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".)
Ep 4 reminds me of ‘To the Wonder’…green field, nature sounds, simple life.Landi is great in this role,…
It is part of the iQiyi's "Microcosm Theater" which interestingly releases mini dramas in May since 2024 "To The Wonder". In 2025, it was "What A Wonderful World". All 8 episodes long. "To The Wonder" was a phenomenon, so I did a n illustrated Companion piece for it (housed in the Discussions section of that drama page). Yes, and I like Li Landi too, remembering her also as the hilarious FL in "Filter".
The name that was bestowed by the grandmother on Xia Zi : Arzugul, reminded me of an old temporarily transplanted Turkish classmate of mine who also was named Arzu...
In fact, Arzu as a given name can be both feminine and masculine although it s a predominantly female name of Persian origin, used widely in Turkish, Azerbaijani, and South Asian cultures, meaning "wish," "desire," "hope," or "aspiration." More feminine, Arzugul is a compound name, primarily found in Turkish and Central Asian cultures, combining Arzu (meaning "wish" or "desire") with Gul (meaning "flower").
Link w/subs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmdC8yE1l5Mhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NXNY_aeakhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssRhesyHzfwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvVmHKzgsMUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQJTUdS3Ufohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3TzofYS6aMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC2niis3gQMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YisgGZiosuUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDsTfEI5zPIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VoHTV6tL-Ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIeRAJunAl4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn70UAKN5P0*Feel…
For your listening pleasure, I have compiled a list of the OST songs and background music links, with pictures (just click on them to access the recordings), including esteemed Peachey Blossom's lyrics MV with Hanzi, pinyin, and English translation to understand and sing along. She had posted in the comments her first two theme song translations links but had apparently been too busy to pin all her awesome work in the Discussions section, where they are not so easily lost in the avalanche of comments here. At the end of her videos you can find more info, if you wish to support her labor of love 🙂💕
I liked him too in underrated Our Generation, with Zhao Jinmai, where he played a difficult role as a conflicted individual tempted by abandoning everything including his promises, because of family conflicts. It is a coming of age drama that did not gain much traction since there were blockbusters that drew all the attention. ZLH is even more difficult to identify there because he let his skin be tanned and did not wear trendy clothes or make up, but construction workers sweaty garb and helmet ! Still, he did not fade totally, even though the drama was heavily tilted towards the POV of the FL.
#6 Eight Hundred, (thriller, f. Xu Kai) #7 Fate Chooses You (xianxia f. Ren Jialun), #8 Light To The Night (thriller, f. Dylan Wang) have all started airing.
#1 Overdo (minguo f. Zhang Linghe & Wang Churan) and #159 Mo Li (wuxia f. Bai Lu & Ryan Cheng) are slated for June at the moment
--- Yeah, Winner Is King, Immortality : these two "long awaited famous projects" seem to have been shelved for good. I doubt they will air anytime in this decade, despite recurring announcements of "glimmers of hope". There is also The Golden Hairpin, the drama that Yang Zi tried to save by taking time to re-shoot scenes. This looks also dead.
Feng Bu Qi now got the title in English as "Nirvana In Flames", starring Miles Wei Zheming and Wu Jinyan. The booting of the drama on April 14 in Hengdian studios was announced on episode 1121 of April 17, 2026 of drama reporter vlog of Marcus : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TatLYBcpYI8 (timestamp 3;10). "Slated for 36 episodes and will stream on Mango TV". ❤️🙂
2 
5 
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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!
Yes, and I like Li Landi too, remembering her also as the hilarious FL in "Filter".
In fact, Arzu as a given name can be both feminine and masculine although it s a predominantly female name of Persian origin, used widely in Turkish, Azerbaijani, and South Asian cultures, meaning "wish," "desire," "hope," or "aspiration." More feminine, Arzugul is a compound name, primarily found in Turkish and Central Asian cultures, combining Arzu (meaning "wish" or "desire") with Gul (meaning "flower").
Direct link to the relevant new Discussion thread 🎼🎵 🎶 :
https://mydramalist.com/72525-jia-ou-tian-cheng/discussions/150806-fate-chooses-you-ost-music-and-songs
You may comment, add full lyrics, whatever you like ! and enjoy!
But sweet, and Hangzhou and the TCM were well introduced there, Cho Na wrote about it : https://chonawrites.com/the-best-thing-learning-about-chinese-medicinal-herbs-the-romantic-way/
I liked him too in underrated Our Generation, with Zhao Jinmai, where he played a difficult role as a conflicted individual tempted by abandoning everything including his promises, because of family conflicts. It is a coming of age drama that did not gain much traction since there were blockbusters that drew all the attention. ZLH is even more difficult to identify there because he let his skin be tanned and did not wear trendy clothes or make up, but construction workers sweaty garb and helmet ! Still, he did not fade totally, even though the drama was heavily tilted towards the POV of the FL.
He certainly can act in different ways.
#7 Fate Chooses You (xianxia f. Ren Jialun),
#8 Light To The Night (thriller, f. Dylan Wang)
have all started airing.
#1 Overdo (minguo f. Zhang Linghe & Wang Churan)
and #159 Mo Li (wuxia f. Bai Lu & Ryan Cheng)
are slated for June at the moment
Zhan Zhao Adventures (not in this list?, costume drama f. Yang Yang, Zhang Ruonan, Fan Yilun... ) is an S++ drama slated for May (very soon)
https://mydramalist.com/749951-zhan-zhao-adventures
---
Yeah, Winner Is King, Immortality : these two "long awaited famous projects" seem to have been shelved for good. I doubt they will air anytime in this decade, despite recurring announcements of "glimmers of hope". There is also The Golden Hairpin, the drama that Yang Zi tried to save by taking time to re-shoot scenes. This looks also dead.