Tang Dynasty Tour (2018)

Skip episode 17-23 for the collection of dumbest decisions by the characters

I would like to start this review and say that this is a gorgeous drama in terms of production design, cinematography, and special effects, but not much action scenes.

I marathoned the 36 &1 episodes in just 12hrs by skipping/fast forwarding the dumbest plot twist (ep17-23) in a drama ever. I will not spoil you on what happens but trust me when I say just skip these episodes to save yourself from the dumbest decision a group of characters can make in a drama that resulted in miscommunication and misunderstanding everywhere.

Acting wise, the ML wasn’t really my type in the modern world but in his ancient garb he looked 100% more good looking and he was believable as a time traveling hero. It also helped that he looked a lot like Taecyeon. In ep 1-16 the ML also had great chemistry with the FL and the bromance between the princes and noblemen were so entertaining.

I had high hopes for the ML & FL that they are intelligent individuals but it seemed like they changed the writer mid show because if the first 16eps was a beautiful rom com set in the ancient times with healthy family and brotherhood relationships, everything went to downhill ep 17 onwards by giving us stupid character decisions from all key characters. One key relationship issue between Yun Yue and Anyang was never discussed properly and was just glossed over by the characters as if it never happened. They just had to make it so makjang by giving the main leads problem after problem which could have been avoided or stopped if the good guys just sat down and discussed all their plans.

You can watch ep 1-36 on IQiyi app with english subs. But my ending advise to future viewers is to look for Eng Sub of the special Ep37 happy ending on youtube for the explanation of what happened in the Ep36 ending.

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How to ruin a brilliant show with ridiculously stupid female characters

This show started great. It was funny, cute, interesting and half way along the female characters (most of whom were quite good) turned into idiotic, whiny, inconsiderate, annoying characters.
A number of characters completely vanished.
Another bad point is the lack cohesion when it comes to time. Eg the Emperor says bring so and so here and the eunuch doesn't turn up at the house until the next day.
So disappointed in what could have been a fantastic show. I suspect they may have changed writers or directors half way through. It was like watching two different shows.

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Engaging if you can bear with the shifts

I was expecting a fun/funny time-travel drama in which the protagonist accidentally gets transported from the modern world to the Tang Dynasty, Initially, the story went very much as expected, and this may or may not be a great thing. On the one hand, I do enjoy the time-travel part of the drama, with the protagonist using his modern knowledge to get his way around in the past. On the other hand, when things fall within expectations, there is hardly any surprise.

But the series comes with some surprises. And this may or may not be a good thing once again. For about half the series, we see the more innocent side of the main characters. The Crown Prince whom the protagonist meets is a reasonable and righteous person, and we have typical rom-com vibes with two couples. However, after we have gotten used to the general rom-com trajectory of the story and characterisation, the series takes a dark turn. It makes some of the important characters more nuanced and rounded, showing a more realistic picture of political figures. Yet, the viewer has not been watching a drama about political intrigue for about half the series, so the shift becomes hard to swallow.

On their own, the two parts of the series are quite well done and engaging. Nevertheless, it doesn't work out that well when put together. Then there is the rushed and clumsy ending with (spoiler coming .........) the protagonist sustaining a fatal injury, This part was unnecessary. To make matters worse, he is transported back to the modern world seemingly because of the fatal injury (apparently it is impossible for him to die in the past) ... and his physical injuries disappear when he finds himself back in the modern world. (??!!) And while he does not magically get dressed in Tang-dynasty dressing when he travels to the past, his Tang dressing and fake hair conveniently get replaced by modern clothes and his original hairstyle when he returns to the modern era. I was almost expecting the series to end with some silly "it was all a dream" nonsense.

There is an additional 5-minute segment for the finale that seems to have been released separately from the final episode. This is where we get a happy ending, with the protagonist time-traveling back (we don't know how) to the Tang Dynasty and reuniting with his lover. (Time travel gets rid of fatal injuries?)

