Companion piece to The White Olive Tree

Available on 👉: iQIYI, Viki , bilibili , Dailymotion, Netflix.

1. BASIC DATA THE WHITE OLIVE TREE   白色橄榄树  [Báisè Gǎnlǎn Shù].   38 episodes  - high quality S+ drama  Airing from February 1, 2025 on iQIYI (but . "VIPs: from 02-01, 2 new episodes daily at 11:00. Non-VIPs: from 02-01, 1 new episodes daily at 11:00." Can also be watched on Youtube. Calendar  + New airing schedule till February 19  and till March 2 on iQIYI   <--  Express last 6 episodes to be released on Feb15 18:00 Beijing time, according to the Weibo post Filming dates and places : Filming was scheduled for 150 days in Sìchuān province: Chéngdū, Lèshān, Zìgòng, and Liángshān Yí autonomous prefecture. It started on 2023.09.16  and wrapped on 2024.01.13, The drama passed review successfully on 2024.07.11, to air 38 episodes.  The TV series has its own Weibo pages ; see also  Douyin links.

Story: Demolition expert and explosives engineer  Lǐ Zàn  李瓒   meets Liangcheng TV reporter Sòng Rǎn 宋冉. They lose contact after a deadly bombing and after a time for recovery,  find each other again to "plant white olive tree seeds together".  (the picture of the book on top left links to the English 68+ chapter translation.) The softcover paperback edition was first published 2019-04-01 Pages: 640 Publisher: Baihuazhou Literature and Art Publishing House

The drama is part of iQiyi's Love On (恋恋剧场), 

formerly known as the "Sweet On Theater" series.

Chéngdū landmark Tiānfǔ IFC twin towers  ep.14 cityscape  ( "Liángchéng" and "Dìchéng" cities)

Lèshān/Liángshān Yí set           ("Uglai city", "Dōngguó" )

Crew :

Producer and screenwriter. She also was screenwriter for 2018 Speed and for Winner Is King, also producer of that shelved drama with Chén Zhéyuan and Tan Jianci and of the 2017 movie Wolf Warriors 2. Hán Hào  韩颢 b. June 27, 1986 Douban	Hǎi Tāo 海涛 b. Dec.2, 1978 Douban ; Weibo Director : A Beijing Film Academy and, he has served as the director of photography on more than a dozen films (and director and screenwriter for two). He has also directed 2021 Brave Heart 2  drama.
Author :  Zhōu Yuàn, is a Chinese web novelist signed under the online platform Jinjiang Wenxue Cheng. She has published 13+ books of which 11 have been dramatized (5 aired, 6 upcoming) Jiǔ YuèXī 玖月晞 pen name of  Zhōu Yuàn 周媛 b. Nov.1, 199?     Baidu ; Douban ;  Weibo	Wáng Jùnxī 王俊熙 Douban ; Weibo Assistant Director.   He also worked as Editing director for: 2018 Speed ; 2019 The Locked Room : 2022 A Journey To Love
Screenwriter : She is an author and also wrote script for 2019 The Legends and 2023 Only For Love (starring Bái Lù and Dylan Wáng Hèdì).  Yáng Qiānzǐ 杨千紫 b.1992 Baidu ; Douban : Weibo	Huáng Chún 黄纯 Douban ; Weibo Co-Director : This is her 6th drama since 2019 Love Better Than Immortality  and the special episode for 2017 Lost Love in Times.
Music Director : He sings and he has his own NEM Music Studio), in Hollywood and produces music for the film and television industry, musicals, games, and record companies. This is his 14th job as Music director for a drama.  Baidu ;  Weibo Chén Xuěrán 陈雪燃 b.April 9, 1991 in Nanjing, raised in Beijing ; graduated from BUAA and Berklee College of Music in, Spain	Zhōu  Wěi  周伟 b.1975 in Jiāngsū Douban Assistant  co-director Graduate from the Central Academy of Drama in 1997, member of the Chinese Filmmakers Association. Since 2020, he has directed 3 movies and one animation series.

