The poster of TV series Swords into Plowshares, or Taipng nian. Photo: Courtesy of Douban

At the start of 2026, the historical television epic Swords into Plowshares (Taiping nian), meaning year of peace, which centers on the Five Dynasties and Ten States (907-979), premiered on China Central Television (CCTV), drawing not only strong viewership in the mainland but also attention from media outlets and netizens in Taiwan island.

Taiwan media have reported on the drama's popularity on the mainland, with local media commentator surmising that the timing of the series' release signals that "peaceful reunification" remains the mainland's mainstream narrative to cross-Straits relations, describing the drama as using the historical narrative of "peaceful submission to the Song Dynasty" to convey a cultural and historical appeal for peaceful reunification, according to the commentator's release on media outlet the Storm Media Group.

According to a report by CCTV-6, China Movie Channel, Swords into Plowshares is set against the backdrop of the late Five Dynasties period and the early Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), a time marked by fragmentation and social turmoil. The story follows Qian Hongchu, ruler of the Wuyue Kingdom, as he matures into a leader who shoulders responsibility for the greater good and ultimately chooses to cede his territory to the Song Dynasty, contributing to the realization of peace.

The series premiered on January 23 and was simultaneously released on multiple major streaming platforms in the mainland. Since its debut, it has generated widespread discussion on the Chinese mainland, with related topics garnering more than 1.8 billion views across platforms.

Although the drama has not been officially broadcast in Taiwan region, it has attracted sustained attention from Taiwan media and netizens, according to multiple media outlets. As of now, they can watch the series through China Huace TV Official Channel from Youtube.

Taiwan media the United Daily News said in a report citing views from the Chinese mainland that the series should be viewed not as a prophecy, but as a form of summons. It referred to some comments that the message conveyed to society in Taiwan is "clear and gentle": "Returning territory for unification" is not an act of submission, but one of wisdom; not a loss, but a return; and not an endpoint, but the starting point of a new era of peace.

The report also noted that in recent years, the mainland film and television industry has produced a number of works carrying strong symbolic references to national reunification. These include Peng Hu, released in 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's restoration, and Silent Honor, aired the same year and focusing on Wu Shi, an underground operative active in Taiwan after 1949.

Taiwan media figure Zhang Junkai wrote on the Storm Media Group that the climax of Swords into Plowshares lies in Qian Hongchu's decision during the early Northern Song period to "submit territory to the Song," creating one of the rare examples of peaceful reunification in Chinese history. This, he argued, lends the drama's metaphorical reference to the ultimate outcome of cross-Straits relations a heightened sense of contemporary political relevance. 

Zhang noted that the Five Dynasties and Ten States is often glossed over in Taiwan's school curricula, yet its more than 70 years of upheaval played a significant role in the broader currents of dynastic transition in Chinese history. While the mainland's capacity to produce historical and costume dramas has long been recognized by audiences at home and abroad, Zhang said it remains rare for a production team to delve deeply into this particular era.

According to Sing Tao Daily, the drama features complex character relationships and extensive use of semi-classical Chinese dialogue. While the series has received praise from history enthusiasts, viewers who persisted with the show gradually found its narrative weighty and substantial. Following its broadcast, the series has even sparked renewed popular interest in learning about the history of the Five Dynasties and Ten States.

The wave was echoed by some netizens in Taiwan island, as they have also been discussing the show's historical depth and intricate character dynamics. On PTT's China-Drama board, one of Taiwan's more influential online forums for discussing mainland television series, a netizen wrote that they began watching the drama simply to find out who Qian Hongchu was, only to end up studying "a brief history of the Five Dynasties and Ten States." 

Another netizen commented that "it's rare to see such a large-scale production that faithfully restores history," recommending the series highly.

Historically regarded as an era of division, the period is nonetheless portrayed in the series under the title Taipingnian, meaning year of peace. In an interview with the People's Daily, the show's screenwriter Dong Zhe explained that whether emperors and generals or ordinary people, everyone living through chaotic times longs for peaceful years, adding that peace "is the greatest common denominator of the human heart."

Global Times