Created in China

In the late 1990s Liu Jun returns to Donghai after studying engineering in Germany, intent on converting his father's outdated machinery factory into a modern, tech-oriented operation. The show tracks his step-by-step efforts to introduce new equipment, adapt foreign know-how to local conditions and raise capital in a city wary of big change. Problems include supplier gaps, skeptical workers, and the awkward fit between Western methods and small-town practices. Liu Jun's efforts are sustained by a handful of local industry leaders, a pragmatic team and tense family conversations over legacy and risk. Episodes emphasize the slow accretion of practical solutions, the politics of sponsorship, and how small choices reshape a community's place in China's manufacturing boom.

Created by A Nai and directed by Li Xue, Created in China premiered in 2025. The ensemble includes Zhang Xincheng as Liu Jun, Song Zuer, Wang Yanlin, Ren Chengwei and Zhang Yue, with careful period production design and on-location shoots.

As of January 2026 the series hasn't picked up major international awards, but it has been noted in domestic reviews and trade coverage for its acting and production values. Individual performers and the show's attention to industrial detail have featured in early year-end lists and television roundups.

Even early on the series prompted conversation about China's move from small workshops to more modern factories, and viewers have shared memories of family factories and local business practices on social platforms. Its focus on hands-on work and equipment sparked renewed interest in late 1990s industrial life.

Viewer response has been positive, the show holding a 9.0/10 rating on one platform from a small number of votes. It focuses on modernization versus tradition, generational responsibility, practical problem solving and local networks' role in economic change. Early praise highlights Zhang Xincheng and Song Zuer, and the period detail.