The upcoming Chinese environmental crime drama Born to be Alive has officially begun filming in Tibet, and has also released its first character posters alongside a cool concept trailer.
Known as The Tree of Life (生命树) in China, Born to be Alive is an iQIYI and CCTV exclusive.
The Chinese drama stars Yang Zi (Lost You Forever), and Hu Ge (Blossoms Shanghai).
Its supporting cast is also excellent, as it includes Li Guangjie (Romance in the Alley), Zhang Zhehua (Our Parallel Universes), Feng Bing (Dark Night and Dawn), Geng Dan (Da Shi Jie Niu Dan Ji), Su Xin (Let Wind Goes By) and Song Chuyan (Riverside Code at Qingming Festival).
Chinese news media has also been commenting the actors have been training for filming in an area where altitude sickness can be a problem, and are also learning to speak Tibetan.
So, yep, as you would expect, the director, cast and crew are taking this one extremely seriously.
Born to Be Alive character posters
The 10 Born to Be Alive character posters, one for each of the main and supporting characters, shows each actor looking weather-beaten and wrinkled but, in some cases, still smiling as they show the effects of what living in a harsh climate can do to a person’s face.
Each character is also dressed in the clothing suitable for that region.
A place where the temperature is usually below freezing for most of the winter, and where the dry climate causes skin to redden and crack. And where, even in the summer, the skin can still suffer as the temperature changes from winter cold to summer’s extremely strong sun.
The Tree of Life character posters came out via the C-drama’s official Weibo account earlier this week, with the message:
The yellow sand and rocky hills blend into a series of negatives. The snow-capped mountains are the backdrop, the mountain wind develops, and freezes our story.
Born to Be Alive plot
If you enjoy a unique C-drama starring a strong female lead and set in a beautiful but extremely remote area of the world, It looks very much like you can’t go wrong with Born to Be Alive.
Plus, it’s both Yang Zi and Hu Ge. Need I say more!
The Chinese drama’s plot also sounds interesting:
The story begins in 1996 in the fictional Ma Zhi County, Qinghai Province.
Yang Zi plays Bai Ju, a police officer who is transferred from the local station to a mountain patrol team, tasked with escorting poachers and managing logistics.
Since childhood, Bai Ju has possessed a remarkable talent for marksmanship, remaining calm in crises and undaunted by challenges.
After joining the patrol team, she forms a deep bond with its members, led by Duo Jie (played by Hu Ge), as they repeatedly brave life-and-death situations together.
From the shadow of poaching to the dawn of establishing a nature reserve, these rangers etch their lives into the vast Tibetan landscape, collectively painting a portrait of life on the plateau.
Born to Be Alive — ‘Heading Towards the Mountains’ concept video
As for the beautifully filmed Born to Be Alive concept video, you can watch that below.
It features a voice over by female lead Bai Ju (played by Yang Zi) who talks about the region where she was born, what happens there and why she loves it so much.
[ENG SUB] iQiyi x Daylight Entertainment drama #BornToBeAlive #生命树 special ‘Heading Towards the Mountains’ concept video #YangZi #HuGe pic.twitter.com/aY3fXwkQRj
— 阿金💜🖤💜🖤 (@ajinde_iye) May 21, 2025
Born to be Alive production details
The C-drama is being directed by Li Xue (Nirvana in Fire), and is written by Gao Man Tang (Always on the Move).
It will air for 40 episodes and is an iQIYI exclusive.
No word yet on when it will release, but likely some time in 2026. I will keep you updated as more information is released.
Update – October 31st, 2025: Born to Be Alive has wrapped filming after a very long 188 days schedule, and has released a slew of cast photos.
Meanwhile, enjoy The Tree of Life character posters and that beautifully filmed concept video — all true standouts in a quite jam-packed C-drama year so far, wouldn’t you say?
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