FAMILY HIT: A promotional poster for the TV show Where Are We Going, Dad? (FILE)

"Another reason for the success of the program lies in the fact that it is a reexamination of the father's role in traditional Chinese culture," said Xie.

Traditionally, men are responsible for supporting the family, while women stay at home and take care of the family.

This gender-based division of labor has made many Chinese fathers poor at expressing their feelings toward their children. Usually, they appear strict and distant.

Different from the original, made by the South Korean MBC Television Station, the Chinese version is designed to please the local market. The original one was more like a variety show, while the program by Hunan Satellite Television has been shot more in the style of a documentary, according to Xie.

It is fair to say all details of the program were designed and meanwhile none of them were designed, added Xie. "There are six screenwriters designing the schedule of the program, but what will happen in the process? What will the fathers and kids do or say? We have no idea. The most touching part of this program is its being true."

Father and child

As soon as the program started broadcasting, a number of female fans on the Internet said things like, "It would be so great to marry a man like Jimmy Lin. He is such a sweet father."

Born in Chinese Taipei in 1974, Lin is a famous actor and singer with fans from both sides of the Straits. In the program, Lin used old newspapers and rice to paste up a window. He comforts his 4-year-old son Kimi patiently whenever the boy is upset.

"In the past, he often found me gone for work when he woke up, as I am busy flying to other places. So he is clingy when I'm around. He is afraid I will disappear again," said Lin.

The actor Guo Tao and his son are two independent individuals who respect each other. "I became a father when I was close to 40. That feeling was hard to express. Actually, I am not like a father to him. I treat him as an equal," said Guo.

Indeed, Guo never spoils his son but encourages him to complete tasks independently, with his son doing an excellent job during the whole process.

Of all the little stars, Wang Shiling, 4-year-old daughter of director Wang Yuelun and variety show host Li Xiang, won the most adoration with her independent personality and emotional intelligence.

When asked about letting Wang Yuelun take care of their daughter by himself, Li expressed anxiety. "An artist like him is not good at handling life's details," said Li. The truth was her daughter was smart enough to manage on her own.

Of the five fathers, world-famous diving star Tian Liang seemed the most helpless with his daughter Cindy.

"When she cries, I just panic and have no idea how to comfort her," said Tian.

Luckily, Cindy quickly got used to her helpless father and found out ways to do things by herself. In the second half of the program, she changed her spoiled princess act and became capable and learning to take care of others.

"A fascinating part of the show is that you can see many parenting styles. The fathers and children love each other and learn to get along with each other little by little. It is really impressive," said Liu.

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