Actor Chen Feiyu reflected on his transformative three-year journey portraying Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) soldier Sun Xing in an exclusive interview with China.org.cn following the premiere of "The Volunteers: Peace at Last."

Actor Chen Feiyu speaks to China.org.cn reporter to share insights on making "The Volunteers: Peace at Last" in Beijing, Sept. 28, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

Chen Feiyu's character undergoes a dramatic change across the "The Volunteers" trilogy set during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. He evolves from a cheerful, optimistic soldier in the first film to one bearing the scars of traumatic combat in the second, before facing his greatest test in the final chapter. 

"He fought with all his strength to uphold his belief," Chen said. "This made me appreciate more deeply both the fragility of life and the preciousness of peace."

"The Volunteers: Peace at Last" is the final installment in Chen Kaige's war epic trilogy "The Volunteers" and one of the major releases during the National Day holiday. It had grossed 419 million yuan by Monday since its national debut on Sept. 30.

The film focuses on the CPV's "fighting while negotiating" strategy from the Fifth Campaign's aftermath through the armistice signing. It depicts how the soldiers' battlefield sacrifices ultimately forced the enemy to the negotiating table.

Sun Xing's climactic scenes in the trilogy carried unprecedented emotional weight for Chen Feiyu. He admitted: "Those final scenes were the most stressful for me, because they were the most important moments for the character and the heaviest responsibility given by the director and screenwriter."

On screen, these moments embodied Sun's unyielding spirit and captured the courage of CPV soldiers facing adversity, Chen said.

To prepare for the role, Chen underwent physical training and studied historical documents and documentaries to capture the spirit of CPV soldiers.

He recalled: "The pressure of filming explosion scenes was very high. Each setup required more than 10 minutes of preparation, but I did not want to hold up the crew's schedule, so I tried to execute every action as precisely as possible."

Chen refined every detail during production to convey the perseverance and resolve of the volunteer soldiers.

A still from "The Volunteers: Peace at Last." [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

When discussing the film's significance for young audiences, Chen grew solemn: "After watching the third film, I felt very heavy-hearted. Many soldiers sacrificed their lives at an age younger than mine. They are the greatest and most admirable people. During filming, I was shocked every day. Being in those realistic settings made me constantly experience their faith. I hope young viewers today can understand and feel that spirit through Sun Xing."

The trilogy deepened Chen's sense of responsibility as an actor. "At the beginning of training, I was nervous, worrying whether I could truly capture the spirit of the CPV soldiers. But after three years of filming, this sense of responsibility has grown stronger," he reflected. "The purpose of the trilogy is to show that countless soldiers gave their lives 70 years ago to secure peace. I hope all audiences can feel that power in this film."

Playing Sun gave Chen more than acting skills, he said; it was a spiritual transformation.

"Sun's growth and sacrifice made me realize the weight of guarding peace through blood and fire," Chen said. "I hope to pass on the spirit of the CPV through this character and look forward to bringing more works that touch people's hearts in the future."