War and Beauty
Encyclopedia
War and Beauty is a Hong Kong television series broadcast in 2004 on TVB Jade
. It starred TVB Awards Best Actress winners Sheren Tang
, Gigi Lai
, Maggie Cheung and Charmaine Sheh
, and TVB Awards Best Actor winners Bowie Lam and Moses Chan
.
The title itself is effectively a pun on the original phrase, with the third and fourth ideogram being replaced by two other characters which described the main themes of the entire series. The characters "玉" (jade) and "葉" (leaf) were replaced by the phonetically equivalent "慾" (lust / desire) and "孽" (evilness, nemesis). Thus, the title itself describes the entire plot, which roughly translates to "women from prestigious backgrounds with lusts / desire for power and evilness".
Owing to the prolific use of the character "慾" (lust) in pornographic films and productions, some people believed in the beginning that the show was pornographic in nature. While the show does focus on the workings of Forbidden City's inner harem (which, in turn, invariably deals with sex), the show does not have any elements of pornography.
, in Qing Dynasty
China
in the late years of Emperor Jiaqing's rule. It focused on the power struggle between various Royal concubines trying to secure the Emperor's favor, with corruption, intrigue and outright deceit being the weapons of choice. These women were willing to manipulate, betray and even kill just about anyone in order to get what they wanted.
Throughout the later parts of the series, the inevitable results of this corruption become increasingly apparent. The main characters start to lose everything they care for, while being forced to conclude that they have only themselves to blame. In the meantime, corruption takes its toll on the outside world as well: the entire empire is destabilizing.
But none of that is a deterrent to the scheming women. On the contrary: even when the rebels make their way into the Forbidden City, the manipulators' first thoughts are as to how this situation may be used to their advantage. In the end, corruption itself is the only clear winner and many of those involved die or are forced to flee the City forever.
Sun Baiyang made an attempt to use the situation to escape with Er-Chun and Yu-Ying. However, Yu-Ying was unwilling to go with them, and Sun Baiyang made Kong-Wu promise that he will take Er-Chun out of the Forbidden Palace. After dealing with that, Sun Baiyang went to Yu-Ying residence to confront her. However the Empress was already aware of their affair, and while the two were in Yu-Ying's residence, the Empress' guards boarded up the entrances and set it on fire, causing both to be burned alive. Sun Baiyang's father, Sun Qinghwa, found out about his son's death when a raven carried his son's jade band and dropped it right in front of him as he waited for his son in the wilderness.
On-Qian, whose plan to exact revenge on the Empress for her grandmother's death was scuppered, hatched plans to leave the Palace with Kong-Wu and Er-Chun, who had lost all will to live in the Palace after her adoptive father, Xu Wan Tian, died. At the same time, The Consort Ru (Ru-Yue) was also invited to leave by the trio, but she refused to because she entered the Palace at the age of 16, and was unaccustomed to normal civilian life. Having survived an attack by several guards dressed up as rebels and having realized the true fate of Sun Baiyang and Yu-Ying, she went on to confront the Empress directly in her residence and appeared to regain her superior political position.
All was not over for the ones who successfully left. As the trio left the palace, On-Qian was shot by a stray arrow, the wound from which she would die of soon afterward. Both sadly and romantically fitting, she died on Kong-Wu's shoulder while escaping in a horse cart. In the end, only Kong-Wu and Er-Chun successfully left the palace and, as hinted by the film, started a new life.
.
The show was not without its critics. Many sociologists, psychologists, and academics have criticized the show as promoting hatred and backstabbing as a "natural" matter in society, and fears that the drama will twist the youth's perception of social relationships in general. However, many ordinary citizens simply believe the show was a reflection of the real world.
When one such psychologist was asked about his views concerning the series, he stated "I think we must remind ourselves that even if the intentions of this [War and Beauty] are represented as merely fictitious harm, we should still focus on this harm nonetheless, especially when its in respect to our youth"
However the creators and fans alike strongly deny such existence of 'harm', and that there are no such subliminal connotations behind the series.
