Trailer (3'32) :

Previous trailer (1'33) :

CLIP FROM THE DRAMA (with English and Chinese subtitles, 16') :

Promotional event recording of May 18, 2026 (50'19, with English subtitles) :

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EPISODES OVERVIEW (Project in the works if I have time, when I will re-watch the drama)

The story is about the development of a child into a Chinese Opera female martial arts artist. At first, she is bewildered at her sudden transplant from the countryside, torn away from her familiar environment and parents, and with few clues as to why people act as they do around her. Her only defense at first is silence, but she lacks education and models, so she is pushed and formed by the people around her, accepting the hopes pinned on her, without resentment. Her strength slowly grows from there, but her later sentimental journey will not be easy.

• theematchabun figured out in comments Qín'é’s age by year & episodes :
  1976 | 11 yrs old (ep 1-14)
  1982- 86 | 17 yrs old - 21 - almost 22 (ep 14-24)
  1987- 88 | 22 yrs old - almost 23 (ep 24-34)
  1990 | 24 yrs old - almost 25 (ep 34-36)

The story starts in the year 1976, which is the last year of the Cultural Revolution.

#1 Hú Sānyuán went up the mountain to find a "poor student" to teach ;

Director Huáng Zhèngjīng told the troupe they had been assigned to play Xiǎng Yáng Hóng 向阳红" On the mountain, "Sing a folksong to the Party" was heard echoing. On the Opera base, Huā Cǎixiāng crooned "Azalea" softly to herself ; Mǐ Lán was rehearsing the lead role. On the mountain, voices sounded an ironic ditty about uncles. Hú Sānyuán took Láidì and the wrecked bike to Qín Bāwá's shop; Láidì choked on her first wheat bun. Huā Cǎixiāng complained about Hé Dàchui's inept drumming . On arrival in the city, Láidì witnessed a parade marching and singing "Socialism is good", on her way into the Opera base, they saw a stretcher carrying a woman out ; Huā Cǎixiāng explained it was Huáng's wife who had drunk pesticide in a fit of anger because of an anonymous letter slandering Huā Cǎixiāng and Huáng for having an alleged "illicit affair".

#2. Hú Sānyuán suggested Láidì be renamed Yì Qīng'é (but for the time being, she would still be called by her original name). The girl refused to speak or sing, only sniffed when she was spoken to. Hú Sānyuán found Mǐ Lán in the darkened meeting hall, practicing in secret the songs for the role. She helped him tend his wound.

Back in her room, Cǎixiāng had bathed Láidì and cut her hair. She suggested Láidì's stinking clothes be washed and altered as a costume by Bái Xié 白鞋 ("White Shoes, a nickname), who scared Láidì with her White Hair Girl opera wig, but kindly took Láidì's measures to make her new clothes.

Cǎixiāng took Láidì to sleep in her room, since it was inappropriate to let the 11 years old girl sleep in her uncle's room. Outside, members of the troupe were using the communal sink in the courtyard, singing the Xǐyī gē (Laundry Song). A tap on the windowpane got Láidì introduced to Bāyī 八一 but she only sniffed in answer to his questions. They were threatened by an arrogant big boy. In the courtyard, Mǐ Lán led the song "Azalea".

Next day, after a night of snoring, Láidì was still silent. Hú Sānyuán got worried when he heard he had been stricken from the examiners list because of the slander. Cǎixiāng took Láidì to train in the assembly room and they found Mǐ Lán training 12 years old Chǔ Jiāhé. Cǎixiāng brought Láidì to the costume room and gave her some advice.

Later, Láidì met Bāyī again. The son and kitchen hand of Master Sòng (宋师傅) , the cook, yearned to become an opera performer, but his father scolded him. At the morning meeting, Cǎixiāng was told that Mǐ Lán would replace her for the performance because of the rumors.

