In 2025, it coincides with major time nodes such as the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti Fascist War, and the 20th anniversary of the concept of "green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver". This year, Chinese documentaries consciously fulfilled their mission of "preserving the era and establishing the history" and delivered a solid answer sheet. According to China Audio Visual Big Data (CVB), by 2025, a total of 1171 documentaries will be broadcasted on national TV channels, with a viewing scale of 84 billion people, an increase of 22.3% year-on-year. Behind this set of data is not only the growth of production capacity, but also the transformation of the industry from scale expansion to high-quality development. Looking back at documentary creation in 2025, there are three aspects worth paying attention to: how do creators adhere to the true essence in the hustle and bustle of traffic first? How can the technological revolution serve narrative rather than becoming a tool for showcasing skills? How can industrial upgrading achieve a two-way drive between social and economic benefits? These three questions respectively point to the value foundation, expression methods, and survival logic of documentaries, forming three dimensions for understanding the development trend of Chinese documentaries in 2025. Breaking through: The organic combination of grand narrative and micro expression. For a long time, documentaries have often encountered two dilemmas in the writing of historical and cultural themes: grand narrative is prone to empty preaching, while micro expression is prone to shallow exploration. In 2025, there will be a significant improvement in creative practice, combining grand narratives with micro expressions, and shaping the credibility and infectiousness of documentary images with rigorous empirical spirit and profound humanistic care. This shift is first reflected in the creation of major historical themes. The series of works commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Anti Japanese War are no longer satisfied with simply telling history, but are dedicated to exploring history, studying history, and reproducing history. Victory integrates the archives of the United States and other countries, as well as the documentary films of photographers, to build a cross-border "material evidence" system, and interviews more than 50 anti Japanese war veterans with an average age of 96 years old and more than 20 authoritative experts. It forms the dual support of "witness" and "argument" with the oral statements of witnesses and the textual research of scholars, effectively interpreting the role of the CPC as the mainstay in the anti Japanese war. Searching for Zhang Chunru "constructs a narrative structure of" recorders searching for recorders ". Through the on-site visits of a director who has long been deeply involved in the creation of documentaries about the Nanjing Massacre, it explores people and things related to Chinese American female writer Zhang Chunru, and further understands her life experiences and spiritual world, so as to pass on the responsibility of remembering history from generation to generation of recorders. The creation of major themes has also achieved a breakthrough from simple policy illustrations to the interweaving of individual narratives and the historical landscape. The answer sheet of 'Green Waters and Green Mountains in China' closely adheres to the concept of 'two mountains', focusing on a region and several characters in each episode, effectively enhancing the emotional connection of the audience. When depicting the theme of "rural revitalization", "On the Field" focuses on the new generation of farmers who either stick to their homeland or return to explore, experiencing the ups and downs of fate in the tide of the times. As a result, "fields" are no longer distant landscapes, but have become spiritual hometowns connected to the blood of urbanites. The creation of traditional cultural themes presents a trend of comprehensiveness, academicization, and youthfulness. 'Omnization' is reflected in the breadth of creative involvement. The "National Treasure Moment" adopts the form of a "micro documentary" to take stock of the brilliant achievements of Chinese civilization, making the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage a public issue of concern to the whole nation; The the Pearl River, for the first time, incorporates the mountains and rivers of the the Pearl River basin, as well as the millennium business and cultural context into the narrative framework, and explores the civilization coordinates of China's dialogue with the world in the depth of history; The cultural anchor points of historical figures such as Su Shi, Lu You, and Wang Fuzhi are used to search for and understand the inner roots of traditional culture along their life trajectories, and to explore the spiritual codes that resonate with contemporary people's hearts, such as "The Boat Without Tie", "The Rural World of Lu You", and "Mr. Chuanshan". "Academic" is reflected in the depth of creation presentation. For example, under the continuous warming of "archaeological fever", works such as "Search for Ancient China, Explore the the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor" systematically combed the context of Chinese civilization based on the latest archaeological achievements, and answered the ultimate question of "Where did we come from?". 'Youthfulness' is reflected in the perspective of creative selection, such as the analysis of the evolution of Chinese characters in' Zi 'from the third season of' Encountering You 'using visual and auditory language with a sense of the internet; Century Guardian "focuses on the vibrant group of" Palace Museum people ", bringing out the historical context carried by the Palace Museum through people and objects, and bringing the public closer to traditional culture. Revitalization: Dialectical Unity of Visual Wonders and Humanistic Persistence 2025 can be called the "year of explosion of ultra-high definition and AI applications". When technologies such as AIGC, 8K ultra high definition, and virtual production are deeply involved in documentary creation, a fundamental question arises: whether technology serves as a tool for storytelling or a tool for dissolving reality. It is gratifying that this year's creative practice has provided a cautious and clear answer. The expansion of visual boundaries by technology is first reflected in the breakthrough of natural geography documentaries. Extreme Xinjiang "uses 8K ultra high definition photography technology to capture geographical wonders, including the melting process of glaciers in the Tianshan Mountains, the construction process of ecological barriers in the Taklamakan Desert, and the seasonal circulation of Kanas Lake. With exquisite camera language and full color expression, it fully showcases the magnificent scenery of Xinjiang. Natural China "has pioneered a new mode of