, Charmaine Sheh
, Sheren Tang
, were nominated as three of the five finalists for TVB Anniversary Awards
' My Favourite Actress in a Leading Role, with Gigi Lai
winning. However, the award was not without its controversy. Many people felt that Tang gave sterling performance as the calculative and scheming concubine Yu, and was the hot favorite to win the award. However, the award was unexpectedly given to Lai, which then led to rumours that Lai signed a contract with TVB in exchange for the award, causing widespread anger and resentment. HK's ICAC was conducting investigations into award shows so this was raised to an even higher level of controversy.
My Favorite Actor in a Leading Role award went to Bowie Lam for his role as a Chinese medical doctor/official in the show.
My Favorite Powerhouse Actor award went to Chan Hung Lit
for his role as Suen Ching Wah.
My Favorite Powerhouse Actress Award went to Sheren Tang
for her role as Yu Yuet.
My Favorite Television Character Award went to Charmaine Sheh
for her role as Dong-jia Er-chun.
This drama is considered the best drama in TVB production in year 2004.
This drama also won the Most Favourite Drama in Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2005.
Charmaine Sheh acting as Yee Shun in War and Beauty won the Most Favourite Actress in Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2005.
After Sheren Tang
won the TVB Best Actress award in 2009 and 2010, War and Beauty became the TVB drama with the most Best Actress winners. Others TVB Best Actress winners in the series are Maggie Cheung Ho-Yee, Gigi Lai
, and Charmaine Sheh
who won their respective Best Actress awards in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
To date, War and Beauty, Rosy Business
, and No Regrets
(also starring Sheren Tang) are the three TVB dramas whereby all the male and female leads have won the Best Actor/Actress Award in the TVB Awards ceremony.
and VCD
a few months after its finale, and was a bestseller. It also became the first TVB drama to receive a DVD release, albeit a limited one. The DVD box was made of shiny gold cloth, with the drama's title woven on it with gold thread.
TVB Jade
TVB Jade is a flagship TV channel in Hong Kong, established by Television Broadcasts Limited, and is one of the free-to-air Cantonese language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival ATV Home...
. It starred TVB Awards Best Actress winners Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The...
, Gigi Lai
Gigi Lai
Gigi Lai is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. Lai was under a contract with the television station TVB and she retired in October 2008. She is popularly nicknamed by the Hong Kong media as the "Goddess of Beauty" ....
, Maggie Cheung and Charmaine Sheh
Charmaine Sheh
Charmaine Sheh Sze-man is a Hong Kong TVB actress.Sheh is best known for her roles in TVB dramas, including Return of the Cuckoo, Country Spirit, Perish in the Name of Love, Angels of Mission, War and Beauty, The Dance of Passion,The Drive of Life, Maidens' Vow, Forensic Heroes II,Beyond the Realm...
, and TVB Awards Best Actor winners Bowie Lam and Moses Chan
Moses Chan
Moses Chan Ho is an award-winning actor from Hong Kong. Having started his career working mostly on films, Chan has gained remarkable success in recent years while concentrating on his TV acting career with Television Broadcasts Limited...
.
Meaning of title
Phonetically, at least in Cantonese, the title sounds exactly like the Chinese phrase "金枝玉葉" (literally translates to "[A tree with] golden branches and jade leaves"). This is a classical Chinese proverb used to describe aristocratic but unmarried women in feudal Chinese society. The proverb is also used to describe a lady from a privileged or aristocratic background.The title itself is effectively a pun on the original phrase, with the third and fourth ideogram being replaced by two other characters which described the main themes of the entire series. The characters "玉" (jade) and "葉" (leaf) were replaced by the phonetically equivalent "慾" (lust / desire) and "孽" (evilness, nemesis). Thus, the title itself describes the entire plot, which roughly translates to "women from prestigious backgrounds with lusts / desire for power and evilness".
