters and received training. Yang still remembered how all actors went pale after climbing the stairs carrying heavy firefighting equipment like a fire hose. "For us actors, the training only lasts for a couple of months, but the firefighters stick to it for years on end," said Yang.

What impressed Yang most during the training was the spirit of Chinese firefighters. "I noticed that the firefighters we met were all young people, and everyone must be the apple of their family's eye. But in the face of danger, they are always the first to dash forward to protect others," he said.

The truth is, for firefighters like Duan, saving people's lives has already become their instinctive reaction. Duan once experienced a suicide attempt at work. At the moment when he dashed forward to stop that person from jumping off a building, he wasn't thinking of himself — the only thought in his mind was "I have to save this person".