Finished while starting ongoing re-watching to add more into the Companion piece (Notes... housed in Discussions section) This was a gold mine to learn about many things Chinese Opera related, and the protagonist's journey to growth was well-portrayed, with its happy and sad moments. Solid 10/10 for me. I agree with the high 8.2 Douban rating too.
I hate Liu Hong Bing he is the worst male lead and the fact that Qin E will accept him is heartbreaking he is…
He is "the playboy" who becomes the cross to bear for his "suffering wife", the type who seduces and then uses women and dismisses them like used Kleenexes: he is not meant to be likable. If you hate him, that means Shawn Dou played him right ☺️
I heard that she had known 2 years in advance that this role would be hers and had been training for nearly 2…
Yes, he said he needed "ban nian duo de shijian" (more than half a year's time") at 1:17 in the video 😉 I had not come across that video, so thanks for the link!
I heard that she had known 2 years in advance that this role would be hers and had been training for nearly 2…
Even if it did not take two full years (after all she also had to prepare and play the lead in the 2025 airing drama in which she played alongside Song Weilong) she certainly devoted some time to prepare for The Protagonist. She is said to have trained for six months intensively to master the specific Wudan techniques with which she was previously unfamiliar. In a recent interview, she furthermore explained that she had been going through 40 videos which she had to download and study for preparation. She also read the novel attentively before tackling the script and its ongoing tweaks during shooting.
What's the name of the red haired character please?
If you have not got the answer yet, the red haired young woman character is Wang Hua'er (a relative from the Li family and best friend of Li Zhen), played by Nafisa 娜菲莎 Na Fei Sha (the MDL page is under Nafesa which is an alternate translation).
Nafesa is a dancer (?) and actress from the Xinjiang whose bio is uncertain : Douban https://www.douban.com/personage/36606005/ has her born on March 21, 2000, Baidu https://baike.baidu.com/item//娜菲莎/10699880 on December 29 year unknown, (both pages list same filmography). While she is listed as Uighur on the Baidu page, there is no mention of ethnicity on the Douban page.
But why does Wang Hua'er sport this fiery hue hair in Ming times? I have no answer.
LUO WENSONG ISN'T DEAD LUO WENSONG ISN'T DEAD LUO WENSONG ISN'T DEAD LUO WENSONG ISN'T DEAD LUO WENSONG ISN'T…
umm,in this drama, Luo Wensong is played by Cao Lei as "guest role" so... perhaps he played out his part already, sadly. Luo Wenqian now " Mr Qi Jiu" is the ML looking for revenge.
But I also really would like Luo Wensong and his aunt to have escaped from the fire and somehow hid themselves somewhere to reappear later. How, though? Just shouting they are still alive may not be enough despite I agree with the optimistic wish.
The drama version although based on book is, to my understanding, veering away from original writing in more than minor details. I don't feel tempted to read and compare or anticipate wrongly. Book and drama may well be two different universes and that's fine by me.
has anyone checked on Elvis because this dude is looking like a clone.
No he is not a clone, but an actor who has been around on screen since The Romance of Condor Heroes in 2014 and is also well known as a car racer. In fact he played a car racer in Macau in 2024 "Begin Again" recently after having already played a car racer in 2018 "Speed". He may be seen as playing more in modern times dramas. But he also played in other period dramas, like the minguo spy story "The Guardians" in 2025, and in the Han dynasty era era 2018 "Secret of Three Kingdoms" which got good ratings.
First time watching DongJun (Elvis Han) on screen and I love his acting and his voice is just incredible!
He's been on screens for a while now, since his 2014 support role in the "Romance of the Condor Heroes" (he played the role of Xiao Wu, the son of Wu Santong who was raised alongside his brother Wu Dunru by Guo Jing and Huang Rong after their father went insane and their mother died). More recently he has been in a car-racing drama set in Macau : 2024 "Begin Again", a romance which fits his personality since he is a car racer in real life. In 2025, he was ML in the minguo spy drama "The Guardians". Maybe not yet a big idol, but the Harbin born, 182cm actor and race car driver has his fan following already, called the Jun Bao / 君宝 with green as his color. I am pleased to find him in this drama: his name on cast alongside that of AoAo (Yang Ni-ao 杨旎奥) was part of the attraction to peek for me !