The drama is overall an interesting watch, and there is a lot to like about it. However, I wish the story had been steered back from its darker turn, which will make it more coherent as a whole.

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not very bad story just no good in dialogue ,editing and timeline

duration i watch ,,ep1 39 minute ,2 37minte ,3 38 minute and the 33 eps duration ,,44 -49 minute


To be honest, this is not as bad as I thought, I thought it was just a comedy romance lame absurd story ,,
but the story is quite serious, with a little comedy ,i dont think the acting is very very bad ,its good enough for that genre of drama ,,i holding this drama for very long because look very tired for watching a absurd comedy for historycal drama just like romance comedy absurd ,,, but this drama not that bad , because of time travel ,he introduce a lot of modern tecnique and things ,, even its very absurd imposible but they look very seriously when decribing it


unfortunately the editing is very bad, the dialogue they said keep wrong and keep changing not unified, sometimes says A, sometimes says B,,,
1. in ep1 they said qiangpeople is defeat in war but qiang people still dare to go in the military salt mine? and causing all of them death?
2. brothel girl said the pocket sachet is luxinyue give her ,but luxinyue said to crown she sell to her ,and after go out crown said that xinyue said she give it to her(brothel girl)
3. ep 6 emperor said want to punnish yun with 30 strokes but when punnishment they said just 20stokes


sometimes what they do I don't understand their purpose because it wasn't explained, and it felt very useless,,
how they explain the clue word "申 shen" is very perfunctory (敷衍 fuyan),,, they said shen mean "身后 shen hou "mean there is someone behind akk of that,,,,but no need to leave a clue like that they will also know there is a mastermind behind all that because their goal is to find the killer of Anlan's mother ,,

sometimes it was a jumping scene,,the scene just skipped, I didn't know how it happened, and when it happened,, and I don't think the timeline was clear when, l,,,according to Houjunji's statement, he had been helping uncle Tian for 6th but Anlan and Chengqian ages are only 2 years apart,, so it's unclear how long ago the Xuanwu incident occurred, and when Anlan was how old Tianruolan died? And why isn't Tianruolan with Lishimin?

and and and HOW ABOUT THE REAL YUNYE? QIANG PEOPLE SOLDIER? AND HEIS DEATH? AND WHO BURY HIM IN DESERT?

and the ending of the story is very... hmm ,,even though it ended, it was too hasty and a little unfortunate

i still waiting for crownprince end ,and what happen with yunbuqi when he back but just end like that ,and the recording record what happen when he timetravel?

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Tang Dynasty Tour (2018) Period RomCom Chinese Drama with a serious ending

The main character is Yun Ye (Played by Wang Tianchen)—Wang Tianchen’s personality is so perfect for this role in Tang Dynasty Tour. Most will fall in love with this actor.

Tang Dynasty Tour (2018) Period RomCom Chinese Drama is a Chinese drama which acts as a tour through history, like the American Movie Forest Gump.

Tang Dynasty Tour is a Time Travel drama, which takes you back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). This is a Time Travel drama instead of a Time Slip, because there is a definite mode for Time Travel. It is an ancient ornamental hairpin.

Quote: “Water carries a boat, and yet water can overturn it”. Tang Dynasty Tour.

The Story

A radical young smart archaeologist named Yun Ye (Wang Tianchen) is warned to be careful while in an archeological dig, as they combed through buried ancient Chinese artifacts. Yun Ye ignores the warning and falls down through a compartment which seems to have no way out. Using his ingenuity, he finds an opening that opens with a woman’s hairpin. Nevertheless, Yun Ye is unaware that he falls through a time warp, which takes him back to the Tang Dynasty. He decides to stick around for a tour. Along the way, he falls in love. Since most of the Royalty in this drama are historical figures, it is fun to see how Yun Ye touches bases with history, ancient culture and artifacts, and events, like in the American film Forest Gump. Since I study history in general, I picked up most all of the references to Chinese History. Tang Dynasty Tour is scoring a 9.2 on the Chinese Streamer iQIYI, even with a very bad translation Team. The Chinese are going to get the historical references more so than most others cultures. In the same way, Forest Gump would score higher in America, because the central theme has American History.

