In the first half of this year, the Chinese television drama scene has been nothing short of vibrant and competitive. From breaking records in platform subscriptions and viewer anticipation to achieving significant ratings on national TV channels, the landscape for domestic dramas has been evolving rapidly. Titles like "Blooming Flowers," "Joy of Life 2," "Walking with Phoenix," "My Altay," and "The Story of Roses" have dominated discussions, each contributing to the diversity and innovation within the industry. The surge in blockbuster dramas has been evident. Starting with the New Year release of "Blooming Flowers," followed by a succession of hits such as "North-South Wander," "Walking with Phoenix," "Chasing the Wind," "Joy of Life 2," "New Life," "The Story of Roses," and "Ink Rain Among Clouds," these series have collectively fueled the drama market like a relay race. According to Delta V data, the top ten TV dramas in terms of popularity index for the first half of the year include these titles, showcasing their broad appeal across different demographics. Li Jingsheng, Vice President of the China Broadcasting and Television Association, notes a significant shift in the landscape of 2024's first half dramas. No longer are there singular "mega productions"; instead,…

In the magnificent long river of traditional Chinese culture, the cheongsam is like a wonderful flower, exuding eternal charm. Entering the Chinese Cheongsam Museum is like starting a journey through time and space, allowing people to appreciate the unique charm and profound cultural heritage of this classic dress. Here, not only the evolution process of the cheongsam is displayed, but also through one exquisite exhibit after another, we can get a glimpse of the social features and aesthetic changes in the Republic of China era. The Precipitation of History and the Inheritance of Beauty In the depths of the cheongsam museum, there are precious photos of famous ladies and stars in the Republic of China era wearing cheongsams. Their elegant postures and the magnificence of the cheongsams complement each other, forming a series of moving pictures that make visitors can't help but be intoxicated. The bright red satin round flower auspicious dress robe in the Qing Dynasty, with its luxury and solemnity, makes people respectful. As a formal dress for grand occasions under the conditions of the Qing Dynasty ritual system, women could not expose curves like in modern times, and the ingenious concealment of the female curves in its…

Wuxia clothing is a fantasy martial arts garment, and also called as xianxia clothing in immortal wuxia novels. In most cases, Wuxia clothes are made specifically for filming movies and costume TV series, so there are many kinds. Martial arts clothing is based on the traditional Chinese Hanfu Version (loose fit design and is worn left over right), but it is not a simple copy. Because there are few strict textual research on historical clothes, and designers can freely design them, most of the martial arts clothes we see in the film do not exist in history. Strictly speaking, it is a kind of modern clothing. Many excellent wuxia films and ancient Chinese dramas have good appearance, kungfu movements, and dancing beauty design. They keep innovating in following the ancient culture, the background of the times, the character's personality, etc. Both fabric selection and color matching are carefully designed to ultimate beauty and strive for perfection. It can be said that wuxia clothing is exquisite modern art. So let's explore the fantastic martial arts world through these beautiful wuxia clothes. 1. Xianxia Clothing Taoist xianxia novel is a new kind of novel style in recent years. It grew out of…

Cdrama Heroes (Say Hero Who is Hero, 说英雄谁是英雄) launched on May 23rd, the drama stars Joseph Zeng, Yang Chao Yue, Liu Yu Ning, Baron Chen, and Meng Zi Yi. It tells the story of Wang Xiaoshi, a kind-hearted teenager who goes down to the mountains and enters the Jianghu. He meets Bai Choufei, Wen Rou, Su Mengxiu, and others by chance and builds a deep friendship. In the adventure of the capital Jianghu, they experienced the brotherhood and romance of youth, and gradually grew up from ignorant teenagers to become unique heroes. Martial arts has always been a favorite genre of film and television, a series of classic martial arts works, such as "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", have left a deep impression on the audience. However, the times have changed, and the martial arts drama of our time should be how to shoot? This is the question that every martial arts drama creator thinks about. And "Heroes" has given its answer. "Heroes" are adapted from the martial arts novelist Wen Rui'an's work of the same name, and he is one of the four great masters of the new martial arts, along…

Introduction The Flower Festival (花朝节, huācháo jié), simplified as 花朝 (huācháo), is also known as the "Flower Goddess Festival (花神节, huāshén jié)," "Hundred Flowers’ Birthday (百花生日, bǎihuā shēngrì)," and "Flower Goddess’ Birthday (花神生日, huāshén shēngrì)." It is a festival where people can admire the blossoming flowers and show their respect for nature and the goddess of nature. The emergence of this flower festival has led to some confusions. Some claim it began during the Spring and Autumn Period, others during the Pre-Qin era, and some argue it emerged during the Tang Dynasty. The exact historical origins of this festival are not well-documented from the artifacts unearthed. Even with some historical records, it is still a challenge to pinpoint the exact dynasty for this festival. Perhaps they were called by a different name or a different festival slowly evolved into the flower festival known in the Tang Dynasty. What we can be certain of is that by the Tang Dynasty, the festival existed; whether it started before or during that period is still a matter of speculation. The earliest evidence of its existence dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period in the work of "táozhū gōngshū (陶朱公书)." Ancient Chinese society…

