This Thriving Land

On the morning she’s supposed to marry into a prominent family, Ning Xiuxiu is seized by bandits, and her wealthy father refuses to pay to get her back. Rather than accept a life arranged by others, Xiuxiu severs ties with her kin and chooses a different path, marrying farmer Feng Dajiao. Living and working the land exposes her to village realities she never knew, and she learns how land, labor and mutual aid shape daily survival. As political winds shift, Xiuxiu adopts progressive ideas, organizes local women to question old hierarchies, and helps mount collective responses to banditry and the encroaching Japanese forces, all while balancing personal loyalties and communal duty.

Directed by Liu Jiacheng and created by Zhao Defa and He Wang, the 2025 drama stars Yang Mi as Ning Xiuxiu, with Ou Hao, Ni Dahong, Qin Hailu and Xing Fei rounding out the core cast. Production emphasizes authentic rural settings and period detail.

Critics and early viewers have praised strong performances and the series' attention to social context, reflected in a high user score, 9.0/10 from initial votes. Major themes include land rights, female agency, communal solidarity and the moral tradeoffs of resistance, and reviewers note the show avoids simple heroes or villains in favor of complicated human choices.

The series places rural life and collective organizing at the center of its storytelling, making traditional village routines and communal labor visually prominent. That focus gives the show a distinct feel among recent historical dramas, and its scenes of cooperative farming and women-led meetings may stick with audiences who care about social history and gender dynamics.

As of early 2025 there haven't been reports of major award nominations. If industry recognition follows, it will likely highlight acting performances, production design and the way the show frames grassroots political change.