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3. Posters, pictures, trailers ... the story of the shooting

Above : My Gifs of booting and the search for FL. (from Twitter repost of Weibo and TikTok videos, adding text and merged-. Above : First trailer (1'42) on Weibo was released on 2023.09. GIF above from screenshots ; also on Twitter.    pictures of the set and behind the scenes : Serious training to prepare for the role and get muscles like a soldier, the BTS : GIF from Extended cut from ep.12 beginning : CGI of the "mirage" scenes with the white olive tree grove in the clouds. (episodes 7 and 38) Below: finding a new love in real life! Despite all the explosive contents of The White Olive Tree, Chén Zhéyuǎn did not get injured on that shooting, but when he slipped in the shower on January 28, Chinese New Year's eve (!) he suffered a fracture on the collarbone and had to get surgery. Luckily the damage was not too important, so he still was in the mood to celebrate a few days later, and joke that he had read that falling on Chinese New year's eve was "auspicious" and not ominous ; he even could sit on live show for the premiere of The White Olive Tree. Reservations were already over  619,000 on iQiyi in April 2024.  On  August 30,  there were over 1 million reservations, rising to 2 million on Feb.1, 2025. Above: Sweet chemistry between the leads in a making of the car scene.  (click on the GIF for full video)

Making Of 《白色橄榄树》 [translation into English] was described as a dark tragedy novel about a soldier and a journalist, so the drama adaptation should, after much discussion, tweak the adaptation towards a happy end. "Lǐ Zàn is not just a fictional character, he means a lot to novel fans. They regard him as one of the heroes of the country!"   The dramatization was initialy planned as a 40 episodes S+ quality drama to be aired in last quarter of 2024. Two actresses had been too afraid of the FL role: Zhāng Jìngyí quickly declined the role; Wáng Yùwén almost left the production in a pinch, before Liáng Jié quickly stepped in.  Drama booting ceremony took place on  2023.09.16 and filming started immediately in Sìchuān, Liángshān Yí autonomous prefecture.  Liáng Jié arrived on Sept26 at Xīchāng airport nearby. Additional urban offices and home, city road and studio scenes were shot in Chéngdū,  other locales used in Lèshān and Zìgòng (the old chemical plant), Sìchuān province. Filming was scheduled for 150 days. It wrapped on 2024.01.13, and passed review successfully on 2024.07.11, to air 38 episodes (down from 40).   Complete cast and crew was still not disclosed on Baidu, as of 2024.02.23 but a Twitter post  disclosed some already, listed on Baidu later. News and videos accelerated as of 2024.02.23 - iQiyi released a new video of Behind the scenes and making of footage  (4 Gif snippets in left column and below) and cast was announced while pictures of the set   were posted for the "city" on a hilltop, that was built for the drama,  to look like the real war zone  Dōngguó (Eastern country ) from the original novel .  The location, rented for the set construction, and revealed to be in the south of  Lèshān (bordering to Liángshān) on Douyin, became a tourist attraction in 2024! "Many cultural and tourism locations and urban landmarks became important places for the story. "Traveling with the film and television drama" became a new attraction promoted by Sichuan Tourism starting with Shāwān Qū  沙湾区, central urban area of the prefecture-level city of Lèshān 乐山. The sets of Red Art House (红房子艺术小镇) village were arranged to let tourists take souvenir pictures from scenes in the drama along with the broadcast.." (adapted from Beijing Youth Network, 2025.02.01) One support actress, Florence Tan, gave an interesting interview to asiaone in Nov.2023. During the shooting, Chén Zhéyuǎn interacted with many children on set. Once, off official shooting, camera caught him helping a little mixed ethnicity girl named Mimi, whose coat zipper was broken. They took a souvenir selfie together;  later the parents thanked him. (Below, GIF from child actors vlog, 9-19-23) While shooting the drama, Chén Zhéyuǎn adopted an "actor dog" (a female German shepherd, white with tan patches, blue eyes, dark nose, and floppy ears) which was lent by a pet shop: surprised by its growth in one month since he first "found" her on set, he thought it looked pitiful in a cage and after reflection, decided to adopt "zàn".  In the months from their first meeting on set and its adoption, Zàn, also affectionately called "Āzàn" grew from one month puppy to a full size dog. After the shooting, Chén Zhéyuǎn celebrated its "birthday" on 2024-09-02 during the shooting of Fated Hearts, his next drama!  Āzàn is an active bitch that likes to run, play in the water, or rest by her master's side, but is less thrilled by robot dogs than Chén Zhéyuǎn was, playing during the shooting of his newest drama Chasing Dreams, with the toy he received from a friend in January 2025: Below: "Carry" Sòng Rǎn's pictureSòng Rǎn remembered the strokes in Lǐ Zàn's name after he told her : Lǐ  李 was a common family name, but Zàn  needed an explanation : "wáng radical, and "Chēngzàn de zàn" for praise" [王+称赞]". She drew it twice: in the dust before the fireplace in ep.8, and on his car window in ep.12 :

