3 Best Chinese Television Drama About History
As a history teacher, I’m passionate about history. During the school year, I was a nerd to my roommates. However, they still had a very close relationship with me. Now, after graduation, I do miss my old school life.
To many people, history is a very serious subject. Actually, I feel the same way. History cannot be assumed without sufficient evidence, especially in the classroom. History teachers need to be held accountable for their words and actions. However, I don’t want to remain serious all the time in life.
In fact, I am very serious in the eyes of my students, though. But I also have a humorous side. It’s just that sometimes I’m not very expressive. One of my students recently asked me a question about being able to learn about history by watching TV dramas.
I didn’t want to hurt her. Because I know she spends more time watching TV dramas than studying history. Frankly speaking, I like watching TV dramas too. But one thing that should be clear is not to learn about history through drama.
Conversely, if you’re familiar with the history of a certain time period. Maybe you can find out what’s not historical by watching a TV show. This is something that my former boyfriend used to do a lot. Doing so actually deviates from the essence of entertainment. I still don’t recommend doing this. There should be a wall built up between work and life.
So, I don’t want to talk about my work and its history today. I just want to talk about a few dramas I’ve been watching lately.
Ming Dynasty Drama
As I am very familiar with the history of the Ming Dynasty, I am very impressed with this TV series. Although there were some issues with the plot that was not historically accurate, that didn’t stop me from enjoying it.
I paid more attention to the costumes worn by the actors than I did to the plot. From the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, costume fashions have changed significantly. Zhu Yuanzhang’s Ming dynasty promoted Chinese clothing.
The funny thing is that I developed the urge to buy Hanfu while watching this drama. Although I already have a lot of clothes. I have to admit that Hanfu is really beautiful. I love it.
All in all, Ming Dynasty Drama is well worth watching. But if you are strict about the drama, then I don’t recommend you to watch Ming Dynasty Drama. There are a lot of fictional plots and character relationships in it. You can’t even find the corresponding records in the history books.
Legend of MiYue
The Legend of Mi Yue is a 2015 Chinese television drama directed by Zheng Xiaolong and based on the historical novel of the same name by Jiang Shengnan. It starred Sun Li in the title role of Mi Yue. The drama aired two episodes daily on Beijing TV and Eastern TV from 30 November 2015 to 9 January 2016.
The drama tells the story of the tumultuous life of Mi Yue, the first woman in Chinese history to be called “Empress Dowager” and a female stateswoman of the state of Qin during the Warring States period.
It is a drama about the power struggle in the imperial palace. You can understand the cruelty and intensity of the power struggle in the imperial palace in ancient China. I personally think that this drama is not suitable for children to watch. Because there are some unsuitable images for children in it.
Heroes in Sui and Tang Dynasties
Heroes in Sui and Tang Dynasties is a Chinese television series based on Chu Renhuo’s historical novel Sui Tang Yanyi, which romanticizes the historical events leading to the fall of the Sui dynasty and the rise of the Tang dynasty.
The series was first broadcast in mainland China on various television networks on 14 January 2013. It is not to be confused with Heroes of Sui and Tang Dynasties 1 & 2, a similar television series also based on the novel, but was released earlier in December 2012. Filming for the series started on 5 November 2011 at the Hengdian World Studios and wrapped up in May 2012.
The drama tells the story of Qin Qiong (played by Yim Yi Kuan), son of the famous Northern Qi general Qin Yi, who grew up with Cheng Bite Jin (played by Jiang Wu) and was promoted by the government to a junior official by virtue of his martial arts skills.
One day, Qin Qiong encounters Li Yuan at Lin Tong Mountain and is intercepted by the Golden Snake Guards, who single-handedly rescues Li Yuan’s entire family. Qin Qiong was forced to sell her horses to make ends meet in Lu Zhou, but Shan Xiong Xin helped her out.
In general, if you are interested in Chinese history and culture, these TV dramas will broaden your horizons. Like me, I know the real history, but I’m also open to adaptations of TV dramas.
In addition, there are many more great TV serials to discover besides the ones mentioned above. I’m sure there are still many people who enjoy watching TV dramas as much as I do. The best TV series for you must exist in your mind as well.
