01/08/2026
English Translation of the Six-Part Epic Humanistic Short Film Series Xuzhou: A Timeless Legacy: The Mountains of Xuzhou
Among the nine prefectures of ancient China, cities and towns have flourished through the ages. Yet Xuzhou alone inherits the orthodox legacy of the Han Dynasty, bears the unyielding backbone of the nation, and preserves the most authentic, profound, and enduring genes of Chinese civilization.
The world knows Xuzhou well: the historic battleground where Chu and Han vied for supremacy, the strategic choke point linking north and south among the nine prefectures, a thousand-year-old city alive with the warmth of daily life. Few, however, delve deeper: the grandeur of the Han Dynasty, the integrity of the Han people, the coziness of Han-style life, and the charm of Han civilization—all have their origins, spiritual roots, and cultural foundations firmly embedded in Xuzhou’s soil.
The Jiuli Mountains hold the tales of rise and fall; the Yunlong Mountains carry the thread of cultural heritage. The mountains of Xuzhou, unburdened by the illustrious fame of the Five Sacred Mountains, laid the very foundation for the founding of the Han Dynasty. The flames of Qin-Han warfare rose and fell here; the commoner emperor embarked on his journey from this hallowed ground. With their ridges as the backbone and their valleys as the frame, these mountains uphold not only the landscape of Pengcheng (ancient Xuzhou) but also the spiritual pillar of the Han nation—resilient, upward-reaching, and rising against all odds. Each mountain bears witness to millennia of vicissitudes; this unbroken lineage forges the unyielding backbone of the Chinese nation.
Comprising six epic chapters, Xuzhou: A Timeless Legacy defines six spiritual dimensions—mountains, rivers, people, flavors, scenery, and soul—spanning the vast expanse of time from the Qin and Han dynasties to the present day. Using heaven and earth as a scroll, years as brushstrokes, and humanity as the core, the film unravels, layer by layer, the symbiotic code between a city and a nation: What are the roots of the Han? What is the charm of the Han? What is the soul of the Han? What fuels China’s enduring resilience?