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5. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (part 2)

Contents :      4.1  When does the story start ?  4.2. Where is it set, what countries could it have been modeled on ? 4.3   World-building of a "foreign country", the details. 4.4   Role of Lǐ Zàn     4.5 Love despite PTSD and survivor's guilt     (mild spoilers) 4.6  The Red Thread Part 2 5.1   Mental conditions PTSD and skewed decisions  5.2   Chinese cities in the drama  5.3   Olive tree, branch and pit symbolism  5.4   The End

  5.1.   Mental conditions PTSD and skewed decisions

Lǐ Zàn was treated for his physical and mental condition: he had experienced hear loss, although it was more a consequence of the "never stopping explosion" tinnitus that plagued his mind. Luó Zhàn  had helped him overcome the worst phase, with hearing aids, providing non intrusive help and access to Dr Liáng, the expert psychiatrist, after witnessing his breakdown into a psychotic episode where the din in his head almost drove him insane.

His mind had at first blocked out the traumatic experience, but even though he slowly got better control, he was aware of the risk of "triggers" propelling him back into the gaping "abyss" in his mind, that might even drag others down into it. Despite being encouraged by Dr Liáng to talk with trusted friends and family, he could not bring himself to use Sòng Rǎn as a psychiatric help device. But along the way, he had gained insights in some forms of non chemical help devices such as listening to soothing music Music therapy is indeed recognized as a tool to help patients with mental health trouble. Lǐ  Zàn used it later to help a fellow PTSD sufferer who had a violent psychotic episode  in Dōngguó. "病人因ptsd发作将裴医生劫持" (iQIYI cut of ep.27)  Sòng Rǎn  too  was blocking out the pain from the memories behind the pictures she had taken. Physical pain too, since her eyes had suffered and she was diagnosed with a bacterial infection that might make her go blind. (iQIYI cut of ep.12)

Lǐ Zàn's condition, although he still had a sharp understanding of the environment he lived in, made him miss some signs that Sòng Rǎn  too was a sufferer, and that his trying to spare her could boomerang to hurt both him and her again. 

She had no idea about the severity of PTSD, being totally self centered around her own depression, itself a milder form of PTSD but with more ancient roots in her existence. Sòng Rǎn had her own issues.  She quit the satellite TV station in Liángchéng and started working on a narrative that could be published or used as a script for a Dìchéng TV company she joined next. But that brought her closer to the harsh mom she feared, and far from Lǐ Zàn, who at first remained in Liángchéng before going back to Xīguó for the renewal of his EOD certificate before going back to Dōngguó. 

Things took a different turn when the health condition of  Sòng Rǎn's mom was revealed : all three suffered and "bravely" hid their pains and the severity of their respective condition, although their efforts to spare the others in the short term could make the outcome more heart breaking.  Sòng Rǎn's mom had come round to understand and approve of Lǐ Zàn, but was conscious that she was running out of time. Sòng Rǎn still lied to conceal the severity of her eye condition. Lǐ Zàn was torn between his need to stay by Sòng Rǎn's side, and his need to overcome his PTSD, and to fulfill his promises to Benjamin. How to reconcile conflicting promises : stay and go ?  When he finally explained his dilemma to Sòng Rǎn, she made a rash decision...

The emotional roller coaster next led to a making up of the two wounded souls in a scene that shows the skills of the actor :

Ep.31 - Paroxetine hydrochloride (brand name Paxil among others), is a prescription drug used to treat   major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, PTSD, It has fewer unwanted effects than older antidepressants but among those are  blurry vision and dizziness, so it is not recommended for some people with eye trouble.

对不起 【Duìbùqǐ】 “I am sorry" This scene was filmed before the PTSD scenes but was masterly interpreted. Click on the GIF from screenshots to left to watch the full episode and scene.  (Above; the GIF is shortened from ⋆˚ʚɞ 𝒴𝓊𝒶𝓃𝒷𝒶𝑜 𓃠  post on  X, linked)

The rebels wounded  Lǐ Zàn grievously, mutilating his right hand, which lost two fingers. Lǐ Zàn's  PTSD which he hoped was cured after having freed a family from a bomb in a "dungeon",was rekindled with the new traumas. Sòng Rǎn still hoped she could help him, by staying close on their return to China, with the help of Luó Zhàn who was more a friend than an employer, while she reorganized her book on Dōngguó,and retitled it The White Olive Tree.