nature documentary filming with the intelligent technology of" 5G+8K+robotic dogs ". While conducting scientific investigations, it has also achieved precise collection of ultra high definition images. The TV series' Blue Star Outside the Window 'uses a nationally produced 8K ultra high definition camera to present the magnificence and fragility of our home planet from the unique perspective of Chinese astronauts. These works prove that technological upgrades not only satisfy the audience's desire for visual wonders, but also elevate documentaries from simple recording to full sensory immersion, and even become cutting-edge media for participating in scientific discoveries. The application of AIGC technology in the field of historical documentaries is also worth paying attention to. Works such as "Heroes Without Name" and "Silk Book Legends" introduce AIGC technology for historical scene restoration, but the creators always adhere to a bottom line that technology is a means to supplement the evidence chain, rather than a shortcut to replace reality. When using AIGC to restore the faces of hidden front heroes in "Heroes Without Name", while ensuring the rigor of historical facts, the AI generated content is clearly positioned as an auxiliary presentation; The Legend of Silk Books uses digital restoration technology to restore information on damaged cultural relics, but always relies on physical objects and technology. This restrained and precise approach to technology usage demonstrates the industry's reverence for the documentary creation principle of "authenticity". Chinese documentary filmmakers are exploring a path of upholding integrity and innovation between synthetic reality and historical reality. In addition, the "impossible mirror movement" led by AIGC technology has begun to appear in nature and technology documentaries. The seamless transition from the macro universe to the long lens of microscopic particles cannot be achieved in real shooting, and the cost is extremely high in traditional CG production. However, AIGC technology makes all of this feasible. Animated documentaries also experience a dual benefit of "productivity aesthetics". The production cycle of the past three or five years has been compressed to less than one year, and Paper Cuttings, shadow puppets and other multi style collages can be tried at low cost in the same work, making it possible for this small and expensive category to have large-scale production. Remodeling: the industrial upgrading from a single mode to ecological synergy. In the context of the in-depth development of media integration, the single production and marketing mode has become a thing of the past. How to seek new increments has become the focus of the documentary industry exploration. In 2025, domestic documentaries will attempt to connect online and offline, on screen and off screen, and build an ecological industry chain that deeply couples content value and market value. This year, the synergistic effect of "screen symphony" gradually became prominent. The television end focuses on the in-depth creation of high-quality and long content, focusing on the unique historical, natural, and cultural resources of the local area, and producing a number of excellent works with distinct regional characteristics and brand recognition; The online platform has become an experimental field for innovative themes, deeply cultivating and refining in fields such as social documentary and professional observation, forming differentiated content advantages. More importantly, the melting of the boundaries between large and small screens has opened up a new path for the dissemination of documentaries. Many works have successfully broken through social media by being broken down into short videos and embedded into topics. The content matrix of "complementary length and multi screen resonance" effectively solves the communication dilemma of documentaries that were once "well received but not well received". The cross-border integration of "documentary+" maximizes the long tail value of documentary IP, achieving a win-win situation between social and economic benefits. The combination of documentary films and cultural tourism has become a new engine to empower the local real economy, such as "Returning to Sanxingdui" which directly drives a surge in visitors to local museums and an increase in cultural and creative income. Through exploring the unique scenery nurtured in different geographical environments, 'Seeking Taste of Mountains and Seas' showcases the natural genes and cultural stories hidden in food, guiding the audience to follow the camera and delve into the secrets of mountains and seas, experiencing a series of smoky and lively travels linked by food, and stimulating local cultural and tourism resources. Documentary+Science Popularization "opens up a new path for knowledge dissemination. Science Chasers "and" Biosphere Diary "transform cutting-edge scientific research achievements into visually appealing narratives, showcasing the irreplaceable value of documentaries in transforming complex knowledge and enhancing the scientific literacy of the entire population. Documentary+Brand "explores a new model of empowering brands with content. Works such as" Anhua Black Tea "and" Milk is a Civilization History "not only tell industry stories but also enhance brand awareness, attract relevant manufacturers to negotiate cooperation, and effectively drive product sales growth. The problems exposed in the documentary industry in 2025 cannot be avoided. There is a clear gap between the head and mid back works, and a healthy content hierarchy has not yet been formed; The commercial monetization model is still single, and except for "documentary+cultural tourism", other cross-border paths are still in the exploratory stage; The problem of talent gap among young creative talents is becoming increasingly prominent, and the industry urgently needs to establish a more comprehensive talent training mechanism. Looking ahead to 2026, there are still several trends worth paying attention to in the documentary industry. Firstly, short documentaries will become a new growth pole, and high-quality micro documentaries lasting 5-15 minutes are more suitable for mobile viewing habits, and are expected to become a new entry point connecting the public with documentary content; Secondly, AI assisted creation will extend from post production to pre planning, playing a greater role in topics mining, material management, and editing initial drafts; Thirdly, the vertical segmentation field will accelerate its expansion, and professional documentaries such as technology, healthcare, and the rule of law will usher in a new round of development opportunities. Problems and opportunities coexist, and the direction is already clear. Looking forward to Chinese documentaries continuing to use authenticity as the foundation and innovation as the driving force in the new year, writing more visual chapters worthy of the times. (New Society)