TV show chronicles China through lives of a family

Six Sisters, a TV series chronicling a family's ups and downs in Huainan in Anhui province, has shattered multiple records to become one of the most popular shows of the Year of the Snake so far, according to statistics aggregators CVB and Kuyun.

The drama, adapted from Yi Bei's novel of the same title, has a rating surpassing 5.398 percent — the highest ever recorded by CVB, a television show statistics aggregator affiliated with the National Radio and Television Administration.

According to CVB, the drama has reached 880 million subscribers and has been watched over 1.32 billion times on TV. Additionally, it has been viewed over 1.73 billion times on the streaming site Tencent Video, topping every drama released on the online platform this year.

Running from the 1960s to the early 2000s, the show follows the lives of the six daughters of the He family, capturing their joys, sorrows and personal transformations. Through them, it provides a poignant glimpse into China's social and economic evolution over the course of half a century.

Wang Juan, the chief executive producer of the drama, said that the show was filmed in Huainan between December 2023 and March 2024. Reflecting on the adaptation, she said that the creative team carefully chose key themes that would resonate widely, such as the dynamics between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, and the traditional cultural preference for sons over daughters.

Yang Xiaopei, the drama's art director and chief producer, described the family as a "haven that helps people alleviate anxiety and stress", adding that she hopes that the drama, with its heartwarming narrative, will give viewers relief from the pressures of today's fast-paced life.