5.2   Chinese cities in the drama

The Chinese cities mentioned have names that are used by several real ones, such as Jiāngchéng in Guǎngdōng province, Liángchéng in Inner Mongolia, Dìchéng in Ānhuī ; although neither one of these are major cities and namesakes exist in Yúnnán or elsewhere.  But the climate of Liángchéng in the drama looks too warm for it to be in Inner Mongolia.  

We don't know exactly where the drama cities are ; they are also generic names often used in novels and dramas, and not tied sufficiently to reality to evoke more than cities in southern coastal China or in the drainage basin along the Chángjiāng  (Yangtse river), which covers a wide part of China and several provinces from upper reaches around Chóngqìng, downstream to Wǔhàn and finally, Shànghǎi, Hángzhōu, and more.

 The transition cityscapes shown in the drama also show Běijīng and Chéngdū landmarks with their iconic high rises...

5.3   Olive tree, branch and pit symbolism

Pictures link to more info

The olive tree, or more specifically an olive branch, is a symbol of peace and friendship dating back to ancient Greek mythology before Christianity and Islam, before wars and United Nations (UN).  The use of the olive branch as a symbol of peace in Western civilization dates back to at least 5th century BC Greece.  It is also one of the oldest known trees : humans have grown olive trees for thousands of years. The oldest known olive tree is 1500 years old, but the average life span is 500 years.

The ancient Greeks believed that olive branches represented plenty and drove away evil spirits ;  an olive branch was one of the attributes of Eirene, the Greek goddess of peace. 

But the mythological origin of the olive tree comes from a creation story in which "Poseidon (the god of the Sea) struck the ground with his mighty trident and created a sea which although impressive, was too salty to drink. Athena, in less dramatic style, knelt and planted something in the ground which grew into an olive tree. This turned out to be a much more useful gift." It is interesting to note that Athena, the daughter of the Greek ruling king of Gods Zeus, was also the Greek goddess of oil, wisdom, peace, and war. And more : courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. She was known for her strategic skill in warfare, was often portrayed as a companion of heroes, and was the patron goddess of heroic endeavor.  Poseidon, who was not pleased with people valuing her gift over his, cursed the city of Athens to droughts and water shortage, but the sacred tree grew hardily on !  So the tree is also a symbol of endurance. 

The olive oil was (and still is)  used for many things : food, skin care, conservation, and also as fuel for lamps bringing light and enlightenment.  Research has proven its benefits for humans.  Planting one at home also provides a nice decoration, since the tree can grow slowly in pots, although it is more difficult to start with a seed, called "pit".

The UN emblem's design was approved by the General Assembly of the Organization  on 7 December 1946. It consists of a map of the world surrounded by two olive branches. The blue background represents peace, as opposed to red for war (this is of course debatable, since Asia always viewed red as the color for joy and luck! but that's what the General Assembly of the organization came up with, so that's also why peace keeping forces from the UN wear blue helmets).

Spiritually, the olive tree means peace, hope, and new beginnings in one's life. This is because it can survive in difficult conditions, teaching us to stay strong during tough times and live in harmony with Nature and people. Its silvery green leaves reflect eternal life, and its fruit represents blessings and plenty. Giving an olive tree has a very profound meaning , because it has always been a symbol of peace, wealth and prosperity . Also known as the “tree of life” given its ability to live for centuries, the olive tree is donated to wish a future full of peace, joy and serenity .Its branches historically used to crown victors in ancient Greece. This not only symbolizes success but also the tranquillity that comes with love. 

As for the seed: the olive pit, planting one is asking you to trust that the seed will grow. Allow new experiences and good luck to flow into your life easily and naturally, like the tree sprouts from the seed.

In another context, anthropologist Edvard Westermarck, in the essay Ritual and Beliefs in Morocco, wrote: “in Islam, [the olive tree]  is the cosmic tree par excellence, center and pillar of the world, symbolizes the universal man, the prophet.”  On another note, since the conflicts over Palestine, where olive trees were harmed, uprooted, defoliated, it has also become a symbol of Palestine and its struggles.

In the Chinese song Gǎnlǎn Shù  橄榄树  (The Olive Tree) adapted from the poem by Sānmáo, it became a symbol of the longing for a home country, not only for refugees.

Offering an olive branch can also be used metaphorically, even without the physical twig, to resolve a conflict. An olive branch is a good-faith offer to end a disagreement or conflict. If you want to make up with your friend, you may have "to be the one to extend an olive branch".  Such as in offering a truce in a sentence such as : "My brother baked me cookies as an olive branch, but I'm not ready to forgive him for reading my diary."

