Like a Flowing River

Like a Flowing River follows Song Yunhui, Lei Dongbao and Yang Xun across the 1980s and 1990s as China shifts from a planned to a market-oriented economy. The series watches how their ambitions, friendships and rivalries are reshaped by policy changes and new chances for wealth or failure. Rather than relying on big events, the show highlights small moments, workplace decisions, family strains and personal compromises that add up over time. Each character moves along a different path through reform, and viewers see how ordinary people react when the rules around work, profit and status change quickly. The narrative unfolds slowly, showing how small choices add up to major changes.

Created by Kong Sheng and A Nai, the series premiered in 2018 and features Wang Kai, Yang Shuo, Dong Zijian, Yang Caiyu and Karlina Zhang in key roles, and was produced for Chinese television audiences.

Viewers and critics praised the series' restrained storytelling and strong ensemble acting, reflected in an 8.4/10 user score from 18 votes. It focuses on ambition versus social responsibility, the shifting meaning of success, generational tensions and the personal costs of economic change. Viewers also praised its period detail.

By portraying ordinary lives during reform, the show helped renew interest in period dramas about late 20th century China and encouraged public conversation about how policy shaped everyday choices. It became a reference point for viewers wanting realistic, character-driven accounts of the reform era. It encouraged more realistic period dramas.

The series did not sweep international prizes, and widely reported global awards are limited. Still, it gained recognition in domestic media and among TV critics, appearing in year-end lists and viewer polls that highlighted its storytelling and performances. It received modest industry recognition within China and among critics.