Mainland actress Jiang Yiyan, who impressed viewers with her performance in the blockbuster "City of Life and Death", is all set for another challenge in "Qiu Xi", a spy thriller.

Set in 1949 before the foundation of the People's Republic of China, the film tells of a love story between Qiu Xi, a local villager played by Jiang, and a communist undercover agent.

Jiang, who has only a few lines in "City of Life and Death," was recently selected by netizens as the most impressive actor in the film about the Nanjing massacre of 1937.

The filming of Qiu Xi began in Beijing on May 16.

Sun Zhou, who anchors "Zhou Yu's Train" (Zhou Yu de Huoche) and "Breaking the Silence" (Piaoliang Mama), both starring Gong Li, directs the film. Mainland actor Guo Xiaodong plays the communist agent.

(China Daily May 19, 2009)