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Creation of the Gods 1 – Themes and Visual Splendor of The Latest Chinese Mythological Movie
The hottest film of the summer season is undoubtedly the fantasy epic "Creation of The Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms", which director Wuer Shan has meticulously crafted over a decade. Before watching this film, it may be necessary for you to acquaint with some background knowledge. The theme of "patricide" Based on existing materials, news reports, and premiere reviews, it can be observed that "Creation of The Gods 1: Kingdom of Storms" embodies the classic theme of patricide. In the movie, all four princes from different states who have no inheritance rights are sent to Zhao Ge (capital of the Shang dynasty) as Zhi Zi (质子, refers to the hostages sent to the enemy or other countries in ancient times, mostly princes or sons, and other people of noble birth. For example, Yan Bingyun in Joy of Life 1 played the role of a Zhi Zi), and raised by King Zhou of Shang as his own sons. Faced with two forms of paternal authority, King Zhou's and their biological fathers', the Zhi Zi must make a choice between them. This presents a timeless conflict between one's birth father and nurturing father figure. Whether in Eastern or Western cultures, traditional… -
10 Best Historical Chinese Dramas Worth Watching in 2021
01 Word of Honor · 山河令 Details of Word of Honor Also known as: Tian Ya Ke Aired: 2021-02-22 Episodes/Duration: 36/45min Period Background: Alternative reality Genres: Historical, Mystery, Wuxia Director: Cheng Zhi Chao, Ma Hua Gan, Li Hong Yu Main Role: Gong Jun as Wen Ke Xing, Zhou Ye as Gu Xiang, Ma Wenyuan as Cao Weining. Plot Summary of Word of Honor Adapted from the novel "Tian Ya Ke(天涯客)" by Priest. Zhou Zi Shu, the leader of the assassin organization "The Window of Heaven", resigns from his position in a fierce quest for freedom, which leaves him with only three years to live. He disguises his face and tries to spend his remaining days wandering the martial arts world as an alcoholic. In his travels, he meets Wen Ke Xing, the mysterious leader of Ghost Valley, bent on revenge for his parents. The two meet under the tangle of various intrigues in the martial arts world, and become closer when they are drawn into a conspiracy about Glazed Armor, eventually becoming soul mates for each other's salvation. One conspiracy, two confidants, five treasures, twenty years of grievances, and thousand years of dreams of Jianghu linked their destinies together. Stills of… -
Hanfu Accessory: Yaoshan History and DIY
A brief history of waist fan (yaoshan) and steps to DIY one for anyone interested. Vocab Tuan Shan: moon-shaped fan, 团扇, tuánshàn; Zhe Shan: folding fan, 折扇, zhéshàn; Yao Shan: waist fan, 腰扇, yāo shàn; Ping Feng: screen, 屏风, píngfēng. Introduction When it comes to hanfu, one accessory that it is paired with is a fan. Well-known types of fans are moon-shaped fan and folding fan. But there is another type of fan known as Yao Shan, which translates as "waist fan." The reason why it is called a waist fan is that it can easily be secured at the waist when not used. When the fan is needed, you can just slip it out of the belt and open it up by twisting. It's unlike others where you will either have to constantly hold or unable to close it to take up less space. Waist fans contain characteristics from both moon-shaped fans and folding fans. It took the common round surface of a moon-shaped fan and the ability to close and open when needed from a folding fan. But the round shape is just a common shape everyone goes by. Moon-shaped fans have expanded from simply using a circle… -
2024’s Hottest Chinese Historical Dramas: Prepare to be Enthralled by Ancient China
In the realm of television, Chinese historical dramas stand as towering monuments to the country's rich heritage and storytelling prowess. As we step into 2024, the anticipation for new narratives that intertwine historical intricacies with the art of modern filmmaking has never been higher. With leading platforms like iQIYI and Mango TV at the helm of broadcasting, viewers worldwide are on the edge of their seats, waiting to be transported back in time through the lens of these forthcoming masterpieces. This article aims to shed light on the most anticipated Chinese historical dramas of 2024, promising a blend of majestic settings, intricate plotlines, and characters that embody the depth of China's historical tapestry. 1-iQiyi: The Trend is Unstoppable Unexpectedly, iQiyi is the platform with the most upcoming period dramas among the four major platforms, reaching a whopping 30. With rich themes and a powerful cast, it can be said that most highly discussed period dramas are here. "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" Series First is the "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" series. Adapted from the manga of the same name, it tells the love story between humans and spirits in a episodic format. As of now, the original manga has a popularity… -
