War

It has always been difficult to make sequels to Chinese costume dramas, and they always go through all kinds of twists and turns. Even for high-quality dramas with a large audience demand, it is not an easy task to gather the same cast and crew. It is possible that the actors have moved on to other projects, and scheduling conflicts make it difficult to coordinate everyone's availability. As a result, delays are inevitable, making it hard to gather the original team. While replacing a few supporting roles may be acceptable, changing the main cast would seriously affect the show's quality, leading to a completely new drama. However, this situation has improved this year. Many popular dramas have returned for a second season, such as "Young Blood 2," "Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty 2," "Joy of Life 2," and so on, with the original cast and crew. "Young Blood 2" has already been approved and will premiere next month. "Young Blood" was a unexpected drama when it premiered, with only Zhang Xincheng gaining some recognition from his role in "My Huckleberry Friends." As for Zhou Yutong, Wang Youshuo, Su Xiaotong, and others, they were all new faces with little recognition.…

"War of Faith" continues to ferment in reputation and heat, breaking theratings record on the eve of the grand finale. The series has put great effort into character development, from the meticulous portrayal of characters like Arwen, who pulls a cart in Qibao Street, to the profound and restrained senior consultant Shen Tunan. The multi-dimensional conflicts make the characters full of tension, well-rounded in their portrayal, logically sound, and build a rich and diverse ensemble of characters. Recently, "War of Faith" reached its grand finale, where we witness Wei Ruolai (played by Wang Yibo) transforming from a naive newcomer in the workplace to a resolute revolutionary, after realizing the Nationalist Party's pursuit of interests disregarding the suffering of the people. Wei Ruolai undergoes a long process of reshaping after a collapse of faith, which proves to be an exceptionally challenging journey. Fortunately, after the agony, Wei Ruolai is reborn. Two pivotal figures in Wei Ruolai's life are his mentor who introduced him to this world, and a comrade who helped reshape his beliefs. Essentially guided by his mentor Shen Tunan to form his initial understanding of society, Shen Tunan provides him a glimmer of hope in his darkest moments, disregarding…

Historical political dramas, focus on power and strategy. In Chinese historical political dramas, the protagonists are usually in changing dynasties, with tense plots and complex character conflicts that portray the dark rivalry between different forces and keep the audience engrossed in the drama. If you ask what is the attraction of historical political dramas? Probably it can meet the aesthetic experience and expectations of the audience in many ways. The overall story is set in ancient times, and most of the settings are related to the imperial court, which satisfies the public's desire to pry into the royal family. The storyline, full of logical reasoning and details, also makes the audience constantly look forward to the direction of the plot. There are three kinds of themes in Chinese historical dramas that show the means of power and strategies. The first is imperial dramas, in which the plot focuses on the struggle for power among emperors, ministers, and heirs, mainly highlighting the politics of strategists, such as "Kang Xi Dynasty" and "Ming Dynasty in 1566", etc, basically takes history as the main vein and is rated by netizens as the peak of the power and strategies drama. The second kind is…

The mere mention of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties often evokes a single thought: chaos. The era was marked by relentless strife: the War of the Eight Princes, the Disaster of Yongjia, the Five Barbarian Invasions, the Six Garrison Rebellions, the Rebellion of Hou Jing... It's a time so plagued by wars that it’s hard to keep track. People lived in constant turmoil, exacerbated by the barbaric and fierce invaders. Traditionally, this period is viewed as one of the darkest in Chinese history.To truly grasp the tumultuous history of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, one must understand the six legendary families that shaped this era.The Most Prestigious Clan: The Wang Family of Langya When the Western Jin Dynasty fell, the Sima family barely escaped with their lives, famously crossing the Yangtze River with just five horses. Sima Rui, with the backing of the powerful Wang family of Langya, established the Eastern Jin Dynasty in Jiankang (modern-day Nanjing), becoming Emperor Yuan of Jin.Sima Rui’s ascent to power was inseparable from the support of the Wang family. As recorded in "Shishuo Xinyu," upon his enthronement, Emperor Yuan insisted that Prime Minister Wang Dao share the imperial bed with him…

"Story of Yanxi Palace" is a drama with a strong sense of history and court aesthetics. Previous dramas of the same kind focus on dramatic conflicts, while Yanxi is particularly prominent in the aspects of palace life, which is extremely rare. The whole drama gives the audience a strong sense of substitution, as if they have followed the characters live in the Forbidden City for 70 episodes. The furnishings in the palace are carefully arranged by the crew, whether it is Shoukang Palace, Chuxiu Palace or Yanxi Palace. Among them, the most impressive is the cloisonne! When it comes to cloisonne, it might not be known to everyone, but it definitely leaves a deep imprint in every viewer's heart. When stepping into the Qianqing Palace, the red-crowned crane and incense burners in front of emperor seat, all of which show the supreme power and dignity of the royal family. Let's learn more about cloisonne, the ancient royal luxury.   The characteristics and history of cloisonne China cloisonne, the national intangible cultural heritage, is one of the famous special metal handicrafts with a history of more than 600 years. It is also known as "copper padding thread weaving vitreous enamel", which…

The long-awaited "Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact" has finally premiered. Before its release, the number of reservations on the platform has surpassed 7.94 million, breaking the historical record for reservations on iQIYI, igniting tremendous excitement. Adapted from the manga "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" by Xiao Xin Tuo. In a world of constant conflict between humans and spirits, the righteous head of the Tu Mountain Fox Clan, Tu Shan Hong Hong (played by Yang Mi), hopes for peace between both sides. To achieve this, she joins forces with Dongfang Yue Chu (played by Gong Jun), an orphan from the Dongfang family, to embark on a mission to foster love between humans and spirits. Their goal is to resist the dark forces threatening the Tu Mountain and to dissolve the sinister powers fueling the discord between humans and spirits. The stellar cast includes Yang Mi and Gong Jun as the lead actors, with special appearances by Guo Xiaoting, Wei Zheming, Hu Lianxin, and Wen Zhengrong. The three romantic storylines feature the heartfelt performances of Zhu Xudan and Yang Shize, Chen Yao and Mao Zijun, and Chen Duling and Zhang Linghe. With their outstanding looks, acting skills, and popularity, this lineup has stirred up…

Armor was an important war material in the cold weapon era, and its quality and quantity were crucial to the combat power of ancient armies and the rule of feudal dynasties. The Chinese emperors paid attention to improving the ability and quality of armor manufacturing, but also strictly controlled the private possession of armor by strict penalties and laws. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, this restriction was even stricter, and those who hid the whole set of armor privately would be regarded as having conspiracy to commit rebellion to be executed. The armor could only be handed out during the war and collected into the national treasury after the war. These military treasures were eventually destroyed and lost during the war between the dynasties, so except for a few surviving artifacts from the late Qing Dynasty that have been preserved as cultural relics, the rest of the dynasties have rarely survived to this day. However, after the death of the royal family and the senior military class, armor could be buried in the burial chamber as burial goods. For example, the Qin Dynasty, the images of armor portrayed on the terracotta warriors and the stone armor excavated from the…