Liu Qinglu, the film's producer and native of Zhangye in Gansu province, revealed his deep admiration for the farmers and herdsmen who sacrificed their personal interests to relocate for the protection of the Qilian Mountains grasslands. He felt that it was his duty to produce a film that captured and reflected their spirit of self-sacrifice for the greater good.
Following years of intensive research and interviews, the film was shot entirely in the Sunan Yugur autonomous county, according to Li.