39 challengers vie to survive for 10 days in iQIYI variety show

Tenday, a highly-anticipated survival show produced by iQIYI, China's leading online content provider, premiered on Friday, setting social media abuzz with discussions.

The variety show brought together 39 participants, including celebrities such as Taiwan singer-actor Nicky Wu, actor Lin Gengxin, and singer Yao Chen, and professionals from all walks of life, such as sports, e-sports, science and tech.

Participants had been asked to part with all their electronic devices before they were taken to a vast, empty urban space in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, where every day they had to win one game, which required not only brains and brawn but also teamwork, to be able to stay for another 24 hours in the show or they would be eliminated.

Evocative of The Squid Game, "Tenday aims to provide the audience with an immersive viewing experience akin to watching a gripping drama series," Chen Wei, chief director of the show and iQIYI's senior vice president said at a press preview on Thursday.

The director revealed it had taken his team almost a year to develop the show and they traveled across the country and even abroad to find a suitable shooting location.