MSS officials pay tributes to Wu and his wife in Beijing on October 17, 2025. Photo: The official WeChat account of the MSS

Representatives of officers from China's Ministry of State Security (MSS), along with Yu Hewei, who plays covert-frontline hero Wu Shi in the recent hit mainland TV series Silent Honor, and the series' production team paid tribute at the tomb of martyr Wu and his wife Wang Bikui at Beijing's Futian Cemetery on Friday, presenting flowers in honor of the late heroes, according to the official WeChat account of the MSS.

The series, which chronicles the story of Wu and other Communist Party of China (CPC) undercover agents in Taiwan island, has recently become a phenomenon, drawing waves of tourists to tribute Wu and other heroes at the cemetery.

On behalf of the production team, Yu laid flowers at the tomb of Wu and said, "Today, standing before General Wu's tomb, we wish to tell the fallen heroes of the hidden frontline, represented by him, 'Your names are remembered, and your heroic deeds will live on forever.'"

Yu Hewei, who plays covert-frontline hero Wu Shi in the recent hit mainland TV series Silent Honor, pays tribute at the tomb of Wu in Beijing on October 17, 2025. Photo: The official WeChat account of the MSS

Yu also expressed his honor at having the opportunity to portray Wu in the series.

The production team said that they hope the series will enable audiences to deeply cherish the memory of the revolutionary martyrs while also sensing the shared roots and inseparable bonds between compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

"The MSS, which led the creation of the series, hopes to fully demonstrate the lofty spirit of the CPC members and revolutionary ancestors who devoted themselves regardless of personal danger to the realization of people's liberation and national reunification by sincerely telling touching stories from the history of the concealed front," said an official from the MSS's publicity and education bureau, according to the report.

Airing on CCTV-8, the 39-episode TV series marks the first dramatic work to chronicle and commemorate the CPC's intelligence work in Taiwan that started in the final months of the Chinese Civil War (1945-49), with the defeated Chinese Kuomintang Party retreating to Taiwan in 1949 and the founding of People's Republic of China.

In August 1949, Wu was appointed by the KMT authorities as the "deputy chief of staff of defense ministry." In order to obtain more intelligence, Wu went to Taiwan with the KMT. Along with other CPC agents, Wu provided mainland with important information, including troop movements on Kinmen Island and KMT deployments during the Southwest China campaign. 

However, a betrayal exposed Wu's identity, leading to his capture and execution in 1950.

The show premiered on September 30, China's Martyrs' Day, as well as the eve of National Day on October 1. Upon its premiere, Silent Honor achieved remarkable results: The peak ratings on the first day reached 3.07 percent, making it the fastest series in 2025 to break 3 percent on CCTV-8. Since then, it has consistently topped ratings charts across multiple platforms, sparking a nationwide frenzy for the show, according to media reports.

Commenting on the TV series, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Wednesday that martyrs' faith and determination will undoubtedly inspire compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to achieve the great cause of national reunification and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation at an early date.


Global Times