Medal of the Republic

Medal of the Republic is an anthology biographical drama with Zheng Xiaolong as the chief director, and stars Lei Jiayin, Jiang Xin, Tong Dawei, Wang Lei, Guo Tao, Huang Zhizhong, Huang Xiaoming, Zhou Xun, Zhang Songwen and Chen Hao. It consists of eight segments, Yu Min, Shen Jilan, Sun Jiadong, Li Yannian, Zhang Fuqing, Yuan Longping, Huang Xuhua, Tu Youyou, each telling a story of a figure with meritorious conduct.

1. Li Yannian

Director: Mao Weining

Screenwriter: Liu Gejian

Starring: Wang Lei

Synopsis: It presents the heroic deeds of Li Yannian, the First Class Hero with a Meritorious Service Medal, during the Korean War. He and his comrades fought on the battlefield for three days and two nights, risking their life and fearing no sacrifice in exchange for the good of the country and its people.

2. Yu Min

Director: Shen Yan

Screenwriter: Wang Xiaoqiang

Starring: Lei Jiayin

Synopsis: It shows the dedication of Chinese researchers represented by Yu Min to the great cause of national defense and security.

3. Huang Xuhua

Director: Yang Yang

Screenwriter: Shen Jie

Starring: Huang Xiaoming

Synopsis: It tells the story of Huang Xuhua, one of the chief designers for China’s first generation of nuclear submarines, who led independent research and development on the nation’s first nuclear submarines from scratch from 1958 to 1988 under difficult circumstances.

4. Zhang Fuqing

Director: Kang Honglei

Screenwriter: Chen Ping

Starring: Guo Tao

Synopsis: Combat Hero Zhang Fuqing retired from the army and works as a grassroots official to serve the local people and get them out of poverty.

5. Shen Jilan

Director: Lin Nan

Screenwriter: Gong Xiangdong

Starring: Jiang Xin

Synopsis: It records the days from 1947 when Shen Jilan got married to the time she was elected to the 1st National People’s Congress in 1954. She pushed China to write equal pay for equal work for men and women in the Constitution and made great contributions to gender equality.

6. Sun Jiadong

Director: Yang Wenjun

Screenwriter: Xu Su

Starring: Tong Dawei

Synopsis: It tells the touching story of Sun Jiadong, one of the founding fathers of the “Two Bombs, One Satellite”. It started with his numerous failures and demonstrates his courage and persistence.

7. Tu Youyou

Director: Zheng Xiaolong

Screenwriter: Wang Xiaoping

Starring: Zhou Xun

Synopsis: It presents how the pharmaceutical chemist Tu Youyou discovered artemisinin and shows the dedication and commitment of Chinese researchers like her in that special time.

8. Yuan Longping

Director: Yan Jiangang

Screenwriter: Song Fangjin

Starring: Huang Zhizhong

Synopsis: It tells the story of Yuan Longping, the Father of Hybrid Rice, who took unremitting explorations for decades to solve the hunger problem in China and even the world at that time.