10 years ago, "Beautiful Times of Daughter-in-law" became popular all over Tanzania. Recently, the Swahili versions of "Shan Hai Qing" and "Thirty Only" were broadcast in the Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and other African countries, and they also received good responses.

"Thirty Only" poster

National drama "going overseas" is not a new thing. The 86 editions of "Journey to the West" and the 94 editions of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" have all sparked a wave of viewing overseas; since then, costume dramas and historical dramas have become the main force of "going to sea", and "Huanzhugege", "Langya Bang" and "The Legend of Zhen Huan" are unique. The Chinese aesthetic style and distinct cultural identity of the slogan are all the rage. In the past two years, while the number of "going overseas" national dramas has increased, the "fairway" has also undergone new changes. Not only a large number of dramas have gone out of Asia, but also a pattern of suspense, sweet pets, urban, ancient costumes, eras and other types of output. Among them, it is particularly noteworthy that Chinese reality TV dramas are sought after by overseas audiences.

"Chicken Feather Flying to the Sky" poster

The ratings of "Chicken Feather Flying to the Sky" reached 23.2% on Portuguese national television; "Wenzhou Family" was broadcast in Cuba; "The World" was bought by Disney for the overseas distribution rights only a month after the filming started. Among the excellent overseas communication works reviewed by the State Administration of Radio and Television in 2020 and 2021, "Mountain and Sea Love", "Dajiang Dahe 2", "Ideal City", "I'm Good in Another Country", "Together", "Thirty Only", "Emperor" The Name of Family" forms a "matrix" of realistic themes, occupying 70% of the list.
Chinese stories are no longer just "stories for Chinese people", but have the potential to spread globally. The reason is that, on the one hand, the development of China's strength and the continuous improvement of its international status have attracted more and more curious and inquisitive eyes. As "a kind of mirror image of current China", reality TV dramas can help overseas audiences to understand the story. China; on the other hand, the production level of reality-themed TV dramas has been improved, and the types have become more diverse. In recent years, a series of realist masterpieces that "make the main theme better" have been created, so that domestic dramas can remain competitive in the global competition. .
In addition, the frequent "going overseas" of reality-themed dramas also raises an important question: how can cross-cultural communication overcome "cultural discounts"? Research shows that audiences are more inclined to accept cultural products that are close to their native culture. In order to solve the problem that it is difficult for everyone to talk, looking at the "going overseas" process of domestic dramas, we can clearly see a strategic idea of "from single to diverse, from neighbors to distant places": facing Southeast Asian audiences deeply influenced by Confucian culture, Historical themes and costume dramas are the first representatives of "going to the sea", and have a firm foothold with the "greatest common divisor" in culture; in response to the preference of European and American audiences for dramas with strong stories and a clear sense of genre, the narrative is exquisite and the rhythm is strong. The suspense dramas of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have gone abroad; at present, combined with the reality that the African audience has a strong sense of community and the country is developing, dramas that reflect modern family ethical relations and national construction are blooming in Africa.

"Mountain and Sea Love" poster

Taking "Shan Hai Qing" as an example, the data shows that two weeks after the first episode of the show was launched on the overseas video site's popular theater channel, the number of broadcasts exceeded 800,000, and the online audience's like rate was as high as 98%. This drama focusing on the achievements of China's poverty alleviation shows the determination and actions of the Chinese people to get rid of poverty and backwardness and pursue a better life, and has also been recognized by African audiences. A Tanzanian viewer said: "Although the story of "Shan Hai Qing" takes place in China, it is still very attractive and moved me very much. I like the protagonist Ma Defu, who changed his hometown." The power of overseas communication: the closer you are to real life, the more you can find resonators from afar; the more you tell Chinese stories with heart and emotion, the more you can find ideal audiences for Chinese stories.
We should also see that "going overseas" is easy and difficult to "go out of the circle", and behind the spread of drama series is the influence of culture. There has not yet been a phenomenon-level national drama with global influence, which proves that the "going overseas" of national dramas is still on the way and the future can be expected. Only by constantly improving and building international communication channels and learning to integrate Chinese and foreign, American and American narrative expressions can we improve the reach and influence of Chinese stories and better showcase a true, three-dimensional and comprehensive China to global audiences.
(This article was originally published in the second edition of "Guangming Daily" on July 15, 2022. The author is the director of the Audio and Video Office of the Media Center of Peking University)