There was a drama about Ming Dynasty that actually featured a lot of envoys from all around the world, notably…
The Ming dynasty was both famous for having forbidden sea trade over two centuries and finally opened up with explorations like those of admiral Zhang He who reputedly sailed all the way to Africa and Zanzibar, returning with some curios and tributes like a giraffe. The story of the giraffe is interesting : it had arrived in 1414 (or 1415) as a gift from the envoys of Malindi (in modern-day Kenya), to the ruler of Bengal, but the Chinese diplomats onboard the fleet of Zhang He purchased it to present it to the Chinese court in Nanjing.: the animal sailed with stops in southern India and in Bengal before reaching China. In China, it was marveled at as a living mythical "qilin" animal.
When Ming dynasty at last reopened again maritime Silk Road routes connecting China with the Middle east and Europe for porcelain, silk, spices and other valuable trade, it became a busy exchange of goods. In the reverse directions, Muslim traders arrived, but that was just the second wave, since many had already come overland to Chang'an and settled in Chinese cities in earlier Tang dynasty times. The overland Silk road had already connected China to the world for centuries. Chinese silk was already known in Ancient Rome : "The Romans referred to the source of this silk as the Seres (or Serica), a mysterious land to the far east, and the fabric became a visible marker of elite status and wealth among the Roman upper class" and "Evidence suggests that silk traveled from China to Mesopotamia via intermediary trade routes as early as the Late Bronze Age (before the 2nd century BC). While the "Silk Road" was officially opened during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC), silk had already reached Egypt by 1070 BC, indicating that luxury goods, including silk, were moving westward through Asia and Mesopotamia long before direct diplomatic missions."
i love this ink art culture theme, is there any other cdrama series that dig into traditional art like this?
2024 Brocade Odyssey about "Chu" Sichuan brocade 2024 The story of Pearl Girl about, well, jewels trade in Tang dynasty 2021 The Sword and the Brocade with a maker of "Jin" brocade and especially Nanjing Yunjin (Cloud Brocade) in Ming Dynasty
Right? Now I’m wondering if there’s a How It’s Made episode on modern ink hahah
If you are curious about fountain pen inks for writing or dip pen inks for calligraphy there is this video, explaining the role of pigments and solvents : https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2ala6qbfCJQ Or inks can be made from various materials such as watercolour, gouache, acrylic and Pearlex powder mixed to make beautiful colors such as here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgAUZrfCRic
But modern ink is most often just a chemical liquid, and the ink fades with time, rather fast. Just look at inkjet printed documents, even 3-5 years later, they may be illegible. Even laser printed documents may not stay as pristine as when first printed, but at least they are not rip-offs as printer inkjet cartridges, which are both extremely expensive and very impermanent, drying quickly in the cartridge! That ink is just industrial rip off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXh19-RQWh0
Just saw that the Luo family's story in this drama is based on the real story of the Luo family in Huizhou and…
The Ming dynasty was a harsh period for many. The first Ming emperor(s) displaced almost half of the citizens because he did not like the way the imperial exams favored those in the south. He did social experiments on large scale... The people had to cope with the rulers' whims and eke a living as they could. It was not easy to "follow their dreams" then, for women of course even less than for men.
"Ming Dynasty actively displaced and resettled large populations to achieve political stability, economic rehabilitation, and ethnic integration.