Owing to the prolific use of the character "慾" (lust) in pornographic films and productions, some people believed in the beginning that the show was pornographic in nature. While the show does focus on the workings of Forbidden City's inner harem (which, in turn, invariably deals with sex), the show does not have any elements of pornography.
Royal harem
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Yu Yang Yu Yang Yang Yu is a female Olympic medal-winning swimmer from the People's Republic of China. She became part of the Chinese national swimming team in 1999, and will compete for Team China at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-International debut and the 2000 Olympics:... |
Aisin-Gioro Yong Yan Jiaqing Emperor The Jiaqing Emperor was the seventh emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1796 to 1820.... 愛新覺羅·顒琰 |
The Emperor of China. He plays a very minor role in the series. |
| Rebecca Chan Rebecca Chan Rebecca Chan Sau Chu is a TVB actress. She joined TVB in 1979, when she competed at the Miss Hong Kong 1979 pageant. She finished as a top 10 semifinalist.-Filmography:-Variety show :*1981: Sports World TVB... |
Niuhuru Qixue 鈕祜祿·绮雪 |
She was initially out of favour, but regained it after winning a power struggle with Ru-Yue. |
| Sheren Tang Sheren Tang Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The... |
Niuhuru Ruyue 鈕祜祿·如玥 |
Loves Kong Wu An initially favored concubine who eventually fell out of favor with the Emperor after losing a power struggle with the Empress. She is also initially known for her rather bullying demeanors. |
| Gigi Lai Gigi Lai Gigi Lai is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. Lai was under a contract with the television station TVB and she retired in October 2008. She is popularly nicknamed by the Hong Kong media as the "Goddess of Beauty" .... |
Hougiya Yuying 侯佳·玉瑩 |
Loves Sun Bak-yeung Erchun's enemy Yu-Ying was treated quite badly by her father before entering the palace. Her mother is the fourth (and neglected) concubine of her father. Died in episode 30 |
| Charmaine Sheh Charmaine Sheh Charmaine Sheh Sze-man is a Hong Kong TVB actress.Sheh is best known for her roles in TVB dramas, including Return of the Cuckoo, Country Spirit, Perish in the Name of Love, Angels of Mission, War and Beauty, The Dance of Passion,The Drive of Life, Maidens' Vow, Forensic Heroes II,Beyond the Realm... |
Dongiya Erchun 董佳·爾淳 |
Loves Sun Bak-yeung Yuying's enemy A Han Chinese Han Chinese Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the... posing as a Manchurian in order to get into the palace and save her adoptive father (who committed treason) from death. |
| Maggie Cheung Ho Yee Maggie Cheung Ho Yee Maggie Cheung Ho-yee ; not to be confused with Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, is a Hong Kong actress, under contract to the television channel TVB.Born in 1969, she competed in TVB's 1994 Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant, reaching the final five but not placing... |
Guwalgiya Onqian 蘇完尼瓜爾佳·安茜 |
Loves Kong Wu A palace maid who, after knowing that her grandmother was killed by the Empress, actively gained the Emperor's favor to take revenge. Died in episode 30 |
| Jade Leung Jade Leung Jade Leung , born 23 November 1969 in Hong Kong as Leung Yuk-yin is a Hong Kong actress known for starring in kung fu and action films.She received the 1992 Best New Performer Award at the 11th Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in the 1991 film Black Cat.-Filmography:* Black Cat - Erica... |
Nap Lan Fuk Nga 納蘭·福雅 |
A kind concubine in the Imperial Court who fell out of favor because of her illness. She is the biological sister to Concubine chun. Near the end, it is revealed that she had been poisoning herself, sacrificing her future, so that Sun Bak Yeung would continually take care of her. |
Other major characters
| Cast | Role | Description |
| Bowie Lam | Sun Bak Yeung 孫白颺 |
Loves Yuying A palace doctor who caters to the need of all concubines. He was romantically involved with Yu-Ying, who bore his child and posed it as the Emperor's child. Died in episode 30 |
