Not all Chinese towns have theaters or Internet cafes, but almost every family has a TV set. For most Chinese, TV may be the most accessible media to learn about the world.

China's first television station, Beijing TV, was set up in 1958. But TV did not begin to thrive as a popular format until the reform and opening up period began in 1978.

One can glimpse aspects of Chinese society from that year until the present by examining the most popular TV series.

1980-85: Starting stage

Representative works: 18 Years in the Enemy's Troops (Diying Shibanian), Huo Yuanjia, The Bund (Shanghaitan)

During the early years of Chinese TV, many writers drew inspiration from recent wars. For example, 18 Years in the Enemy's Troops, made in 1981, tells the story of a Communist hero planted in the ranks of Kuomintang troops.

It is remarkable to remember how shabby TV production was back then. The cast members had to make due with borrowed costumes, customized for individual actors. There were not enough suitable trousers for all the actors. For eight soldiers, there were only two pairs of pants, so the two with suitable trousers stood in front of the others all the time. The hats were too small to wear, so the actors could only carry them in their hands.

The show's storyline was disputed by many former undercover Communists, who complained that the main character's actions appeared too naive to enable him to live among enemies for 18 years.

Still, the show was very popular with audiences. In those days, the shabbiness of production could not stop people's curiosity, and TV was still a novel entertainment form.

Several Hong Kong-made series also caused a big stir on the Chinese mainland.

Huo Yuanjia, a 1983 show about a famous kungfu master's life, won over audiences with a more realistic setting and storyline.

Kungfu has long been a popular subject for drama in China. The show was also remade into TV series and movies many times. Among the most successful remakes was Jet Li's biopic Fearless, which was popular with audiences in both China and North America.

The Bund, starring Chow Yun-fat, was a hit throughout Asia, including on the Chinese mainland. The show followed the rise and fall of a gangster in 1930s Shanghai and made Chow a superstar. His signature outfit, including a white scarf and black trench coat, was widely copied by young fans.

1986-90: Exploration of the past and reflection of reality

Representative works: A Dream of the Red Mansion (Honglou Meng), Journey to the West (Xiyou Ji), New Star (Xinxing)

TV dramas of this period often adapted classic Chinese novels. For instance, it took three years to complete A Dream of the Red Mansion, which was released in 1987. Revolving around the ups and downs of four ancient wealthy families, the TV series was considered an instant classic.

Journey to the West, a dramatic story about a monk's turbulent trip with his three disciples, made Zhang Jinlai, an actor who played the Monkey King, a top star in the country. The show also introduced spectacular visual effects to Chinese viewers for the first time, although the effects would be considered crude by today's standards.

The two novels' storylines are familiar to almost every adult in China, and the TV versions attracted millions of viewers.

Ambitious businessmen, a rising group on the social ladder, also attracted curiosity in China. Many people wondered what their lives were like, while also admiring their courage and wit. New Star, a series about a vigorous entrepreneur, gained a sizable following. Actor Zhou Lijing reflected what people hoped a pioneering entrepreneur should be like: slim but strong, with a serious face; a man of few words but quick decisions.

1991-96: Peaceful life or tumultuous journey?

Representative works: Yearning (Kewang), Beijingers in New York (Beijingren Zai Niuyue)

If you wonder what Chinese people thought a "perfect woman" should be like in the 1990s, just tune into a popular TV series named Yearning. The beloved heroine, Liu Huifang, answers the question.

Liu is a common worker who marries an intellectual named Wang Husheng. Their different backgrounds, and the husband's selfishness, eventually result in the failure of their marriage. The heroine was good-looking, kind-hearted and hard-working. Overnight she became a national idol, for both men and women.

The show was so popular that there was a saying that "all people love Liu Huifang, all people hate Wang Husheng". The actor who played Wang could not find a girlfriend for a long time after the show was broadcast.

In addition to shows focused on leading a better family life, other productions looked for inspiration from the outside world. The 1990s saw a wave of Chinese people going abroad.

One contemporary hit drama was named Beijingers in New York. The 1993 show follows Wang Qiming, a Beijing musician, as he attempts to live the American dream in New York with his wife. Director Zheng Xiaolong said he deliberately made Wang's life turn sour after he achieved his goal of becoming rich, because the director wanted to cool down the immigrating fever among Chinese.

1997-2000: Drama and melodrama on ancient emperors and royal life

Representative works: The Legend of Qianlong (Xishuo Qianlong), Princess Huanzhu (Huanzhu Gege), Kangxi Empire (Kangxi Diguo), Yongzheng Dynasty (Yongzheng Wangchao)

Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) probably never imagined his life would be of such interest to millions of Chinese even 200 years after his death.

The Legend of Qianlong, a Hong Kong-made TV series loosely based on the emperor's life, grabbed millions of Chinese viewers. The storyline, although not historically accurate, was notable for its uncanny plot twists and love stories between the king and several grassroots beauties.

Chinese people love to see stories about emperors because, for thousands of years the royal family, as the ruling class, seemed so far away from common life, adding to its mystery.

The success of Qianlong propelled a series of TV dramas about the ancient royal family. One of the most popular shows, Princess Huanzhu, was created by writer Qiong Yao from Taiwan. Also set during the Qing Dynasty, the show recounts a light-hearted and lively story about an emperor and two princesses.

One of them, called Little Swallow, soon became a beloved national idol. Lawless and lovely at the same time, the character is like a female Monkey King. The actress Zhao Wei (Vicky Zhao) rose to stardom overnight.

The melodramatic costume shows, however, worried historians. They thought the series' unfaithful adaptations of history might mislead the young people.

A number of more serious costume dramas were also made. All kinds of kings filled television screens. Among these shows, a trilogy based on the lives of three Qing Dynasty emperors - Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong - won high praise from viewers and scholars alike for its faithfulness and serious attitude toward history.

2001-05: Focus on the family

Representative works: Hand in Hand (Qianshou), The Chinese Divorce (Zhongguoshi Lihun), New Marriage Era (Xin Jiehun Shidai)

Two decades after the beginning of the reform era, huge changes had clearly taken place in China's political and economic systems. At the same time, subtle changes had happened in the family sphere.

Divorce was no longer such a big deal. Other complicated problems also emerged every day.

Hand in Hand was a popular TV series about extra-marital affairs. What followed was a series discussing why marriages break up, called The Chinese Divorce.

At this time, many TV viewers had more rational expectations and reflections on relationships, so pure romance could not satisfy them. They wanted deeper thoughts, even from a soap show.

Since 2006: An age of nostalgia

Representative works: Soldiers Sortie (Shibing Tuji), Drawing Sword (Liang Jian), remakes of the four classic novels' TV series versions

Nostalgia seems to be the main theme of TV series in this period. Stories of brave soldiers, who stand up for the virtues people honored highly in the past, are familiar themes. Remakes of classic novels have become a pet project of many directors, for both movies and the small screen.

The improvement in material life has given many people more time to reflect on their spiritual lives. The qualities that have sustained Chinese people in difficult times - such as perseverance, team spirit and loyalty to the country - remain valuable nowadays.

The new wave of army stories, therefore, is not surprising. Soldiers Sortie, a story about a retarded boy's struggle to become a qualified soldier, moved many people across the country. And Drawing Sword, which depicts a courageous general, also won extremely high ratings.

The nostalgia is reflected in another rounds of remakes of the classic novels. Versions of the four most favored dramas are all in production now.

Controversy never stops as soon as the shooting starts. That is because the former TV versions were all very successful and considered a new form of "classics" among fans, who worry that today's TV directors might not live up to their predecessors. Of course, attention around a show is always good for profit and ratings.