The 48 - part drama arrived two weeks in advance of Deng Xiaoping 's 110th birthday .
The 48 - part drama took three years and 120 million RMB ( $19.5 million ) to produce .
The 48 - part drama , which took three years and 120 million RMB ( $19.5 million ) to produce , arrived two weeks in advance of Deng Xiaoping 's 110th birthday .