Hello, Xiaoping! is a multi-media theater drama about Deng Xiaoping and his seminal contributions to the modernization of China through reform and opening-up.

The drama, that marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is more like a full-length documentary on seven decades of Deng's political and family life.

It highlights important milestones, including Deng's speech about socialist modernization at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC in 1978, and his 1992 speech on China's reform and opening-up policy.

The drama is set against the backdrop of Deng's tour to South China. He visited South China twice and supported the development of the Shenzhen special economic zone, which transformed a small, poor fishing village into an economic powerhouse.

The name of the drama borrows from a historical moment in 1984, when a group of students from Peking University unfurled a banner greeting the top leader of the country with "Hello Xiaoping" during the National Day parade. Caught by surprise, Deng smiled and waved from the review stand atop Tiananmen Gate.

Besides telling the story of Deng's contributions to the country's economic turnaround, the drama also weaves in stories of ordinary people whose lives were greatly influenced by Deng's leadership. Like Xiao Sichuan, a member of the 20,000 strong PLA capital construction engineering corps, came to Shenzhen and devoted himself to the construction of the city.

Pan Yumin, who played Deng in a few movies and TV series, plays him again, with the other actors being picked from Fujian People's Art Theater.

China Daily