Chinese Title: 芳名三九 (Fang Ming San Jiu)
English Title: Blooming
Genres: Business, Life, Historical, Romance, Drama
Episodes: 36
Director: Cao Dun (曹盾) with Gao Xiang (高翔) as co-director
Screenwriter: Gong Xiang Dong (巩向东)
Based On: Original screenplay (not adapted from a novel)
Production Company: Tencent Video, Hubei Wanmei Chaohua Film and Television Co., Ltd.
Filming Location: Yumen, Gansu Province; Jiande, Zhejiang Province
Original Network: CCTV-8, Tencent Video
Release Date: TBA
Blooming plot synopsis
Rising from poverty, Chen San Jiu defies fate through resilience—surviving widowhood, entrepreneurship, and rival sabotage. Capitalizing on Reform policies, she builds a commerce empire while overcoming corrupt adversaries, ultimately finding love and legacy amid China’s era tides.
Set against the backdrop of China’s Reform and Opening Up era beginning in 1978, Blooming tells the sweeping story of Chen San Jiu, a twenty-year-old woman from the impoverished Yuan Tou Cun on the Loess Plateau. Determined to escape her fate, she sneaks onto a southbound train only to be caught by railway police officer Liang Zhi Cheng. This chance encounter marks the beginning of a thirty-year bond between them.
Chen San Jiu’s first marriage is to peddler Gao Da Lin. Together, they run a small firecracker workshop, but a devastating explosion claims Gao Da Lin’s life, leaving San Jiu a widow. Refusing to give up, she remarries Zhou Jia Hui, taking care of his two sons as her own. But Zhou’s alcoholism leads to his early death, and San Jiu finds herself twice widowed, now responsible for two stepchildren and an elderly mother-in-law.
Desperate to support her family, San Jiu returns to making fireworks, becoming known locally as the “Fireworks Beauty” for her skill and determination. However, her success attracts the unwanted attention of business rival Huang Zi Li, who schemes against her. Forced to flee, she travels alone to Guangzhou, the frontier of China’s economic reform, where she builds a new life through clothing trading—only to face repeated setbacks.
Blooming Cast
Main Cast
- Song Jia (宋佳) as Chen San Jiu (陈三九)
- Gao Wei Guang (高伟光) as Liang Zhi Cheng (梁志成)
- Ren Bin (任彬) as Huang Zi Li (黄自力)
- Zhang Yao (张瑶) as Li Xue Man (李雪曼)
- Li Guang Jie (李光洁) as Zhou Jia Hui (周嘉辉)
- Bai Ke (白客) as Gao Da Lin (高大林)
Supporting Cast
Lin Xiao Jie (林晓杰) as [Gao’s mother]
Additional supporting actors include Gong Lei, Yin Zhu Sheng, and Zhu Yan Man Zi .
Episodes & Airing Information
Total Episodes: 36
Episode Length: 45 minutes
Filming Period: August 23, 2025 – December 25, 2025 (approximately 4 months)
Original Release: TBA
Original Network / Platform: CCTV-8 (China Central Television) and Tencent Video (全网独播)
Why Blooming is Worth Watching
Blooming stands out as one of the most anticipated Chinese period dramas of 2026, and for good reason. Here’s why it deserves a spot on your watchlist:
A Powerful Original Story. Unlike many popular C-dramas adapted from web novels, Blooming features an original screenplay. The script is rooted in authentic Chinese history, tracing the real economic transformation of the Reform and Opening Up era.
A Heroine Who Never Gives Up. Chen San Jiu is the kind of character you can’t help but root for. Twice widowed, responsible for children who aren’t her own, battling corrupt rivals and a society that doubts women, she faces every setback with what critics have called “resilience like wild grass.” Song Jia, a two-time Best Actress winner, brings remarkable depth to the role, convincingly portraying San Jiu from age twenty to fifty.
A Stellar Ensemble Cast. The pairing of Song Jia with Gao Wei Guang (known for his memorable role in Eternal Love) promises compelling chemistry as their characters evolve from captor-captive to life partners. Li Guang Jie and Bai Ke, both acclaimed actors, deliver powerful performances in emotionally charged supporting roles. The entire cast brings to life a rich ensemble of characters navigating China’s economic boom.
A Sweeping Historical Canvas. This is not just a personal success story, it’s also somewhat the story of modern China itself. From the last days of the Mao era through the early years of Reform and Opening Up, Blooming captures the risks, opportunities, and human drama of a nation transforming at breakneck speed. For viewers who appreciate historical dramas with real-world grounding, this is essential viewing.
Articles about Blooming
Song Jia and Gao Wei Guang’s Blooming begins filming – photos from booting ceremony drop
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