#3. The performance of Xiǎng Yáng Hóng drew a crowd ; the townspeople expected Cǎixiāng in the lead role but it was too late to switch so Mǐ Lán did her best. A plank prop was missing, with the political message thus truncated; Hú Sānyuán had an idea : he made Láidì stand in front of the missing part as a scarecrow, which both surprised and delighted the public. Her first, silent, role was a success !

There was a scare when Hú Sānyuán was taken away by the police for questioning about the anonymous slander letter, but the matter ended up amicably with Hú Sānyuán demonstrating his art of drumming for the policemen, by beating with his sticks on tin plates and pans to explain the roles of the different drums : tánggǔ 堂鼓 ceremonial drum ; bǎngǔ 板鼓 frame drum with high pitched sound, Zhangǔ 战鼓 war drum...

Back in bed, Cǎixiāng told Láidì the sad story of the namesake colleague who had fallen to her death in an accident and who Hú Sānyuán and the senior members of the troupe still remembered.

Next day, to enlist supporters for his niece's application as trainee, Hú Sānyuán went to see Director Huáng (who was non-committal and did not even support his own kin), Qín Bāwá (who acknowledged that he had covered up for the scarecrow part), and Hé Dàchui (using blackmail to coerce him).

#4. Hú Sānyuán was ambushed and beaten when he stepped out from the cinema where he, Cǎixiāng and Láidì were watching a movie. The little girl got scared and would not obey Cǎixiāng who wanted to teach her the Pān Dōngzǐ 潘冬子 role singing "Twinkling Red Star"; she ran off but was caught by Hú Sānyuán who managed to coax her to sing for the first time. On their way back, Hú Sānyuán went to confront Hé Dàchui (who had staged the ambush) and rode him back to the base on his bicycle. Hé Dàchui revealed that Huáng 's weakness was Hēi Wá  黑娃, his nephew, even more clueless about opera than Láidì, but supported by Huáng 's wife.

In the evening, Bāyī shared some rock sugar with Láidì. Next day, at the audition, after being called in just after Fēng Xiāoxiāo who had brilliantly performed the Red Star song and even played the accordion, she suddenly broke into a loud and stinging complaint which stunned the examiners.

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1/ MOVES AND POSES : the "five methods"

Hand movements (gestures), eyes (expressions), body (postures), steps (footwork), and technique (performing methods) are all codified. Here are some that were used in the drama :

In this little non standard 京剧 play, "The war between the herons and the vultures.", several moves, poses and techniques are used including the ribbon (8'17, posted to YouTube July 2018, English subtitles)

2/FACIAL MAKE UP and MASKS

In Chinese Opera, especially In Běijīng opera (Jīngjù), facial makeup patterns, known as Liǎnpǔ (脸谱), function as a visual code to instantly reveal a character's personality, moral alignment, and fate. It is like a visual shorthand language and it is better to read up and learn about it in a book with close-up pictures and stage photos before attending an opera . The interpretation relies on a strict system of colors and pattern complexity. This system allows the audience to understand a character's role and moral standing immediately upon their entrance, serving as a "visual lexicon" for the opera's narrative. With masks, it is also possible to express changes, and Sìchuān opera is particularly spectacular in this respect, with its sleight-of-hand mask changes : the masked actor will change masks at lightning speed until the skin make-up underneath is revealed...

1/ Each COLOR corresponds to specific character traits:

• 2/ PATTERNS

Makeup colors for female performers are different and more unified with a face looking pale and pink, red "bud" shaped lips : they generally do not wear the elaborate, patterned facial makeup (Liǎnpǔ 脸谱) associated with male warriors or villains. Instead, they follow a strict set of rules for "beautifying makeup" (jùnbàn 俊扮), designed to present an idealized, uniform standard of feminine beauty. (see next subsection: the Dàn roles)

3/ COSTUMES, HEADDRESS, AND ROLES

Introduction to the four main roles in Peking Opera (these roles are named same way in other Chinese operas)：

Some costumes are immediately recognizable, such as the one of the Monkey King. Male roles may have costumes with inbuilt flag holders for warriors, or have simple robe designs and colors for young men and scholars like the blue and white clad characters above ; a more elaborate design may be reserved for a king or emperor like the black-gold character above or have pants like the guard to the right, above. The "shēng " 生 (male characters in general), "jìng" 净 (colorful face) or "chǒu" 丑 (clown) types of characters) are the three main roles for actors, with subtypes recognizable by make-up, dress or headdress, like explained below.