5.4   End

As expected, everyone can't escape unscathed in a story like The White Olive Tree....  Civil war and terrorism leave casualties and loss of lives that had become dear. Without spoiling the end, here are a few memorials of the fallen, and memories for the survivors :

Captain Jiang (more on the linked post)	The Dongguo orphanage inauguration, Benjamin, Jose, SaXin, and the children (more in the link)
Grave of the hero fallen 12 February 2019	Marry , and  elope          (私奔 written on the left hand of Lǐ Zàn) Jiangcheng end 2019

As promised, the production did not follow totally the end of the novel, which would have been too tragic.. Instead, they chose a depiction of the marriage and had the couple elope to stay together forever. This sent them to find the White Olive Tree

... Blessing their unbreakable love away from the world, in an allegorical dreamy way, keeping an end wish in line with the novel epilogue which laments the ongoing wars:   "I would like to dedicate this book to everyone in this world who loves life".

The transition from reality (message, book, postcard) to a dream and hope follows the theme of the white olive tree "mirage" memory of sightings in the sky, where the pair wished for peace to the world, the children traveling with Shen Bei (leafing through the book The White Olive Tree she received) under the clouds showing the "mirage" once more, and the jump from the backyard where the pair wrote their pledge to elope in front of the tiny sapling planted a year earlier, to the dream of standing below the full grown olive tree, with a clay statuette commemorating their first sighting. Music:  "So long, my friend, should have known you'd bring me this way, saying goodbye to the place that I call home."

At the end of the journey lies sublimation :    "What is Sublimation? Sublimation is a defense mechanism that redirects energy from an unacceptable impulse or emotion into a more socially acceptable one. It's seen as a mature form of behavior and is used to cope with difficult situations." "It allows the ego to reduce the anxiety that can be created by unacceptable urges or feelings. It works by channeling negative and unacceptable impulses into behaviors that are positive and socially acceptable."

EPILOGUE : For those who prefer to imagine that Lǐ Zàn and Sòng Rǎn did not simply choose the "easy way out" to suicide (which would be inconsistent with their heroic status), but lived somewhere, away in their own home, for many years and with offspring, like in the novel, the very last pictures of the series show them without the shimmering light, standing under an olive tree similar to the dream-like images when they had "vanished".  So the last images can be interpreted as a phantasmagorical happy dream where everything is going to be fine, they will be forever young (as most old people still are in their minds) and the world will be at peace so they can enjoy a free and easy life and let go of the worries of the past. After all their struggles to save lives, why would they have given up on their own ones?

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7. INTERVIEWS, LIVE STREAMS AND SOME REVIEWS 

About the drama :

The White Olive Tree, October 2024 interview for CCTV.  (click on picture to listen to it in full , 6'56 on YouTube)

 "If you ask me what I am in his eyes, what kind of existence I represent, I think he considers me a pretty good friend too. He probably trusts me and he is very supportive of me. In fact, when we finished filming, I felt that he was very thankful for me. Of course, I was also very thankful to him. There were many things that were mutual between us.  I felt that he could also sense it.  I mean, I put in some effort for this drama, and he was always encouraging me, so I felt more motivated.  Maybe I'm a bit sentimental, but that's how I felt. "

Chén Zhéyuǎn also explained how the picture with Mimi (the little girl with the broken zipper, see previous section) was taken. "That child had played really well:  We saw her and her mother on the roadside as we  stopped the car. "Reporter Sòng" gave her a bottle of milk and some food. At first, they were a little afraid and hesitant to accept, but they quickly finished it.  After she finished acting, I felt very protective and helped her with her coat. So we took a picture together with her."

Chén Zhéyuǎn's farewell to Lǐ Zàn.  When asked about his farewell message on Weibo, Chén Zhéyuǎn said he felt reluctant to part with his character.  " I felt that wrapping up was a turning point. I had to say goodbye to him. I had so many things to say but it all boiled down to "Thank you for your hard work"."  He added that he would often think in daily life "What would Ā Zàn do?" but that he also felt that Lǐ Zàn was also "someone people admire but feel is out of reach. Even a sense of needing to keep a bit of distance from him, because he doesn't feel entirely real, is too perfect. I think it's hard to find someone like him in real life. ". 