Unveiling the Beauty and Significance of Hanfu in the Documentary The Flavor of History
Wearing incense sachets in daily life, or burning the incense burner when reading or sipping tea, the pursuit of fragrance by the ancient Chinese surpassed even modern times. The combination of form and spirit is the ancients revered spiritual states. Clothing provided the form of the real state, while the flavor implied in the air gave the spirit part. The documentary "The Flavor of History" features a unique perspective that brings hanfu and flavor together again. Tang Dynasty Ruilongnao (瑞龙脑) is produced in the country of Brahma (now Brunei). In addition to growing in hot places, it needs to be smoked to release its aroma. But its flavor is as cool and pure as its appearance, like a contradictory combination of noisy and silent, entwined and moving. In the clothing system of the Tang Dynasty, color was an important clue to distinguish the superior and inferior. According to the Book of Tang - Records of Yufu, the emperor's regular clothes are Chi Huang (赤黄, a color between yellow and red, #F8CE00) robes, Fu Tou (幞头), nine rings belt, and Liu He boots (六合靴)". At the time of Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, it was officially stipulated that Chi Huang… -
A New Era of Chinese animation: Tracing the Remarkable Works and Creative Innovations
In the past 40 years, China has been the main market for exporting Japanese and American animations. However, in recent years, Chinese animation works have gradually gained attention in the international market. In 2018, the first Chinese original animation series "Scissor Seven" was launched on Netflix and made its way overseas. After being simultaneously broadcasted in over 190 countries and regions worldwide, the entire animation market has accelerated its pace in going global. In 2019, "White Snake" was nominated for the Feature Film competition unit at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France. In the same year, the phenomenal work "Ne Zha" was released in North America and achieved a box office of 3.69 million dollars, setting a new record for the distributing company. In 2021, "I Am What I Am" participated in the largest animation festival in North America, the AIF Animation Film Festival. This summer, the domestic animated film "Chang An" received both critical acclaim and box office success overseas. In addition to an increasing number of Chinese animation works being available on mainstream international media platforms and attracting attention from the global market, various Chinese video platforms have also made moves to enter the international market.… -
Hanfu in Components IV: The Sleeves
As one of the main composition elements of hanfu tops and robes, sleeves can have a lot of variation. They mostly fall into a couple categories that we have recovered historical artifacts from, though a lot of manufacturers end up with some variation in their patterns. Today we’ll go over a whole ten sleeve types, a bit of historical context, and some of the variations they can go through. Before we get into that, though, let’s go over a little basic information that applies to (almost) all hanfu sleeves. One of the defining characteristics of the hanfu is the sleeve connection. What this means is that the sleeve is not connected to the body of the top or robe at the shoulder, but at a point partway down the upper arm, with the body of the clothing and part of the arm being made up of one piece of fabric, and the rest of the sleeve of another. These are stitched together to create the whole sleeve. The rest of the sleeve is also made of one piece of fabric both front and back, folded over the top and stitched together at the bottom. Some exceptions to this are half-sleeves,… -
Unveiling the New Wave of Chinese Costume Dramas
On November 4th, "Weaving a Tale of Love Season 2," was released on Youku. The clever female protagonist, Liuli, repeatedly exposed the schemes of the princess, providing book fans and drama enthusiasts with a satisfying experience. Comments such as "captivating from the beginning" and "can't get enough with two episodes a day" clearly demonstrate the audience's love for this drama. As the popularity of "Weaving a Tale of Love" soared, Tencent quickly followed suit, releasing "Wonderland of Love" on November 6th, further igniting the market. A day later, "Story of Kunning Palace" premiered on iQiyi, intensifying the competition among the three Chinese major long-form video platforms. In recent years, the key factors determining the competitiveness of costume dramas in the market are no longer just big work, high viewership, and large investments, but rather the sense of differentiation brought by content innovation. Taking these three new dramas as examples, they have expanded their creative directions beyond the confines of palace intrigue, domestic conflicts, and dominant female protagonists, and instead focus more on elements such as new women, legends, and personal growth. The core of the stories also touches on the emotional perspectives, social views, and workplace situations of contemporary young… -