* Northern Rehabilitation: To rebuild the neglected North China Plain and secure the frontier, the Hongwu and Yongle Emperors forcibly relocated well-to-do city dwellers from the Yangtze Delta and farmers from overpopulated southeastern regions to vacant northern lands, providing them with seeds, tools, and tax exemptions. * Southern Colonization: Following the 1381 annexation of Yunnan and Guizhou, the Ming settled approximately 200,000 military colonists and later hundreds of thousands of civilian migrants in the southwest, drastically shifting the region's ethnic makeup by displacing or assimilating non-Han indigenous groups. * Internal Pacification: The government displaced coastal islanders and maritime communities, forcing them inland under strict "seafaring prohibition" policies to combat Japanese piracy, while also relocating Mongol troops and families within China to prevent them from banding together in the north. * Legal and Social Displacement: Peasants were often displaced from their land by expanding bureaucrats and landlords who used tax exemptions and legal power to seize property, turning former landowners into tenants or itinerant laborers."
Also, we may have admired in museums fine porcelains and artifacts shipped to foreign lands in that period, but should not forget that the Ming first forbade sea trade.
" Ming Dynasty implemented the Haijin (sea ban) policy, which forbade private maritime trade for much of its rule. The first ban was issued in 1371 by the Hongwu Emperor, prohibiting private sea trading and restricting all legal foreign commerce to government-controlled tribute missions. The policy was enforced through strict measures, including the shuttering of Maritime Trade Intendancies in 1384, the destruction of ships and shipyards, and the forced relocation of coastal populations inland. The ban proved counterproductive, leading to endemic smuggling and the rise of Wokou piracy. so, two centuries of suffering later, the maritime prohibition was officially loosened in 1567 under the Longqing Emperor, who allowed private trade at specific ports like Haicheng in Fujian Province, although Japanese trade remained restricted." (To have a fictional and dramatized glimpse of that later period, turn to "The Sword and the Brocade" , around the crafting of Nanjing Yunjing brocade of the Jiangnan, which is also about a form of Chinese national treasure, different from the brocade of Sichuan in an earlier Tang period, shown in the series "Brocade Odyssey".)
2 
5 
1 
1 
I had not come across that video, so thanks for the link!
She is said to have trained for six months intensively to master the specific Wudan techniques with which she was previously unfamiliar. In a recent interview, she furthermore explained that she had been going through 40 videos which she had to download and study for preparation. She also read the novel attentively before tackling the script and its ongoing tweaks during shooting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjyA3_rfy_4 h ❤️.
Thanks for the Weibo links!
Nafesa is a dancer (?) and actress from the Xinjiang whose bio is uncertain :
Douban https://www.douban.com/personage/36606005/ has her born on March 21, 2000,
Baidu https://baike.baidu.com/item//娜菲莎/10699880 on December 29 year unknown,
(both pages list same filmography).
While she is listed as Uighur on the Baidu page, there is no mention of ethnicity on the Douban page.
But why does Wang Hua'er sport this fiery hue hair in Ming times? I have no answer.
Luo Wenqian now " Mr Qi Jiu" is the ML looking for revenge.
But I also really would like Luo Wensong and his aunt to have escaped from the fire and somehow hid themselves somewhere to reappear later. How, though? Just shouting they are still alive may not be enough despite I agree with the optimistic wish.
The drama version although based on book is, to my understanding, veering away from original writing in more than minor details. I don't feel tempted to read and compare or anticipate wrongly. Book and drama may well be two different universes and that's fine by me.
Maybe not yet a big idol, but the Harbin born, 182cm actor and race car driver has his fan following already, called the Jun Bao / 君宝 with green as his color.
I am pleased to find him in this drama: his name on cast alongside that of AoAo (Yang Ni-ao 杨旎奥) was part of the attraction to peek for me !