LIVE STREAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS,  FEB.7   (English subtitles on YouTube)

Click on picture to access the full one hour recording on YouTube

In the weeks of airing, the leads were invited to several interviews and live streams such as the one linked above.,

BENSAXIN MOMENTS Two supporting actors got a boost in notoriety for their playful act as Benjamin the former mercenary and Sà Xīn, the former journalism student, who joined the Dōngguó special forces to free their country from the terror threat. Despite the seriousness of situation, they often exchanged light-hearted banter that was quickly interpreted as more than happenstance, and even discussed as Bromance !   One commenter wrote:   "their off-screen chemistry has healed me now Watching their interactions behind the scenes brought me comfort and made me appreciate their bond even more which makes the loss in the drama feel a little less painful!" Wàng Tiānchén   and Gǔ Zǐchéng 古子成   played Benjamin and Sà Xīn.  Wàng Tiānchén  was already noticed in his psychopath role Wén Péng, the SML in January 2025 Love Song In Winter.  They were both showcased in the February issue of web magazine Glass Vision. The Gif below links to the 4'03 video on Youtube, with English subtitles, posted by "Potatomimi 1" on Feb.16, 2025, which surfed on the popularity of the hit additional "CP" ship which got the name "BenSaxin". Many Tiktok short videos were devoted to the new "ship".

REVIEWS

Baidu selected two reviews, other ones below were collected by an update account for news about the drama, on X.   Among the MDL reviews, I particularly liked the ones from Enigma05  (A Young Actor Gave Men with Combat & POW PTSD a Real Voice!), from Wal (Rollercoaster of Emotions), gemwendz  (Realistic portrayal of the effects of war in a soldier's life which adds interesting comparisons with the book version), 4godess ("A story of life, penetrating to the very bones": raw impressions)

"   Human warmth and youthful strength The White Olive Tree has attempted to break through genre boundaries and elevate its values. It transforms the peace declaration within the framework of a love drama, shifting from the idol-driven "dream-making" mechanism to an immersive output of the concept of peace. The story in the drama conveys a deep longing for peace and a profound appreciation for life.

The love between Lǐ Zàn and Sòng Rǎn becomes especially precious against the backdrop of the brutal realities of war. Every embrace and every separation is a yearning for a peaceful life. 

The main theme no longer floats as a mere slogan but is deeply rooted in the blood and flesh of ordinary people, completing a shift toward cherishing life. This transforms the call for peace into the ultimate care for the dignity of human existence. -

- The standard process of bomb disposal and humanitarian care In The White Olive Tree, you can witness the entire standard procedure for mine and bomb disposal, as well as the specialized equipment used. This includes the mine detector, which detects underground metallic objects through electromagnetic properties to locate landmines, wire cutters, which are very useful for handling mines with fuses, and tripwire mines that are triggered by a pull mechanism. The triggering mechanism is usually "pull-trigger," and these mines have a high level of concealment, making them extremely difficult to spot in the fields. 

After watching The White Olive Tree, one becomes even more aware of the profound humanitarian care embedded in the bomb disposal and mine clearance work. This is not only a technical job but a race against death, a life-saving rescue mission. 

- What is a guiding-type partner? Lǐ Zàn  is the epitome of the gentle, ideal male lead. His affection is quiet but warm. He's always smiling, appearing in front of others with a calm presence. He is the most understanding and caring person. In front of Sòng Rǎn, as a guiding-type lover, Azan is truly captivating. He always lets her make the choice, patiently waiting for her to return his feelings. 

- Chén Zhéyuǎn's "Eye Technique" is full of Zan flavor Who understands the weight of "He has a pair of pitch-black eyes"?  Chén Zhéyuǎn's clear, shiny black eyes are truly full of Zàn  flavor! Whether it's a determined, nervous, or shy gaze,  Chén Zhéyuǎn nails every detail, bringing Lǐ Zàn to life in such a vivid way. He really is the Lǐ Zàn  I imagined—who could resist kissing him! With those eyes,  Chén Zhéyuǎn could succeed at anything! 

- The precise, pure love electric current The White Olive Tree really knows how to capture pure love! Take the slow-motion scene where Sòng Rǎn gives Lǐ Zàn  the bracelet—her hand slowly moves toward his until they finally touch. The subtle feeling is like a spark of electricity, making you blush and feel your heart race. 

The music and lighting in the show amplify this pure love, making it even more touching. In Chinese dramas, it's rare to find such perfectly captured moments of pure love, but The White Olive Tree has truly nailed it! 

- Liáng Jié's precise portrayal of the bitter-sweetness of a secret crush The feelings of a young girl's heart—clenched fists, the marks left by a comb in her hand, a lowered head with hair swaying, eyes cast down, and trembling lashes—are all captured perfectly. The bitter-sweetness of a secret crush is portrayed so well by Liáng Jié. 