A Look at Three Latest Chinese Historical Costume Dramas of March
In mid-March, three costume dramas were successively released online. The appeal of "Zhao Liying + Xianxia dramas," the freshness of "Ju Jingyi + villain roles," and the uniqueness of the male protagonist work, have firmly secured the top three spots on the popularity chart for the dramas "The Legend of Shen Li," "In Blossom," and "Burning Flames." In terms of data, "Burning Flames," which was first released on iQIYI on March 13th, reached a total of 21.979 million views on the second day of its release, second only to the top-ranked modern puppet drama "Everyone Loves Me." By the third day of its release, it surged to the top, surpassing the starring drama "Simple Days" by Tong Yao and Chen Xiao. However, the first-place achievement of "Burning Flames" was only briefly maintained. "In Blossom," exclusively broadcasted on Youku, rose to the top with 40.071 million views on the second day of its release. "In Blossom" became the dark horse of March. The first two episodes showcased Ju Jingyi's fierce villain character breaking the stereotype of her delicate ancient beauty image, which was deemed as the most suitable role for her by netizens. The character of the villainous supporting actress seemed… -
How Floral Patterns Hanfu Light Your Summer?
Fashion fades, style lasts forever. Floral patterns have been alive and fragrant on the costume stage for hundreds of years, but the Floral patterns with Chinese elements and Hanfu are also shining on the ornaments of some small objects. There are two main types of floral pattern, one is a large flower print and the other is a cluster of small flowers, both of which can be widely used in the fabric or local, even if it is just a touch of trim on the edge of the Hanfu, can make the summer a little longer, but most of them can be used in the selection of the single material. The most widely used is the solid color top + floral pattern skirt. In Chinese style, the application of floral patterns is more likely to be brushstrokes of flowers and birds, bamboo, curly grass, grape patterns, and other colorful patterns cascaded with ink strokes. Elements of the Tang style Hanfu may be applied more often. There are also ways to liven up the floral patterns: adding patchwork lace elements or putting together more floral patterns, which can also be achieved with a lace-trimmed petticoat. In particular, it is important to… -
Gu Yue Feng Hua Lu: A Captivating Journey of Personified Traditional Chinese Instruments
At Tencent’s annual film and TV showcase, "Gu Yue Feng Hua Lu" officially announced Li Yitong as the lead actress. This high-profile drama is a collaboration between Tencent Video and Stellar Gravity, with Wang Yixu as the executive producer, Zhang Jialu as the supervising producer, and Zhao Yilong as the chief director. True to its name, "Gu Yue Feng Hua Lu" centers around traditional Chinese music, innovatively anthropomorphizing ancient Chinese musical instruments, each possessing a unique spirit: the guqin is elegant and solemn, the jade flute is graceful and ethereal, and the pipa is a harmonious blend of strength and gentleness. The essence of the show can be summarized as "Instruments have spirits, and gentlemen master them." What sets "Gu Yue Feng Hua Lu" apart is its collaboration with the China National Traditional Orchestra as the musical advisory unit, marking their first foray into television. This partnership with internationally renowned traditional music experts aims to blend professional knowledge with popular appeal, creating a seamless fusion of tradition and modernity. The drama follows Yue Yangyang (played by Li Yitong), the most formidable musician of her time, and undercover musical spirit Shao Yi as they outwit each other and embark on a… -
How to Wear Hanfu (6): Ming Style Standing Collar Jacket
As winter approaches, more and more Hanfu enthusiasts are focusing their attention on the Ming style Hanfu. Whereas in the Ming style Hanfu costume, the combination of an Ao (袄, jacket) on top and a Qun (裙, skirt) on the bottom is especially popular. Ao has several types of collars, and today we are focusing on the standing collar today, briefly introduce the history and how to wear it. History of the standing collar Some of you might recognize the standing collar as the mandarin collar, most people think the standing collar is derived from Qing Dynasty Manchurian dress, also known as the cheongsam or qipao, but it is actually originally invented and passed down from the Ming Dynasty, the dynasty before the Qing Dynasty, it is a part of the hanfu system and was later on adapted into Manchurian dresses, and today it’s widely known in the world as the mandarin collar, and recognized as one of the most distinctive features of Chinese clothing. Painting of The Chenghua Emperor in Lantern Festival Do you remember this Ming Dynasty painting? Almost every woman and child are wearing the cross collared Aoqun, showing how popular this style was at that… -