| Chan Hung Lit Chan Hung Lit Chan Hung-lit , also known as Chen Hung-lieh and Golden Chan, was a Shaw Brothers actor famous for portraying villains from the 1960s to 1980s. In his acting hiatus, Chan was involved in the garment industry. He later resumed his acting career by joining TVB in 1995, left the following year and did... |
Sun Ching Wah 孫清華 |
Father of Sun Baiyang. He and his son share a rather cool relationship, with the father disapproving of the son's actions within the Inner Harem of the Palace. |
| Moses Chan Moses Chan Moses Chan Ho is an award-winning actor from Hong Kong. Having started his career working mostly on films, Chan has gained remarkable success in recent years while concentrating on his TV acting career with Television Broadcasts Limited... |
Kong-Wu 孔武 |
Loves Onqian A Palace Guard who gained the favor of the Emperor after saving his life. Was responsible for the safety of Er-Chun and Yu-Ying on their way to Beijing. |
| Wai Kar Hung | Chan Song 陳爽 |
Fraternal brother of Kung-Wu. He was expelled from the Palace after he was caught stealing, and was discovered to have joined the rebel forces at the end of the series when they attacked the Palace. Dies at the end of the series defending his fraternal brother. |
| Lo Hoi Pang Lo Hoi Pang Lo Hoi-pang is a Hong Kong actor for both TVB and ATV, and a singer. Lo attended TVB's Training Classes in 1973. Among his classmates are Chow Yun-fat and Ng Man-tat.-Filmography:*The Legend of the Book and the Sword... |
Chui Man Tin 徐萬田 |
He is the master behind a plot to train Er-Chun to become a formidable, beautiful woman and send her into the Palace to actively gain the favour of the Emperor for the sake of his own life. He is murdered by his wife near the end of the series. |
| Pierre Ngo | Wong Fuk-sau 汪福壽 |
Eunuch |
Synopsis
This show was set in the Forbidden CityForbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
, in Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in the late years of Emperor Jiaqing's rule. It focused on the power struggle between various Royal concubines trying to secure the Emperor's favor, with corruption, intrigue and outright deceit being the weapons of choice. These women were willing to manipulate, betray and even kill just about anyone in order to get what they wanted.
Throughout the later parts of the series, the inevitable results of this corruption become increasingly apparent. The main characters start to lose everything they care for, while being forced to conclude that they have only themselves to blame. In the meantime, corruption takes its toll on the outside world as well: the entire empire is destabilizing.
But none of that is a deterrent to the scheming women. On the contrary: even when the rebels make their way into the Forbidden City, the manipulators' first thoughts are as to how this situation may be used to their advantage. In the end, corruption itself is the only clear winner and many of those involved die or are forced to flee the City forever.
Ending of main characters
At the end of the series, many things come to a head. As the corruption of Qing Politics became all the more prevalent, the people of the country organize an armed rebellion. The rebellion was led by Kong-Wu's fraternal brother, Chen Shuang, who felt wronged during his time in the Palace and is seeking revenge. The rebel invasion of the Palace opened up some interesting opportunities, especially for the Empress, who tried to kill off her opposition and blame it on the rebels.Sun Baiyang made an attempt to use the situation to escape with Er-Chun and Yu-Ying. However, Yu-Ying was unwilling to go with them, and Sun Baiyang made Kong-Wu promise that he will take Er-Chun out of the Forbidden Palace. After dealing with that, Sun Baiyang went to Yu-Ying residence to confront her. However the Empress was already aware of their affair, and while the two were in Yu-Ying's residence, the Empress' guards boarded up the entrances and set it on fire, causing both to be burned alive. Sun Baiyang's father, Sun Qinghwa, found out about his son's death when a raven carried his son's jade band and dropped it right in front of him as he waited for his son in the wilderness.
