TV medical series is a tonic for viewers

African experiences provide storyline that is both compelling and entertaining, Xu Fan reports.

When the team of creators behind the TV series Welcome to Milele arrived at the residence of a Chinese medical team dispatched from Jiangsu province on Pemba Island in Tanzania last December, they stumbled upon an old pamphlet in a room used for storing items left by previously deployed medical personnel.

Within the pages were two lines excerpted from a renowned poem written by Gao Shi during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The words offer solace to a talented and ambitious traveler, encouraging him to bravely face an uncertain future in a distant land and wishing that he earn recognition there.

"The pamphlet was left behind by a doctor from Jiangsu province around 17 years ago. When our scriptwriter came across the handwritten words, she was moved to tears," recounts director Jin Ye, during an interview with China Daily.

The moment has become one of the most cherished memories for Jin and his fellow creators, who conducted interviews with more than 100 Chinese medical workers dispatched to foreign countries and regions, recorded 1,000 hours of video footage, and delved into extensive paper archives.