Chang An: Newest Chinese Historical Animated Movies about Prime Tang Dynasty
The movie "Chang An (长安三万里, Chang An San Wan Li)" is a film brimming with talent and charm. Describing it as such is perfectly appropriate, for no other word captures its essence accurately. Its romance belongs to the youth rather than the grand palace banquets, and its richness belongs to the ambitious and talented individuals from all corners of the nation rather than mere material wealth. And yet, all of this is influenced by the ebb and flow of political affairs in the court. When it comes to flourishing Tang Dynasty, we have seen countless depictions of prosperous Chang'an - from theatrical novels to well-made commercial films, showcasing scenes like wine in Hua Qing Chi and open exchange with foreign countries. However, "Chang An San Wan Li" extends the panorama of Great Tang beyond that magnificent city: west Chang'an, south Yangzhou, Shangqiu & Liangtian, and Xiangyang. It strips away the mystique surrounding Chang'an City itself and even almost dispels any illusion about an era of prosperity. The starting point lies in two young men living far from courtly life: Jiangxia (present-day Wuchang area) near Huanghe Tower where they first met on a deserted piece of land - Li Bai and… -
Hanfu Unearthed IV: Tang Dynasty Relics in Astana Cemetery and Shosoin Repository
Haha so I lied in the last article, we’re actually doing the Tang Dynasty next! This is for sure going to be a favorite of everyone—after all, who can resist the flamboyant, vibrant beauty of the Tang Dynasty? Let’s get right to it and see where some of our favorite Tang Dynasty hanfu comes from. The Tang Dynasty was a period of time (618–907CE) preceded by the Wei/Jin Northern and Southern Dynasties and proceeded by the Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms period, and then the Song Dynasty (the Five Dynasties Ten Kingdoms period is often regarded as part of the Tang fashion period for hanfu purposes because the fashion trends followed pretty closely). A flourishing golden age for China, the Tang Dynasty saw leaps and bounds in art, poetry, and exchange of culture—the most open-minded society that has existed in the world in a very long time. People freely exchanged cultural norms, aesthetics, and ideas between nations from the Silk Road and beyond, resulting in a blossoming of the world of clothing as well, and a rich collection of art for us to reference our hanfu off of. Astana Cemetery Interestingly, not a lot of clothing of the Tang Dynasty… -
The Captivating Journeys of Two Leading Ladies in Recent Chinese Dramas
As we enter June, dramas with female-centric themes are making a strong impact. Both "The Double" and "The Tale of Rose" have delivered impressive performances since their premieres, with steadily rising viewership and discussion heat. Interestingly, both shows are narrated from a "great female lead" perspective, focusing on themes of growth, revenge, and even vengeance. If "being a woman is a condition," these two dramas, set in different backgrounds, illustrate this condition through the characters Xue Fangfei and Huang Yimei. By examining the protagonists' settings and fate, we can see the next iteration of the great female lead theme and trace the common issues present in female-centric dramas. So, will the future model for great female leads be Xue Fangfei or Huang Yimei? The plots of "The Double" and "The Tale of Rose" are not overly complex. The former depicts a tragic wife who pseudo-reborn and seeks revenge, while the latter revolves around a woman's love story with four men. Both protagonists' stories follow the narrative pattern of female-centric novels: clear character growth, with their pains mainly caused by men. As they grow, the presence of men in their lives diminishes. Additionally, Xue Fangfei and Huang Yimei share some overpowered… -
Choir of Chinese Poems: The Best Animation to Interpretation Chinese Romance
There is such a Chinese original animation, which has only been updated for 6 episodes since its broadcast in 2017, but has collected 30 million views. It is Choir of Chinese Poems (中国唱诗班), the first Chinese short animation production, with classic ancient poetry as the main theme of the story and the historical allusions of the scholars as the outline. The animation is entirely original and hand-drawn by a team of Chinese youths, and each episode is less than 25 minutes. The images are beautiful and moody, with strong Chinese colours and a moving storyline that brings to life traditional Chinese ancient poetry. 1 Love Seeds Released on 23 December, 2016. The most popular of all Choir of Chinese Poems episodes is "Love Seeds", about a red bean and a tragic love affair. The young scholar Wang Chutong has been secretly in love with Liuniang since childhood. Hearing that red beans could express love, he sneaked up to the door of the Liuniang and presented a red bean. "This is the red bean from Wang Wei's poems 'Xiang Si'." Liuniang knew exactly what the Wang Chutong was thinking but did not say anything. But after joking, she cooked a bowl… -