On-Qian, whose plan to exact revenge on the Empress for her grandmother's death was scuppered, hatched plans to leave the Palace with Kong-Wu and Er-Chun, who had lost all will to live in the Palace after her adoptive father, Xu Wan Tian, died. At the same time, The Consort Ru (Ru-Yue) was also invited to leave by the trio, but she refused to because she entered the Palace at the age of 16, and was unaccustomed to normal civilian life. Having survived an attack by several guards dressed up as rebels and having realized the true fate of Sun Baiyang and Yu-Ying, she went on to confront the Empress directly in her residence and appeared to regain her superior political position.
All was not over for the ones who successfully left. As the trio left the palace, On-Qian was shot by a stray arrow, the wound from which she would die of soon afterward. Both sadly and romantically fitting, she died on Kong-Wu's shoulder while escaping in a horse cart. In the end, only Kong-Wu and Er-Chun successfully left the palace and, as hinted by the film, started a new life.
Popularity and criticism
This drama was very popular, almost unexpectedly so. Amongst Hong Kong's office workers, the feuding and shifting alliances of the Imperial women, with greater issues being sacrificed for personal piques and gains was taken as a metaphor for the office politics familiar to many. The exploits of their characters were followed in minute detail in online forums, with each betrayal or stab in the back leading to flaming, denunciations, accusations and denials amongst the rival factions. It created a high rating just below War of the GendersWar of the Genders
War of the Genders is a Hong Kong sitcom which aired on TVB Jade from 21 February to 7 July 2000. The series was produced by Television Broadcasts Limited with Tsui Chong-hong serving as the executive producer...
.
The show was not without its critics. Many sociologists, psychologists, and academics have criticized the show as promoting hatred and backstabbing as a "natural" matter in society, and fears that the drama will twist the youth's perception of social relationships in general. However, many ordinary citizens simply believe the show was a reflection of the real world.
When one such psychologist was asked about his views concerning the series, he stated "I think we must remind ourselves that even if the intentions of this [War and Beauty] are represented as merely fictitious harm, we should still focus on this harm nonetheless, especially when its in respect to our youth"
However the creators and fans alike strongly deny such existence of 'harm', and that there are no such subliminal connotations behind the series.
Awards
Three of the actresses playing the concubines, Gigi LaiGigi Lai
Gigi Lai is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. Lai was under a contract with the television station TVB and she retired in October 2008. She is popularly nicknamed by the Hong Kong media as the "Goddess of Beauty" ....
, Charmaine Sheh
Charmaine Sheh
Charmaine Sheh Sze-man is a Hong Kong TVB actress.Sheh is best known for her roles in TVB dramas, including Return of the Cuckoo, Country Spirit, Perish in the Name of Love, Angels of Mission, War and Beauty, The Dance of Passion,The Drive of Life, Maidens' Vow, Forensic Heroes II,Beyond the Realm...
, Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The...
, were nominated as three of the five finalists for TVB Anniversary Awards
TVB Anniversary Awards
TVB Anniversary Awards is an annual awards ceremony that celebrates the best in TVB programming. It is the Hong Kong equivalent of the Emmy Awards....
' My Favourite Actress in a Leading Role, with Gigi Lai
Gigi Lai
Gigi Lai is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. Lai was under a contract with the television station TVB and she retired in October 2008. She is popularly nicknamed by the Hong Kong media as the "Goddess of Beauty" ....
winning. However, the award was not without its controversy. Many people felt that Tang gave sterling performance as the calculative and scheming concubine Yu, and was the hot favorite to win the award. However, the award was unexpectedly given to Lai, which then led to rumours that Lai signed a contract with TVB in exchange for the award, causing widespread anger and resentment. HK's ICAC was conducting investigations into award shows so this was raised to an even higher level of controversy.
My Favorite Actor in a Leading Role award went to Bowie Lam for his role as a Chinese medical doctor/official in the show.