In the vast river of history, each dynasty has left its unique cultural imprint and artistic lifestyle. Among the many dynasties, the Song Dynasty, with its distinctive cultural charm and refined way of life, has become an indispensable chapter in Chinese history. Its delicacy, tolerance, and openness endowed this era with unparalleled artistic and cultural allure. Recently, Henan TV launched "Chinese Banquets." This cultural documentary takes us back to the Song Dynasty, a time filled with cultural atmosphere and artistic lifestyle, where the banquet rituals reconnect us with the ancient tranquility and elegance amidst the modern hustle and bustle.   Background of "Chinese Banquets" From ancient times to the present, whether it is the noble emperors and nobles or the common people, on special holidays or significant occasions, banquets are hosted to entertain honored guests or close relatives and friends as a sign of respect. The Chinese banquet has become an etiquette of hospitality. "Chinese Banquets" extends the concept of Chinese festivals and, as a member of the cultural family, it reconstructs and reenacts Chinese dining rituals, exploring the Eastern sense of ritual, Eastern aesthetics, and Eastern wisdom associated with food. Features of "Chinese Banquets" While recreating the scenes of…

Traditional Chinese nail guards (Zhi Jia Tao, 指甲套), also known as "Hu Zhi (护指, finger protection)". The ancient palace noblewomen used gold and silver to make nail guards to protect their nails and show their status, were extremely fine and gorgeous, with a wide variety. If you have watched the wonderful historical TV drama Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace, you may have noticed that the concubines in the drama have long nails on their slender hands and wear nail guards on their end fingers, showing their nobility and elegance. Such luxurious Chinese nail guards, in addition to showing the identity status characteristics, what is its role, today let's explore it!   History of keeping long fingernails Everyone has a love of beauty. Since ancient times, it has been every woman's wish to have a pair of delicate hands, and the ancient Chinese had three main aesthetic standards for women's fingers: pointed, long, and white. The direct purpose of keeping long nails for women in ancient times was to make the nails extend the fingers, making the hand shape look sharp and long. And in ancient times, both men and women pursued long nails for beauty, many noble families and literati,…

"The Journey of Chong Zi" is an ancient immortal drama directed by Liu Guohui and starring Yang Chaoyue and Jeremy Tsui. The drama is based on the novel of the same name by Shu Ke, which tells the love story over three lifetimes between the disciple Chong Zi (重紫), a young girl born with evil miasma and destined to become a demon, and master Luo Yin fan, who is supreme immortal and handsome. Since its launch, the cumulative broadcasting of "The Journey of Chong Zi" has reached 750 million.   The Journey of Chong Zi Plot Summary Chong Zi (played by Yang Chaoyue) is pure and kind, but is the daughter of the demon king Ni Lun. She was saved by the Chu Bu Fu and was encouraged to seek further training to Nan Hua. But it doesn't go well, as Chong Zi is rejected because of her natural evil aura, and Min Yunzhong, the supervisor of Nan Hua, asserts that she will definitely become evil. At the critical moment, Luo Yinfan (played by Jeremy Tsui), the venerable master of Nan Hua, comes forward to accept her as his disciple, and from then on, Chongzhi becomes Luo Yinfan's only disciple.…

Yet another historical romance drama has broken records, "Destined," led by actors Bai Jingting and Song Yi. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Mo Shubai, this drama tells a legendary love story about Gu Jiusi (played by Bai Jingting), a prodigal son in Liangzhou City, who accidentally becomes married to Liu Yuru (played by Song Yi), the daughter of a cloth merchant. Their love grows after marriage, creating a captivating narrative. In the ancient costume drama, it is common to see the setting of marriage before love. What sets "Destined" apart? How does this epic tale of mutual growth ignite audience enthusiasm?   The Metamorphosis of the lead roles "Destined" can be divided into three stages: Yangzhou period, Youzhou period, and Dongdu period. Episodes 1-15 primarily focus on Gu Jiusi and Liu Yuru's emotional development as they meet and get to know each other in Liangzhou. Part of the high points from the original work are derived from this stage, which helped accumulate popularity and fan base during its first week of airing. Episodes 16-29 mainly revolve around the transformation and growth of protagonists as they journey from Yangzhou to Youzhou. The tone gradually shifts from light-hearted…

Currently, "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" is being aired in a landscape where martial arts dramas show some signs of improvement and mystery genres are booming. From the perspective of a Wuxia drama, "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" is filled with the essence of the martial world in its plot and story background. From the viewpoint of a mystery drama, each episode interconnects seamlessly, with a tightly-paced storyline and plenty of comedic moments that generate high levels of interest and public discussion. However, precisely because it has gained considerable popularity, its distinct characteristics have made it harder for this fusion between Wuxia and suspense genres to blend harmoniously. Since its premiere, "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" has sparked ongoing debates about which category it belongs to. Upon closer observation, certain aspects such as the overall story structure, character relationships, factional struggles within martial arts sects, and enigmatic case investigations appear overly straightforward or even somewhat misguided.   An orderly obsession From its content perspective, "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" is a costume mystery drama with elements of martial arts woven into it. The mysteries presented in each episode all stem from conflicts within the martial world rather than focusing on chivalry alone; instead they emphasize the intricate dynamics…