On Yang Mi's portrayal of the character Ning Xiuxiu, Zhao Defa, the author of the novel that the series is based on, wrote: "She brought Xiuxiu to life. Her nuanced depiction of Xiuxiu's shock and loneliness after misfortune, her bewilderment and hatred toward her father, lingering feelings for Fei Wendian, gradual acceptance and growing affection for Dajiao, as well as her learning and integration into farm life—all were portrayed with meticulous detail."
Critical response Critic Di Hanwei from ''
People's Daily noted that This Thriving Land'' strictly adheres to "the narrative center of
land ethics, from which all major conflicts and plotlines unfold, depicting a temporal landscape where agrarian civilization and modernity clash and intertwine." He described the series as a passionate call for a return to the spiritual homeland of modern people: "The characters' profound connection to the land, their life and death, love and pain on it, evoke a primal memory deep in the genes of contemporary people—a longing for 'roots'." Regarding the characters, he views Ning Xiuxiu as "both inheriting the resilience and maternal nature of Chinese
rural women and radiating the light of spiritual awakening that transcends the limitations of her time—an individual who actively fights against the storms of fate and seeks self-realization within the framework of land ethics." Meanwhile, Feng Dajiao embodies "responsibility, duty, and optimism." Their relationship is described as "a quiet yet deeply powerful, warm current in the midst of impoverished lives and turbulent times, one that can still melt viewers' hearts today."
CCTV commentator Lu Jianing described
This Thriving Land as an 'epic of ordinary people, brimming with earthy charm,' praising its non-stereotypical characterizations: "The series features various
round characters—moral standing isn't determined by class, and diverse personalities are restored from class representations to vivid individuals, with personal dispositions shaping their destinies. The creators portray these characters with empathy, acknowledging historical limitations rather than easily judging their choices from a contemporary perspective." Critic Dai Qing from
Wenyi Bao described
This Thriving Land as "an epic of the people, ceaseless and enduring," one that profoundly portrays
farmers' "deep-seated connection to the land—a bond etched into their very bones." Regarding its adaptation, she believes the series "toned down the original work's depictions of
class struggle and violence," thereby transforming the novel's "raw and gritty style into something warm and bright." About the characters, she finds Ning Xiuxiu "particularly outstanding for her credible and relatable spiritual growth," and she identifies the love-after-marriage story between Ning Xiuxiu and Feng Dajiao as "the most important plotline and emotional thread of the entire series." On a cultural level, Dai Qing notes that the series "retains a wealth of folk elements from the original novel, such as the Xuegucang ()
folk songs, the
legend of the
iron ox, and farmers'
agricultural economics, which further highlights the rustic charm and
Qi–Lu culture, making the era and regional qualities of the work more distinct and vivid."
Viewership Following its premiere on CCTV-8 on August 13, 2025, the series achieved both high broadcast ratings and online streaming numbers, reversing the declining viewership trend for
long-form dramas This Thriving Land also topped the charts on multiple data platforms, with its viewership market share exceeded 46.1%, setting a new industry record for 2025. Its single-day effective playback exceeded 100 million, topping the daily playback chart of any
series in the recent three years. On
iQiyi, the series' popularity index broke 10,000 on August 16, 2025, within 65 hours of release, and reached 10,761 on August 19, becoming the second-highest in the platform's history.
Impact Due to the popularity of
This Thriving Land,
iQiyi's stock price rose. As of the closing bell on August 20, 2025, it had increased by 17.09%. The series has also fueled a surge in tourism to its filming locations in
Shandong, with Ning Manor—the home of the character Ning Xiuxiu—now experiencing a visitor boom, as crowds swarm to take photographs at the site. According to
Jingshi Live, the number of visitors has doubled compared to the same period in 2024. Key filming sites, such as Ning Manor, Fei Manor, Feng Manor, the "One-horned Bull", and the —central to both the scenes and the cuisine in the series—have been restored. Additionally, multiple plot-themed photo spots and professional guided tours have been added to provide visitors with an immersive experience. The series has also popularized the beyond its regional boundaries. Expressions from the drama such as "" (
Ǎn zhī bù dào, 'I Know Not)' and "" (
Ǎn yěshì, 'me too') sparked a wave of online imitation, giving rise to several
internet memes. Audience engagement included learning phrases such as "" (
Zhā mì shí hàn, a hired farmhand or labourer), "拉呱" (
Lā guǎ, chat), and "夜来" (
Yèlái, yesterday), and blending the first-person pronoun of the dialect, 俺, with the
MBTI concepts of "" (introvert person) and "" (extrovert person) to form the new term "" (I-person, used as I in
pronoun). This has exposed the
Qi–Lu culture to a broader audience. The series also revived the public interest in
danshen, a
Chinese medicinal herb long praised with the saying "a single herb has effects equivalent to
Siwu Tang Wan". The drama's plot, in which the protagonist Ning Xiuxiu grows this herb and leads her fellow villagers to increase their income and combat disasters, brought it back into the public spotlight, generating widespread attention. ==Original soundtrack==