Thirty-somethings reject convention to make their own way

Jiang says that she hopes by sharing her own inner thoughts, she can help relieve women in the audience of their anxiety toward aging.

Shao Shiwei, the program's producer, says that the show aims to present how 30-to 40-something women in different states of mind live a life that is congruent with their values, seeking to empower a contemporary female audience, many of whom have likely experienced a bewildering array of emotions as their years advance.

"After our audience gets to know the various lifestyles of those female celebrities, the ways they use to measure their self-worth are likely to be more diverse," says Shao, adding that the celebrities' different personal reflections on love, work, marriage and other aspects of life can somehow serve as references for women over 30 to find direction when they are feeling confused.

Shao, also the chief brand officer of Beijing Shixiang Technology and Culture Co Ltd, notes that what inspired the production unit to initiate the program were the stories shared by the public.

Its official WeChat account, Xinshixiang, often encourages its readers to share the confusion or problems they are facing in their daily lives.

After using an AI system to analyze the users' data, Shao found that a large number of female readers over 30, especially those in third-tier cities and towns, are clashing with their parents, suffering from the pressure to settle down or job-related stress.

"The idea of producing the talk show then hit us, as we want to encourage more women who are at a loss when facing the aforementioned pressures to live according to their own desires," says Shao.

Actress and filmmaker Tao Hong, 48, has also been invited to the show to talk about her career, marriage, the role of motherhood and the passing of her parents.

Last year, in another talk show, she pointed out that good female roles become scarce for middle-aged actresses.

However, this year, women over 30 have been thrust into the limelight as many reality shows and TV series that advocate female empowerment attract large audiences in China.

For instance, the talent show Sisters Riding the Winds and Breaking the Waves, which gathers female contestants, all over 30, to vie for the opportunity to join a five-member performance group, has become one of the hits of the summer.

Such TV series as Nothing but Thirty and We Are All Alone that try to present women in a multidimensional way have struck a responsive chord in the hearts of numerous female viewers.

In this sense, Tao says that Chinese women are using their own wonderful lives to break the stereotypical image of traditional female roles in China.

"After you see some women becoming the mainstays of our society, you will know that we are gradually approaching the goal of gender equality. We women should be more confident in ourselves," Tao says.

She also notes that objective self-examination is important for women to better know themselves.