At the viewing platform in Huawu Village, Xinren Miao Township, Qianxi, Bijie City, Guizhou Province, visitors can often be seen holding up their phones in search of familiar views: the cliffs, the river and the village scenes featured in the TV drama The Depths of Wumeng. The series premiered on CCTV-1 and Mango TV in late 2025. During its original run, Huawu Village recorded 170,000 tourist visits, up 30.1 percent year on year, and generated 54.4 million yuan in tourism revenue.

Now, The Depths of Wumeng is set to reach audiences overseas. From August 23 to 27, a delegation from Guizhou is visiting South Korea and Thailand for a series of events centered on the drama's overseas premiere, alongside tourism, cultural and business promotion. The series is scheduled to air on OBS Gyeongin TV in South Korea and Royal Thai Army Television Channel 5 in Thailand.

On August 24, the Chinese TV drama The Depths of Wumeng held its Korean premiere in Seoul ahead of its broadcast on OBS Gyeongin TV. In its evening news that day, OBS described the Guizhou-set series as a "귀촌 드라마," a drama centered on people moving from cities to rural communities. The report noted that revitalizing local communities, one of the themes explored in the series, is also an issue of concern in South Korea, and expressed hope that the story would resonate with viewers across borders.

On August 26, the Thailand premiere ceremony of the TV drama Deep in the Wumeng Mountains, together with the Guizhou Culture‑Tourism and Economic & Trade Promotion Event, was held in Bangkok. Ni Yang, Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand; He Changsuo, Secretary‑General and Vice‑Chairman of the Guizhou Federation of Literary and Art Circles; and Lin Jiazé, Market Director of the East Asia Department of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, delivered speeches respectively.

Set in the Wumeng Mountainous area of Guizhou, the TV drama Deep in the Wumeng Mountains movingly depicts the striving journey of local people of all ethnic groups along the path of rural revitalization. Boasting exquisite cinematography and a touching storyline, the drama has won wide acclaim since its release in China and effectively boosted tourism at its filming locations. 

It is believed that after the drama is broadcast on mainstream Thai TV channels, Thai audiences will not only enjoy its compelling plot, but also develop keen interest in Guizhou’s natural scenery, cultural customs and development achievements. This will further fuel their enthusiasm for travelling to and investing in Guizhou.

Perhaps the most compelling promise of the drama's overseas release is the chance to move beyond showing audiences Guizhou's scenery and introduce them to the people who call it home. After the series aired late last year, many Chinese viewers went from watching the Wumeng Mountains on screen to visiting them in person. The next step may begin just as simply: an online search, a place added to a travel itinerary, or perhaps, eventually, a plane ticket to Guizhou, China.