- The atmosphere brings the audience right into the scene The cinematography is both rich and profound, with every shot seeming like a meticulously crafted work of art, perfectly showcasing the emotions and atmosphere of the story. The war scenes are shot with such realism and intensity that it feels as if you are right there, deeply feeling the tension and brutality. 

 Chén Zhéyuǎn and Liáng Jié's performances are equally remarkable.  Chén Zhéyuǎn brings Lǐ Zàn's courage and determination, along with his delicate inner emotions, to life in just the right way. Liáng Jié perfectly portrays Song Ran's bravery, kindness, and persistent stubbornness. Their interactions are natural and sweet, and their chemistry as a couple is undeniable. 

- The beautiful undertone of sadness Watching The White Olive Tree truly made me feel the meaning of "I stand at the beginning of the story, watching them walk toward their inevitable tragic ending." At that time, Lǐ Zàn was still a young man full of ambition, not yet tortured for six months by terrorists and suffering from PTSD, and Sòng Rǎn hadn't yet fallen into depression. Many of the slow-motion shots feel like Sòng Rǎn's memories—such as when Āzàn saves her and they run hand in hand, or when, back in Dōngguó, during the scene where she washes her hair with rice washing water, letting her hair fall. Those moments, when Āzàn reappears and they reunite, are bittersweet, filled with endless beautiful memories beneath the sorrowful undertone. 

- The slow, dull pain of a blunt knife cutting into flesh Having endured the ravages of war, there are still moments filled with the warmth of ordinary life, but in the face of war, these moments feel insignificant. Those beautiful scenes appear incredibly fragile. The dull, painful process of loss seeps in slowly, bit by bit, over time. At first, it feels as though nothing has been lost, but only in hindsight do we realize what has truly slipped away. 

Lǐ Zàn  is like a radiant source of light, casting warmth wherever he goes. But when the light fades, when he no longer has that source of warmth, his life grows frail and hollow. He can no longer continue in numbness. This process isn't sudden, sharp, or unexpected—it quietly dissipates under your watchful eyes, slowly fading away.  "

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8. The White Olive Tree OST MUSIC:   

First MV 3'17 from Weibo (click on the picture above for full link with sound)

Singer Zhuó Yuán  卓沅: (also see  full OST below)

the first OST released was a simple song "If the wind had color" 《假如风有颜色》click on the picture below to follow the link to the 3'17" recording on YouTube, with Hanzi, pinyin and translation into English :

The White Olive Tree songs have been posted to Spotify.

TheWhiteOliveTree soundtrack, produced by NetEase Cloud Music, NEM Studios & 额滴神啊 Pictures, features 9 vocalists, with Chen Xueran as music director/composer. It includes 2 albums (Original Songs & Score), with 14 songs & 50 score pieces. --Below, is the full  OST 12 songs drama OST  list with relevant links (click on pictures) to MVs and notes about singers :