What is unique about the drama Tang Dynasty Tour is that Yun Ye can use his brilliant mind and his vast knowledge of the future to control and guide him through, and invent different ways to live in the past. I truly enjoyed this drama immensely. There are the most complicated love triangles in Tang Dynasty Tour than in any other Asian Drama I have seen. This drama has all the bells and whistles for my taste.

The following is a quote from Emperor Tang Taizong:

“If one uses bronze as a mirror one will be able to adjust one’s dress and hat properly. If one uses the past as a mirror, one will be able to learn the principles of the rise and fall of a dynasty. If one uses a person as a mirror, one will be able to discern one’s own achievements and mistakes.” The Zhenguan Zhengyao
(贞观 政要)

Specifically for one homage to history, look for the green Chamber Pot (toilet) of Emperor Gaozu, the Grandfather (Father of the Emperor Li Shimin and former/first Emperor of the Tang Dynasty). Yun Ye is granted any gift he wants by former Emperor Gaozu. He asks for the chamber pot (toilet) of the retired Emperor as a gift. While everyone laughs at the request, Yun Ye quips that it will be of great value someday. Along the way Yun Ye introduces or “invents” a game called Mahjong, a very popular Asian game today. The Tang Dynasty was long gone by the 1800s, when the very popular Mahjong was introduce to the world. However, we get to see Chinese people circa 600 CE play the game. Yun Ye also introduces Scandinavian furniture into the Tang culture and it becomes a hit. Come to think of it, Chinese furniture at a point in time in history does suddenly modernize and takes on a seeming European look. Okay, I am over thinking things a bit.

The time period of Tang Dynasty Tour is the Tang Dynasty (618-907CE), during the reign of Emperor Tai Zong. He is a real historical person who reigned over the Tang Dynasty 626–649 CE, of the period of Zhengguan. Because Yun Ye knows how to make granular table salt, Yun Ye becomes valued and protected, like a commodity. What salt did to food historically radicalized eating. Also in the past, salt was the same price as gold. Imagine a world without salt. With his inventiveness and future know-how, Yun Ye becomes the MacGyver of the ancient Tang Dynasty world.

Quote: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lord Acton (1887)

Set decorations, costume designs and shoe-ware are exquisite and so Tang Dynasty These are a literal feast to the eyes. Cinematography is off the charts and the drama has a great OST. Hair and makeup are divine. There is lots of Court Intrigue and thrilling action in this drama, women in distress, valiant swordsmen, it is all there, making Tang Dynasty Tour a fun delicious adventure. The plot line of The Tang Dynasty Tour Drama does get incoherent in some spots in the back half, as a few Chinese Dramas do. Over all, Tang Dynasty Tour is a Chicken Dinner Winner. (The drama is available on Amazon Prime Video and iQIYI in 2024).

Viewer Note: Be aware that there is a bad translator for this drama, Tang Dynasty Tour.

The Rules of Time Travel.

Somehow, because of his time travel to the past, Yun Ye has thrown off the original historical timeline. It becomes disordered. Yun Ye creates a grandfather paradox. The man who should have fathered his nation in the future (being the only male left in the clan) died because of the time travel insertion of Yun Ye. If Yun Ye does not agree to father the nation of Yun, as the last man, he does not exist in the future. He must become his own ancestor if he is to go back to the future. This is a modified grandfather paradox. The paradox entertains what would happen if you went back in time and killed your own grandfather. If in time, you always killed your own grandfather, you would never have existed in the future to go back in time to kill your own grandfather. That is a paradox similar to what Yun Ye faces. To correct the paradox, he inserts himself in as his own “grandfather”.

In Tang Dynasty Tour Time Travel drama, Yun Ye changes time events. Therefore, Yun Ye is in an alternate universe where events are correctable.

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