The Miracles: Tong Yao 童瑶 & Chen Xiao 陈晓's "The Piano of the City" Wraps Filming!

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Hello fellow Tong Yao fans! The plot for Tong Yao's chapter in The Miracles (奇迹) just got thicker. New details have emerged that confirm some rumors while making the details even more mystifying.

First, let's start with what we know. The Guomao Building's official XiaoHongShu account has been a good source of information. Not only did it confirm that Tong Yao's story is set at their iconic location and that Chen Xiao (陈晓) is her co-star, but the post also tagged two more actors: Deng Jiajia (邓家佳) and Dong Yong (董勇). While their exact roles are unconfirmed, we now know more details about the cast, whereas previously all we knew was that Tong Yao would most likely be starring in this short story.

Liu Cixin adaptation 'Ball Lightning' Approved to Air, Tong Yao Confirms 2025 Release

NOTE 20th Dec 2025: I think I might have jumped the gun or there were further changes but it's unlikely that the series will premiere in 2025. Looks like a 2026 release now.

More fantastic news for Tong Yao fans! The Shanghai TV Festival continues to be a source of exciting announcements. First, we got direct confirmation that Nothing But Thirty 2 is in the works. Now, the news we've all been waiting for on Ball Lightning (球状闪电) has arrived in a one-two punch of confirmation.

Confirmed: Nothing But Thirty 2 is Happening! Tong Yao Reveals Details After Long Delay

After a long and confusing silence, Tong Yao herself has confirmed it: the sequel to the smash-hit drama Nothing But Thirty is officially back on track and expected to begin filming in 2026!

For fans who have followed this journey, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster. To understand why this new confirmation is so significant, let's look at the full story.

Tong Yao's Si Xi (四喜) Trailer with English Subs: A First Look & Impressions

Exciting news for Tong Yao fans! The upcoming series Si Xi (四喜) just dropped new posters, a trailer, and a listing on Tencent Video in China over the past few days.

Since there don't seem to be any official English subtitles available yet, I took some time to create them for the new trailer. As of now, as far as I can tell, the series isn't listed on Tencent's international YouTube channel or on WeTV, so many fans outside of China may not have seen it. It's also worth noting that there is no official English title yet. While it was once announced with the working title Those Days, the official Weibo account for the drama series has never used that name, so I'll be sticking with Si Xi for now.

I Hacked My Chuzhao Camera! (A DIY Lens Mod)

I followed a lens mod hack I saw on YouTube and adapted a 17mm threaded ring onto the front of my Chuzhao camera, which lets me use some of my other lenses with it. I didn't film the process, but I did snap a few photos along the way.

Tong Yao as Xiao Bailong: A Fierce Heroine in Qiao Longbiao

In this adaptation of Qu Bo's novel Qiao Longbiao, Tong Yao co-stars in a key role as Xiao Bailong, the fiercely loyal adopted sister of the protagonist, Qiao Longbiao. The series charts Qiao Longbiao’s transformation from a charismatic bandit leader into a dedicated communist guerrilla fighter. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Anti-Japanese War (1937–1945) and the subsequent Civil War, it’s a story of heroic struggle against foreign invaders and reactionary forces. It’s worth noting that this drama is a prime example of revolutionary romanticism, a genre where patriotic politics are central to the narrative. To fully appreciate the story, it helps to approach it on its own terms, with an understanding of this specific historical and cultural context.

The Miracles 奇迹 Update: New Cast Announced, First Photos, and Rumors Abound

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CCTV held a 开机 (start-of-production) event for The Miracles on 25 May, where they unveiled a more complete cast and crew list. The newly announced actors linked to the project are impressive, including names like Bai Yu, Lei Jiayin, and Song Jia.

They also released official promotional stills and video clips featuring the cast and crew expressing their congratulations, although I wasn't able to find many instances where they discussed the script or their characters.