Huáng Lìlíng  (aka  a-Lin)黄丽玲 @天生歌姬A-Lin   Weibo b.Sept.20,1983, Taiwan Chinese pop singer of Amis (indigenous) ethnicity, songwriter and music producer, she made her debut in 2003 and won several awards.  Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán  (see below); Lyrics by Chén Xuěrán  and Tomorrow Míng Tiān  明天  (wife of Chén Xuěrán)	《TE AMO》 (说声我爱你)            (opening song/theme song) Sarann lyrics MV (English) Peachey Blossom lyrics MV
Joey Yung   容祖儿/容祖兒 [Róng Zǔ'er] @容祖儿  Weibo HK Cantopop singer and actress : she won several prestigious awards, a record-breaking 6x, thus emerging as one of the premier Cantonese singers in Hong Kong. Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán ); Lyrics by Tomorrow Míngtiān.	White Island  《白色岛屿》            (ending song/theme song) released Feb1, 2025
Wéi Lǐ'ān     韦礼安 b.March 5, 1987. Taiwanese male singer and actor @韋禮安,  Weibo Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán ;  Lyrics by Tomorrow Míngtiān.	Wishes Under the Olive Trees      (wish theme song)    《橄榄树下的愿望》 在这还荒漠里  让每个愿望都用力飞吧 ... song released Jan28, 2025
Chén Xuěrán    陈雪燃 @陈雪燃 (Weibo) Singer, composer, music creator with a studio in Hollywood serving both US and Chinese entertainment... Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán ;  Lyrics by his wife and business partner Tomorrow Míngtiān:	Moonlight Dance   (moonlight dance theme song) When the moonlight glows on you, A soft glowing ring... Liáng Jié singing and playing Moonlight Dance (click to watch full clip and listen) From X repost of #LiangJie Studio update Feb.14, 2025  - reminding that Liang Jie has a pleasant voice and has sung a few OST already, officially or at other occasions.  @梁洁Little  Weibo
Sū Shīdīng  苏诗丁 @苏诗丁-SU  Weibo b.Oct.25, 1988 in Xi'an, she is a Han Chinese pop singer and vocal teacher. Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán;  Lyrics by Tomorrow Míngtiān.	Beach castle    《沙滩城堡 》 有到了离别的车站...
Zhuó Yuán  卓沅 b.June 16, 1999, he is a male singer from mainland China and a member of the male singing group ZERO-G.  Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán  (arranged with KMKZ);  Lyrics by Tomorrow Míngtiān.	If The Wind Had Color - Do Re Mi Fa So So So Mi Re《假如风有颜色》
yihuik 苡慧 She is a young Malaysian-Chinese online singer who has sung several OST songs in the past few years.  Instagram: yihuik_ ; Weibo: yihuik苡慧 Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán ; Lyrics by Tomorrow Míngtiān.	To be continued      《未完待续》 ... 定格在记忆力     爱的故事未完待续 ... released Jan29, 2025
Chén Xuěrán    陈雪燃 Music director for the drama ; composer, arranger, producer of the song + lyricist with his wife, business partner + lyricist Tomorrow Míngtiān:	Home Goodbye, my friend, to the laughter and pain we had...
Chén Xuěrán   陈雪燃 composer, arranger, producer  + lyricist with Ming Tian ; Rap Lyrics & performance by Taylor Fugit  Californian singer, arranger, music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He also teaches songwriting, voice, piano, and guitar.  An alumni of the UCLA Ethnomusicology department, Taylor studied Chinese music theory and Pipa. He also wrote the rap lines for  Between from 2022 Lighter and Princess OST.	Ignite Me On Fire (Song in English, MV with lyrics on screen) I got a feeling in my veins, can't explain it... Peachey Blossom's MV -song released Jan30, 2025 Sarann's MV ...Reaching for the sky, and now we take it higher...
Budapest Art Orchestra Chorus   Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán who often plays with this orchestra ; Lyrics by Chén Xuěrán  and his wife Tomorrow Míngtiān:  Míng Tiān was born in Beijing, studied film and TV production in Hongkong and Miami and is also writer-director at Tomorrow Mingtian Film.	White Olive Tree In the land of Matuman, there's a place where  heroes stand...
Dorothy Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán ;  Lyrics by Chén Xuěrán	Into the Pieces Stepping on my heart, alone, You're triggering the bom, unknown, The sound goes wild, where your light has flown, Just stay where you are, don't go...
Jennifer Foster She is an old acquaintance of Chén Xuěrán and Ming Tian; performs with her new band Audacity founded in 2024. She is a  vocalist and bassist as well as songwriter, lyricist, and arranger, in Austin, Texas. Music composed, arranged, produced by Chén Xuěrán ; Lyrics by Chén Xuěrán  and Tomorrow Míngtiān.	Find My Way Back to Life In this darkness, search for a light... Ocean sadness, I'm under attack...

BONUS MUSIC -  Two wonderful songs by Chén Xuěrán where we can see some of the people he works with :  Jennifer Foster was in the chorus ; on screen too were cello player Tina Guo (she is a colleague from the time he studied music production in Valencia, and a long-time friend, also celebrated componist Hans Zimmer's favorite cellist) ; drummer Jacob Boyd (who is also a guitarist and mandolinist) ; long haired guitarist Obadiah Brown-Beach (the latter two helped Chén Xuěrán to establish NEM Studios) ; violinist Brita Tastad,  and  Budapest Art Orchestra.   Chén Xuěrán  has composed more than 200 songs for Chinese C-Drama, either performing them himself or having them sung by others like Dimash and Zhōu Shēn. "Tomorrow Míngtiān"  has a degree in film directing and makes all of Chén Xuěrán's videos including song lyrics. The first song is 《一決芳華》  from the 2020 The Great Ruler OST, and the second is the famous We Won't Be Falling, from 2018  Guardian OST.

《一決芳華》  from the 2020 The Great Ruler OST, YouTube 3'34

We Won't Be Falling, from 2018  Guardian OST.  YouTube  3'16

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