When Ming dynasty at last reopened again maritime Silk Road routes connecting China with the Middle east and Europe for porcelain, silk, spices and other valuable trade, it became a busy exchange of goods. In the reverse directions, Muslim traders arrived, but that was just the second wave, since many had already come overland to Chang'an and settled in Chinese cities in earlier Tang dynasty times. The overland Silk road had already connected China to the world for centuries. Chinese silk was already known in Ancient Rome : "The Romans referred to the source of this silk as the Seres (or Serica), a mysterious land to the far east, and the fabric became a visible marker of elite status and wealth among the Roman upper class" and "Evidence suggests that silk traveled from China to Mesopotamia via intermediary trade routes as early as the Late Bronze Age (before the 2nd century BC). While the "Silk Road" was officially opened during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC), silk had already reached Egypt by 1070 BC, indicating that luxury goods, including silk, were moving westward through Asia and Mesopotamia long before direct diplomatic missions."
2024 The story of Pearl Girl about, well, jewels trade in Tang dynasty
2021 The Sword and the Brocade with a maker of "Jin" brocade and especially Nanjing Yunjin (Cloud Brocade) in Ming Dynasty
Or inks can be made from various materials such as watercolour, gouache, acrylic and Pearlex powder mixed to make beautiful colors such as here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgAUZrfCRic
But modern ink is most often just a chemical liquid, and the ink fades with time, rather fast. Just look at inkjet printed documents, even 3-5 years later, they may be illegible. Even laser printed documents may not stay as pristine as when first printed, but at least they are not rip-offs as printer inkjet cartridges, which are both extremely expensive and very impermanent, drying quickly in the cartridge! That ink is just industrial rip off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXh19-RQWh0
"Ming Dynasty actively displaced and resettled large populations to achieve political stability, economic rehabilitation, and ethnic integration.
* Northern Rehabilitation: To rebuild the neglected North China Plain and secure the frontier, the Hongwu and Yongle Emperors forcibly relocated well-to-do city dwellers from the Yangtze Delta and farmers from overpopulated southeastern regions to vacant northern lands, providing them with seeds, tools, and tax exemptions.
* Southern Colonization: Following the 1381 annexation of Yunnan and Guizhou, the Ming settled approximately 200,000 military colonists and later hundreds of thousands of civilian migrants in the southwest, drastically shifting the region's ethnic makeup by displacing or assimilating non-Han indigenous groups.
* Internal Pacification: The government displaced coastal islanders and maritime communities, forcing them inland under strict "seafaring prohibition" policies to combat Japanese piracy, while also relocating Mongol troops and families within China to prevent them from banding together in the north.
* Legal and Social Displacement: Peasants were often displaced from their land by expanding bureaucrats and landlords who used tax exemptions and legal power to seize property, turning former landowners into tenants or itinerant laborers."
Also, we may have admired in museums fine porcelains and artifacts shipped to foreign lands in that period, but should not forget that the Ming first forbade sea trade.
" Ming Dynasty implemented the Haijin (sea ban) policy, which forbade private maritime trade for much of its rule.
The first ban was issued in 1371 by the Hongwu Emperor, prohibiting private sea trading and restricting all legal foreign commerce to government-controlled tribute missions.
The policy was enforced through strict measures, including the shuttering of Maritime Trade Intendancies in 1384, the destruction of ships and shipyards, and the forced relocation of coastal populations inland.
The ban proved counterproductive, leading to endemic smuggling and the rise of Wokou piracy. so, two centuries of suffering later, the maritime prohibition was officially loosened in 1567 under the Longqing Emperor, who allowed private trade at specific ports like Haicheng in Fujian Province, although Japanese trade remained restricted." (To have a fictional and dramatized glimpse of that later period, turn to "The Sword and the Brocade" , around the crafting of Nanjing Yunjing brocade of the Jiangnan, which is also about a form of Chinese national treasure, different from the brocade of Sichuan in an earlier Tang period, shown in the series "Brocade Odyssey".)
https://mydramalist.com/752183-bloom-life/discussions/150890-notes-about-bloom-life-love-story-in-kashgar-2026-mini-drama?pid=3510078&page=1#p3510078
It includes production story, names, crew and lead cast details, OST theme song with links for more
Enjoy!