The second season of documentary series Century Masters, featuring a group of outstanding figures from 20th century China, launched its filming plan at the Palace Museum on Monday.

　　The series premiered in 2012 and has filmed 110 episodes that cover artistic fields, including fine arts, calligraphy, Peking Opera, modern drama, music and literature. Through exclusive historical materials and interviews with those who worked closely with the artists, it has managed to tell the life stories of these 43 masters with authenticity and integrity.

　　Season 2 will start with modern Chinese architectural engineering and commemorate the contributions made by four great engineers and architects – Zhan Tianyou, Mao Yisheng, Liang Sicheng and Yang Tingbao. Each story consists of two episodes. 

　　"These four masters were all pioneers pushing forward the frontiers of modern architecture," said Han Bing, chief director of this chapter. "They made tough sacrifices to create the legacy we are able to witness today. Many of their designs are truly marvels in the history of architectural design."

　　"I am going to explore the motivations which guided these men to great achievements," Han said. "And let their character and spirit continue to inspire today's young people."

　　The launching ceremony also marked the initiation of the new Century Masters website. After an overall upgrade, this new platform will be an online community sharing the latest information about the documentary as well as the developments in China's literature and art circles. 

　　Zhan Tianyou was a pioneering Chinese railroad engineer. Educated in the United States, he was in charge of building the Peking-Kalgan Railway (from Beijing to Zhangjiakou in North China's Hebei province), the first railway constructed in China without foreign assistance. He is recognized as the "Father of China's Railroads". 

　　Mao Yisheng was regarded as the founder of modern bridge engineering in China. He designed two of the most famous bridges in modern China, the Qiantang River Bridge in East China's Zhejiang province, and the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in Central China's Hubei province. 

　　Son of Liang Qichao, one of China's most prominent scholars from the 20th century, Liang Sicheng authored the first modern history on Chinese architecture, and founded the Architecture Department of Northeastern University in 1928 and Tsinghua University in 1946. He also is recognized as the "Father of Modern Chinese Architecture".

　　An architect and educator, Yang Tingbao presided over the renovation of the Temple of Heaven, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and Guozijian (Imperial College). Yang also is the designer of the Beijing Railway Station. During his years teaching at National Central University, later Nanjing University, he trained many of China's leading young architects.