Tenday, a highly-anticipated survival show produced by iQIYI, China's leading online content provider, premiered on Friday, setting social media abuzz with discussions.

The variety show brought together 39 participants, including celebrities such as Taiwan singer-actor Nicky Wu, actor Lin Gengxin, and singer Yao Chen, and professionals from all walks of life, such as sports, e-sports, science and tech.

Participants had been asked to part with all their electronic devices before they were taken to a vast, empty urban space in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, where every day they had to win one game, which required not only brains and brawn but also teamwork, to be able to stay for another 24 hours in the show or they would be eliminated.

Evocative of The Squid Game, "Tenday aims to provide the audience with an immersive viewing experience akin to watching a gripping drama series," Chen Wei, chief director of the show and iQIYI's senior vice president said at a press preview on Thursday.

The director revealed it had taken his team almost a year to develop the show and they traveled across the country and even abroad to find a suitable shooting location.

"This is the craziest attempt I have made in my career because the filming site, with four areas, was more than 20 square kilometers, posing a great challenge to direction and filming," the director said. Also, unlike a drama anchored by a script, Tenday was based purely on participants' actions and interactions as they tried to survive the games' physical and psychological twists, filmed around the clock for 10 days.

Host Zhang Dada, one of the 39 challengers, said that over the 10 days, it took him a lot to combat the smartphone withdrawal effect. He posted 10 times on micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo on the day filming was over, stoking much interest in the show.

"During the 10-day filming, I built friendships I never had before, endured hardships I had never experienced, and discovered potentials and talents I thought I could never have in my lifetime," he said.

"This show is like a mirror, and at many moments it reflects who you are in the face of challenges and choices," said stand-up comedian and participant Pang Bo.

Arguing that games are the most abstract simulation of reality, the director hoped the show, through presenting the real reactions of its 39 participants when faced with various challenges in playing the games, could strike a chord with modern audiences who live under huge pressure.

"I hope the show can inspire the audience to face challenges when they want to escape from them and make the right choices when taking on the challenges," Chen said.

Tenday is available for streaming on iQIYI, with new episodes released every Friday at noon.