Females characters (known as Dàn roles) generally do not wear the elaborate, patterned facial makeup (Liǎnpǔ 脸谱) associated with male warriors or villains. Instead, they follow a strict set of rules for "beautifying makeup" (jùnbàn 俊扮), designed to present an idealized, uniform standard of feminine beauty regardless of the actor's actual features. The application follows a specific sequence:

• White Base: A thick layer of oil-based white paint is applied to the entire face, neck, and sometimes chest to create a smooth, porcelain-like canvas. This eliminates natural skin tones and shadows.

• Red Rouge: Peach-red or crimson rouge is applied heavily around the eyes and temples, blending upward toward the hairline and downward to the cheeks. This creates a distinctive "flushed" look that emphasizes the eyes.

• Black Accents: Sharp, thick black lines are drawn to extend and shape the eyebrows and eyelids. The eyes are often elongated upwards at the corners to create a stylized almond shape.

• Lips: The lips are painted a small, bright red "cherry" shape, often smaller than the actor's natural lips, centered on the lower face

Slight variations exist based on the specific subtype of the female character:

• Huādàn 花旦, "flowery role" (Playful/Flirtatious Women): May feature slightly brighter or more extensive rouge to suggest liveliness and coquettish, though the fundamental pattern remains the same. They represent young women, about 12 to 16 years old ; they may be accompanying a Qīngyī lady as the maid. Or they may be queens and princesses with more elaborate pattern costumes called "mang" for the royalty and "guan' for the princesses. The headdress sports pearls/beads and/or flowers. Typical roles : Hóngniáng (红娘) of the "Romance of the West Chamber" (Xīxiāngjì 西厢记) and Yán Xījiāo (阎惜姣) of "Wūlóngyuàn" (乌龙院)

• Wǔdàn 武旦 (Warrior Women): While primarily using the standard Dàn face, some fierce female generals might incorporate very subtle martial elements (like slightly sharper eyebrow angles), but they rarely use the full-face painted patterns of male jìng roles. If a female character is supernatural (a demon or spirit), she may occasionally wear more elaborate makeup, but this is distinct from the standard human Dàn roles. They specialize only in fighting hence they seldom sing or speak, but they may use the Cǎi qiāo (踩跷) false foot, performing on tip toe on special platform shoes ; they were required to do so, in the past. They wear an armor called "kao 靠". It is is characterized by its red or pink color and intricate flower and phoenix embroidery. This armor typically features multicolored streamers hanging from the waist and is often equipped with four flags on the back, which signifies the character's military rank and battlefield presence

Typical roles are : Huā Mùlán 花木兰 ; Zhīzhū jīng (蜘蛛精) 'spider demon' of "Pánsī dòng" 盘丝洞 (Spider cave, a story from "The Journey To The West") and Hù Sānniáng 扈三娘 a prominent female character in Chinese opera, primarily known as a warrior from the classical novel "Water Margin" aka "Outlaws of the Marsh") : nicknamed "Ten Feet of Green"; she is characterized by her superb martial arts skills, particularly in using Sun and Moon Double Blades and a red lasso.

Among the Wǔdàn are the Dāomǎdàn 刀马旦 (literally "sword and horse females") who are specifically associated with cavalry combat and armor. Typical roles are Liáng Hóngyù 梁红玉 (wife and warrior in the army of her husband Hán Shìzhōng who was fighting the Jurchen invaders in the 12th century) and Mù Guìyīng 穆桂英, a prominent figure in the Generals of the Yáng Family legends.

