I just finished "chasing" subject TV drama on YouTube, a series of 23 episodes in vernacular edition.  The drama mainly focuses on the endeavor engaged in the campaign of poverty reduction (or poverty eradication) by the people and government of China Mainland.

I must admit, the drama is somewhat a vehicle for propaganda on such an epoch-making task that have never been before in China history, as well as the criticism on the prevailing tokenism and influence peddling.  The drama also emphasizes on the spirit of "doing the right thing right" (實事求是--it must, especially in a planning economy like China now).  The storyline itself is highly dramatic, being not a dreary film at all, and the performance of all actors and actresses are just excellent. 

I do believe it is worth your while to watch "山海情" at your leisure.   

PS  A bonus reportage 

揭秘《山海情》幕後，它憑什麼吊打一堆流量，成為9分劇王？

 https://export.shobserver.com/toutiao/html/345397.html?tt_group_id=6934168069698748941