Since September 1987, "Eight Thousand Miles" has received a great deal of media coverage. It is not only the first Taiwan television series shot on location on the mainland, but shooting actually began before official ROC approval to shoot on the mainland. Therefore, there has been much controversy surrounding the series.

The program host, Ling Feng; the director, Liang Li-ji; and the film editor, Jan Temau, are all distinguished figures in the Taiwan film industry.

Just what kind of television series is "Eight Thousand Miles"? According to Jan Te-mau, the creators of the series scrupulously avoided labeling the series. "Eight Thousand Miles" interweaves shots of the vast Mongolian landscape and mysterious Lhasa, with scenes of folk dances and villagers in exotic ethnic costumes. There are also news clips and interviews of people on the streets. This mixture creates a kaleidoscope of life and landscape on the mainland, making "Eight Thousand Miles" much more than a travelog.

"There is a sense of familiarity in the series. The language used is one that we understand," commented a magazine editor. "Eight Thousand Miles" is China seen through Chinese eyes. The crew interviewed Peking University students, asking them about the unification problem. In Szechwan, the crew shot scenes of old noodle restaurants and recorded mundane conversations about the dish of the day. They filmed children playing and dancing in a Shanghai park and youths playing the guitar on street corners and shooting pool in billiard halls. What are their thoughts? What do they talk about?

Professor Kuo Wen-yau of National Chengchih University comments, "The reason 'Eight Thousand Miles' has received such good reviews from the public is it is produced with a good measure of love for the country and its people. Love that only a Chinese could feel because it is his own motherland."

Peng Yun, a professor of journalism at Chengchi University, pointed out, "Evidently, much more work and care has been put into the production of 'Eight Thousand Miles' than the usual travelog. The production crew also covered a lot more territory. Obviously, if you have high quality input, you are likely to get a high quality product."

"We had a first-class subject," shrugged Jan Te-mau when asked about the success of the series. "More credit should go to the land of China itself," he added modestly. The series has been especially exciting for the younger Taiwan-born generation which had until recently only been able to hear and read about the mainland.

Besides the vast range of landscape of a country as large as China, a great deal of footage was devoted to interviews with the person on the street. In order for the interviews to speak for themselves, no critique was applied before or after the interviews.

The singer Hou Teh-chien first went to the mainland six years ago. When asked about the difference between Taiwan and the mainland, he said, "Other than the fact that we look alike, we have little in common. The food, the clothes, the words we use and our thoughts are all significantly different. In Taiwan, we drive when the lights turn green and stop when they turn red. On the mainland, traffic is controlled by traffic policemen. However, their hands signals are sometimes so unclear that one doesn't quite know if it's time to start or stop."

"Taiwan is like a greenhouse. Sow a hundred seeds and you will get 99 seedlings. The mainland is like a desert; sow 10,000 seeds and you may not even get one seedling. But in Taiwan the seedling can only grow as high as the greenhouse. On the mainland, the sky's the limit. That's what I like about the mainland."

During an unscheduled stop in the birthplace of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Kwangtung Province, Ling Feng stood wistfully in front of a huge picture of Dr. Sun. Ling Feng spoke a soft prayer, "We feel like children who have left home for too long. We have so many things to say, but somehow just seem unable to say them. We have so many hurts to voice and wish you could rise up and look at this divided country."

At the height of the Democracy Movement, students stood reading big character posters while eating their lunch. In Taiwan, people watch television over lunch. When asked if Taiwan has any influence on mainland China, a student answered, "Taiwan's wealth and its progress toward greater democracy certainly has an impact on developments on the mainland." When asked what he thought of President Lee Teng-hui, he answered, "I've only seen a video recording of his inaugural address. He seems like an open and knowledgeable man. He will probably lead the people to new levels of prosperity."

In a small living room in Peking, Ling Feng chatted with dissident Fang Li-chih, his wife, and Hou Teh-chien and his wife about Chinese intellectuals. They said that to pass as "good" people in China, you had to be kind but not courageous. The two women stated that life was hard for Chinese intellectuals, but even harder for their wives!

Professor Peng Yun points out that although Ling Feng's interview technique in "Eight Thousand Miles" does not really conform to journalistic principles, it is acceptable because "Eight Thousand Miles" is more an entertainment program than a news program. She suggests, however, that such documentaries should include more indepth reporting in future.

In the current wave of curiosity over the mainland, any kind of mainland coverage is likely to receive good viewer ratings. But with time, viewers' expectations of the programming quality will certainly increase. After two months of programming, "Eight Thousand Miles" has unquestionably become a milestone in Taiwanese television programming. The network station has asked the production team for additional episodes. While this represents affirmation of the team's work, it also means more production pressure. One wonders if work that requires such a great deal of time, effort, talent and creativity can be produced under pressure?

[Picture Caption]

(Left) North, south, east, and west; spring, summer, fall, and winter: the crew probably have done more than 8000 miles!

(Right) A show about common things, uncommonly done" is how Ling Feng describes his program. (photo by Vincent Chang)

"Eight Thousand Miles" fills in the spaces of history. The photo is of the Temple of Matsu in Meichou, Fukien Province.

Students in Peking's Tienanmen Square struggle for a look at the completed film.

Old soldiers from Taiwan caught in the mainland since 1949 were the subject of an "Eight Thousand Miles" report.

Deep-fried twisted crullers, flat sesame pancakes, soybean milk and vignettes of dally life are all good materials.

You can say "Eight Thousand Miles" is Taiwan's "window on the mainland." (photo by Vincent Chang)

This teahouse in Peitou, a Taipei suburb, is the setting for the credits. (photo by Vincent Chang)

The bringing together of Ling Feng and financial backer Tony C.J. Sheen, president of the Super King's Investment and Development Company, led to the birth of "Eight Thousand Miles." (photo by Vincent Chang)

（Right） A show about common things, uncommonly done" is how Ling Feng describes his program. （photo by Vincent Chang）

"Eight Thousand Miles" fills in the spaces of history. The photo is of the Temple of Matsu in Meichou, Fukien Province.

Students in Peking's Tienanmen Square struggle for a look at the completed film.

Old soldiers from Taiwan caught in the mainland since 1949 were the subject of an "Eight Thousand Miles" report.

Deep-fried twisted crullers, flat sesame pancakes, soybean milk and vignettes of dally life are all good materials.

You can say "Eight Thousand Miles" is Taiwan's "window on the mainland." （photo by Vincent Chang）

This teahouse in Peitou, a Taipei suburb, is the setting for the credits. （photo by Vincent Chang）

The bringing together of Ling Feng and financial backer Tony C.J. Sheen, president of the Super King's Investment and Development Company, led to the birth of "Eight Thousand Miles." （photo by Vincent Chang）