Brotherhood bonds

Ma's love for Chinese poems was influenced by his grandfather, who was also a railway worker.

"It may be an ordinary job, but it's important and I'm proud to do it," Ma says.

His grandfather started work at 18 years old to feed the family, but he managed to pass on his love of poetry.

In Ma's eyes, poetry lets in rays of sunshine to warm him when he does routine work outside in the cold.

"I spent months with workers checking and maintaining the tracks of the Harbin-Jiamusi Rapid Railway. We were out there in the cold during Mid-Autumn Festival," recalls Ma.

"I recited a poem by the late military lyricist Yan Su at our festival celebration on that chilly moonlit night, about our hardships during the work, our homesickness, and bonds of brotherhood," says Ma.

"The poem touched them, and many of my colleagues could not hold back their tears."

Since its first season, the annual show has gained momentum in its popularity, jumping to 257 million views across all platforms in its third season in 2018 from the 50 million views when the show made its debut in 2016.

While in its fourth season that ended last month, the program has notched up over 2.1 billion views on various platforms, according to the director Yan.

"Poetry is not questions on test papers or classics kept on shelves. It's diaries of the ancient Chinese," Yan says.

"Poetry is always close to life. It can be fun. It can give you energy and help you see the world from a new angle."