The Wind Blows North

In 1958, to meet the Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company's demand for coal, the state began investing in the construction of the Shicheng mining district. Shi Xiuying, the eldest daughter of the Shi family, was forced to give up her chance to become a worker and unexpectedly became an apprentice at a photography studio. Her father was among the first generation of coal miners, while her younger brother Shi Jianying and her beloved Deng Fengshou belonged to the second. With her camera, Shi Xiuying recorded the small town's transformation from an uninhabited wasteland into a prosperous, growing city. The Shi family, too, rode the economic boom as the industry flourished.

Their daughter, Deng Chunfeng, and her childhood sweetheart, Wang Yingbo, were deeply attached to the town, inspired by their parents to study hard and return to build their hometown.

But as Shicheng faced the need to transform, the fate of every member of the Shi family changed dramatically.

Two people with entirely different personalities went from failing to understand each other to falling in love. Together, they kept pace with the changing times, overcame one hardship after another, broke free from old ways of thinking, pursued their youthful dreams, and successfully transformed their lives.

Three generations of coal miners, steadfast for half a century: from building the first coal factory, to the coal boom spreading everywhere, to supporting the country's environmental efforts as resources ran dry. Young people from different generations held different views, but each continued to strive on their own front, writing an epic story of their times.