How to Wear Hanfu (4) – Song Dynasty Songku
Songku (宋裤) is a kind of traditional Chinese clothing, popular during the Song Dynasty, from year 960 to 1279. Let’s look at the different pieces and how to wear Hanfu - Songku. 1: Wear the undershirt for Songku This is a modern version of a Chinese women’s undershirt with beautiful lotus embroidery, it looks and functions just like a camisole, the adjustable straps make it more comfortable and easier to put on. 2: Wear the Songku This is called Songku, literally meaning Song Dynasty trousers, women generally wore a full-length skirt in ancient China, but during the Song Dynasty, these trousers were very popular. The original version consists of two separate pieces and is more complicated to put on and off, so there's an improved modern version.Original version Songku: The two layers are sewed together and have a zipper on the side, but there was no zipper in ancient China, and also adding this belt as an accessory. And to tie it, make a knot in the center, and then wrap it around each side several more times, then pull it through again while making a small loop and make it tight. Do the same for the other… -
How did Chinoiserie Dance shine at the Chinese New Year Gala
Although the 2022 Spring Festival Gala is over, the powerful after-effects are still immersing people in the beauty of the Chinoiserie dance that they cannot extricate themselves from. Dance "Zhi Ci Qing Lǜ" performed in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala once again occupying the headlines of major media, with exquisite costumes and makeup, beautiful and elegant dance, and wonderful interpretation, directly to the heirloom painting of talented young Wang Ximeng. The 1:1 perfect reproduction of "A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers", the wonderful degree is comparable to the real one. -
2 Best Matching inside the Hanfu Skirts
Many of the first time Hanfu wearers may be confused about the layers of Hanfu wear, because we usually focus more on the outermost layer of clothing, so how do you choose the inside of the Hanfu skirt? Is it a Zhongku (中裤)? In this article, Han Time will introduce several styles that are suitable for matching inside Hanfu skirts to dispel your worries. Chen Qun (衬裙) The Chen Qun can be understood as the bottom version of the hanfu skirt, and the shape is the same as the outer skirt, but it can also be inconsistent. The Chen Qun that we see nowadays are mainly Ma Mian Qun style, pleated skirt style, and Po Qun style (破裙款). Chen Qun is worn for three purposes. The first role: is to increase the skirt's sense of fluff, play the role of skirt support. Another role: can be used as decoration, generally, now the Hanfu Chen Qun also has a decorative lace edge pattern, can reveal some of the lightness of the skirt under the outer skirt. The last role: the most important avoid being seen inside your skirt, in general, light-colored thinner fabric if there is no lining (i.e., single layer)… -
Reviving Tradition: The Resurgence of Mythology in Chinese Animation
The mythological narrative in current Chinese animation is not simply a repetition of classic mythological stories, but a new form of creation. Whether it is a contemporary revision of a specific mythological story, or a new narrative after mixing, collaging, grafting, and transforming various non-homologous mythological stories, contemporary concepts are injected while retaining the typical visual symbols of mythology, and drawing heavily from traditional Chinese art styles, providing a new way of thinking for the development of Chinese animation. Mythology has an open interpretation space and interdisciplinary nature. Over the years, based on disciplines such as anthropology, history, religion, folklore, literature, psychology, etc., different research methods and schools of thought have gradually formed around issues such as origin, function, characteristics, and structure. For example, the natural mythology school believes that mythology originated from the worship of natural phenomena such as wind, rain, thunder, and lightning by early humans. From a structuralist perspective, understanding mythology is key to grasping its deep structure: although mythological narratives from different ethnic groups and regions are not exactly the same, they have universal structures and rules within them. From a psychological perspective, myths are often seen as the product of common psychological projections of various ethnic…