Promotional material for Street Dance of China III Photo: Courtesy of Lu Ying

Promotional material for Street Dance of China III Photo: Courtesy of Lu Ying

 With Chinese mainland cinemas in low COVID-19 risk areas reopening on Monday, China's showbiz industry is well on the road to recovery after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The third season of Street Dance of China returned to Chinese streaming site Youku on Saturday, with millions tuning in to see the show's four new team captains - Jackson Wang, Wang Yibo, Wallace Chung and Zhang Yixing. 

The show has a strong following in China. The return episode immediately became a hit topic on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, while the hashtag for the entire series has earned more than 32 billion views and 190 million posts from viewers. 

The first two seasons quickly became favorites among viewers for introducing a positive attitude toward life and dance. Against the background of the ongoing pandemic, the third season according to the production team hopes to "restart" things by discovering and developing the core of youth culture. 

The promotional video for the new season shows the four captains dancing with nearly 400 other dancers, a special moment for love and hope. 

On social media, Chinese netizens not only expressed surprise at the dance skills and performances on display in the show, but also noted that they were glad to see normal showbiz culture return. 

Living in a time that respects diverse cultures, the young dancers mixed Chinese cultural elements, anime, comics and game culture and street dance together on stage.  

In addition to Chinese dancers, the show also features overseas participants, both professionals and amateurs, from countries such as France. 

According to a column released on Chinese news site thepaper.cn on Sunday, "restart" is more than just a slogan for the show, but also represents a narrative line that will run through the entire season to reflect the reality of a world overshadowed by a pandemic that has driven billions to their homes.

"Everyone is looking toward the light," the column said. 

The statistics released by Chinese media outlet Red Star News shows that the program topped the list of most anticipated shows with more than 1.5 million viewers pre-booking Street Dance of China and posting over 100,000 comments in the first 21 minutes of the debut of the first episode. 

According to the production team, this season will act as both a stage and a platform for these young people, who hope to express and challenge themselves and work hard while respecting traditional Chinese culture and exploring the international setting.