What made Master In Forbidden City documentary a success?

(CHINADAILY) A recently released Chinese documentary featuring the Forbidden City's cultural relics andtheir restorers' lives became a surprise hit, with more than 2.4 million watching it on iQIYI, amajor video-streaming website in China.

Called Master In Forbidden City, the documentary shines light on the unsung life stories ofrestorers of cultural relics working inside the Forbidden City, together with the history of theantiques and the palace, the procedures of restoration and the development of culturalprotection. The three-part documentary aired on CCTV (Central China Television) hasnotched up impressive rating of 9.5/10 on Douban.com, one of the biggest film and TV reviewwebsites in the country.

Compared with movies and TV shows, a documentary focused on history and culture rarelybecomes so much popular. So what’s the secret behind its huge success?

Human touch

Even though the stories take place in the historical Forbidden City and the cultural relics are akey element of it, the documentary does not dwell on the past. Instead, the camera focuseson the ordinary individual human beings -- the restorers, and their life in Beijing, which createsa bond between the audience and the restorers and bridges the gap between the narrator andthe viewer.

Instead of using panorama images and bird’s-eye views, the TV series closely follows therestorers and shows the relationship between people and relics, individuals and scenarios,people-to-people, in a natural setting. Instead of experts, what appears in the camera are realpeople with personalities, people who play guitars and make jokes about each other after along day of restoration work. The documentary shows a deep respect to individuals andgenerates a strong sense of immersion.

Narrative pace

The stories are told in a slow and leisurely pace, closely capturing the restorers' working andliving status. Restoration of cultural relics and antiques is time-consuming, and sometimesboring. Yet these restorers' patience and persistence and their tranquil lifestyle are especiallyprecious in a society where everything is changing so fast. The camera captures theirdevotion to work and their attitude to life.

"If you choose this job, you would have to endure hours of work sitting on the chair. You needto be quiet and get used to being quiet," said Wang Jin, ancient clock repair expert, says inthe documentary. This exact sense of tranquility and persistence is visible throughout theseries.

Craftsmanship spirit

What is more touching in the documentary is the craftsmanship spirit embodied in theserestorers. Years of humdrum work requires not only skill, but also faith and spirit. The pursuitof preciseness and perfection, devoting to work, strong patience, endurance to loneliness...allthese qualities are a vivid interpretation of "craftsman spirit". This lifts and broadens the themeof the documentary.

Master In Forbidden City delicately tells the stories of both modern individuals and historicalcultural relics, in a touching yet natural way. No doubt people loved it so much.