My Favorite Powerhouse Actor award went to Chan Hung Lit
Chan Hung Lit
Chan Hung-lit , also known as Chen Hung-lieh and Golden Chan, was a Shaw Brothers actor famous for portraying villains from the 1960s to 1980s. In his acting hiatus, Chan was involved in the garment industry. He later resumed his acting career by joining TVB in 1995, left the following year and did...
for his role as Suen Ching Wah.
My Favorite Powerhouse Actress Award went to Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The...
for her role as Yu Yuet.
My Favorite Television Character Award went to Charmaine Sheh
Charmaine Sheh
Charmaine Sheh Sze-man is a Hong Kong TVB actress.Sheh is best known for her roles in TVB dramas, including Return of the Cuckoo, Country Spirit, Perish in the Name of Love, Angels of Mission, War and Beauty, The Dance of Passion,The Drive of Life, Maidens' Vow, Forensic Heroes II,Beyond the Realm...
for her role as Dong-jia Er-chun.
This drama is considered the best drama in TVB production in year 2004.
This drama also won the Most Favourite Drama in Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2005.
Charmaine Sheh acting as Yee Shun in War and Beauty won the Most Favourite Actress in Astro Wah Lai Toi Drama Awards 2005.
After Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The...
won the TVB Best Actress award in 2009 and 2010, War and Beauty became the TVB drama with the most Best Actress winners. Others TVB Best Actress winners in the series are Maggie Cheung Ho-Yee, Gigi Lai
Gigi Lai
Gigi Lai is a Hong Kong actress and Cantopop singer. Lai was under a contract with the television station TVB and she retired in October 2008. She is popularly nicknamed by the Hong Kong media as the "Goddess of Beauty" ....
, and Charmaine Sheh
Charmaine Sheh
Charmaine Sheh Sze-man is a Hong Kong TVB actress.Sheh is best known for her roles in TVB dramas, including Return of the Cuckoo, Country Spirit, Perish in the Name of Love, Angels of Mission, War and Beauty, The Dance of Passion,The Drive of Life, Maidens' Vow, Forensic Heroes II,Beyond the Realm...
who won their respective Best Actress awards in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
To date, War and Beauty, Rosy Business
Rosy Business
Rosy Business is a 2009 award-winning Hong Kong television drama produced and by TVB. The original broadcast was on the TVB Jade network with 45-minute episodes airing daily from April 27 to May 29 in 2009...
, and No Regrets
No Regrets (TV series)
No Regrets is a 2010 TVB television drama from Hong Kong created and produced by Lee Tim-shing. The drama is the reboot successor of the 2009 award-winning drama Rosy Business, which was the second most-viewed drama in Hong Kong of the year by average rating.Set in the late 1930s to late 1940s in...
(also starring Sheren Tang) are the three TVB dramas whereby all the male and female leads have won the Best Actor/Actress Award in the TVB Awards ceremony.
Home video
War and Beauty was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and VCD
VCD
VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic, semi-professional football team* Video CD* Voice command device* Value change dump * Vocal cord dysfunction* Visual Communication and Design...
a few months after its finale, and was a bestseller. It also became the first TVB drama to receive a DVD release, albeit a limited one. The DVD box was made of shiny gold cloth, with the drama's title woven on it with gold thread.
See also
- CorruptionPolitical corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
- Forbidden CityForbidden CityThe Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
- Ranks of Imperial Consorts in ChinaRanks of Imperial Consorts in ChinaIn Chinese History, polygamy was not prohibited until recent times. As a result, different dynasties have different systems of ranking for their palace's inner harems...
- HaremHaremHarem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
- Beyond the Realm of ConscienceBeyond the Realm of ConscienceBeyond the Realm of Conscience is a 2009 Hong Kong television series. Produced by Mui Siu-ching, the serial is one of the two grand TVB productions to celebrate along with the channel's 42nd anniversary, the other being Born Rich...
- Dae Jang GeumDae Jang GeumDae Jang Geum is a 2003 epic South Korean television series directed by Lee Byung Hoon and produced by MBC. Starring Lee Young Ae, it tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king's first female physician...