4/ STAGE PROPS

In Sìchuān opera, Qièmò 切末 is the name for all stage props and some simple decorations. They have the characteristics of "one thing with multiple uses" and "a combination of practicality and substitution". They include articles of everyday life such as candlesticks, lanterns, fans, handkerchiefs, brushes, paper, ink and ink slabs, tea sets and wine sets; sedan chairs, vehicle flags, oars and horse whips; weapons (Waving a whip means riding a horse, and waving an oar means rowing a boat); and various articles to demonstrate environments, such as cloth backdrops to represent cities, curtains, flags, table curtains and chair covers. Traditional Qièmò are not just imitations of real articles, but artistic articles in their own right.

Tables and chairs are usually made of wood and painted in red. They may be used to represent generic furnishings or an imperial desk, a judge's desk, or a banquet table. The table can also be used as a rock or other objects. When a person goes up a hill, he stands on a table. One table on top of another means a particularly high mountain. The table can also represent a wall for jumping over. Slumping over a table with the head resting on one hand means to have a sleep. Climbing from a low hill to a higher one is represented by stepping from a chair onto a table. Chairs can be used to represent the doors of caves or jails.

Flags are also frequently used. A square flag with the Chinese character for "marshal" on it, a rectangular flag with the Chinese character for "commander" on it and a flag with the name of a certain army on it represent the location of army camps and commanders-in-chief. In addition, there are water 水, fire 火, wind 风 , and vehicle flags (the latter show a stylized wheel).

5/ MUSIC INSTRUMENTS - THE OPERA ORCHESTRA

Many Chinese Operas rely a lot on the rhythm and tunes played by the ancient or folk instruments :

percussion gives the rhythm and time such as for battle parts, and signal beginning or end of expressive parts: the music instruments include gongs, Fāngxiǎng metallophone, drums like the big war drum Zhàngǔ or smaller ones, clappers etc,

loud and persistent notes underline the solemn or joyous feelings, from the Suǒnà trumpet or the Guǎnzǐ reed clarinet,

more melodic tunes are played by the flutes like the horizontal Dízǐ, or the Shēng reed pipe mouth organ (for pictures and description of some of these, see Section 12 B6 #35- The Prince Breaks the Formation 《亲王破阵乐》Qīnwáng pò zhèn yuè) or by string instruments such as the Chinese violin "èrhú", the big lute "pípá",and/or zithers such as the "gǔzhēng".

6/ VOICE AND PITCH - TYPES OF OPERAS and Qínqiāng

Liú Hàocún training and rehearsal for voice and poses (video without subtitles, 1'46; posted May 10, 2026 on Liú Hàocún official channel of YouTube)

There are more than 360 different types of Chinese Operas. They have been performed for over 900 years in China, with evolution and traditions. The more widely known are :

• Běijīng Opera, Jīngjù 京剧

• Sìchuān Opera Chuānjù 川 剧 (typically with sleight-of-hand face mask changes);

• Yuè Opera Yuèjù 越剧 from Guangdong

• Kūnqǔ opera 崑曲 (adaptations of romantic novels and stories with emphasis on voice, from the Jiangnan);

• Huángméi opera Huángméidiào 黃梅調 (with large parts in spoken dialogue) ;

• Qínqiāng opera Qín qiāng 秦腔 (with specific rhymes in Shǎnxī dialect, and use of wooden clappers, from which it is also called Bangzi opera and Luàntán (亂彈, literally "hit in chaos"),

• etc.

The Thirteen Rhyme Categories of Qínqiāng Opera are a vocal technique term in Qínqiāng 秦腔 singing. Their core focus is the vowels within syllables, consisting of three parts: the initial consonant, the main vowel, and the final consonant. The main vowel is generally formed by the vowels a, o, and e; if these are absent, vowels such as i, u, and ü can also be used. The initial consonant is limited to i, u, and ü. The final consonant is divided into two categories: diphthong finals and nasal consonant finals. This system classifies rhyme categories into thirteen categories based on the principle of identical or similar main vowels (consistent final consonants), including the rhyme categories with variegated vowels (a...).

APPENDIX : THE POPULARITY OF QINQIANG OPERA

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