Palace drama apt for job advice
00:02 UTC+8 December 5, 2012
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A TELEVISION series about an imperial palace drama in the 17th century has captivated viewers in Taiwan and on Chinese mainland.
"The Legend of Zhen Huan" is set in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and its main characters are fictional concubines vying for the emperor's affection. The lead role is witty Zhen Huan, who is transformed from an innocent 17-year-old into a scheming dowager empress over decades in court. Initially victimized after rivals abort her baby by using poison, Zhen Huan learns to fight back and avenge the wrong she has suffered.
Fans of "Zhen Huan" see the dialogue as insight on how to advance in today's workplace. "If you want to live in this court, you must know the emperor's likes and dislikes, and if you want to survive, you must know those of other women," says one frequently quoted line.
Liu Lianzi, 28, wrote the 76-episode drama series based on her 2007 novel. "Zhen Huan" could easily be a metaphor for her experiences striving for success among thousands of young Chinese writers on the Internet. In the cauldron of China's voluminous online literature market, the mostly female devotees are ruthless in determining whether aspiring authors succeed or fail.
"The Internet has liberated all the external factors that have for long restrained women at work ... and no one had anticipated that a woman, when breaking the silence, would have told a story that should totally distort our look at history," Chinese writer Tzeng Yuan wrote recently.
Taipei office worker Chiu Ying said she was enthralled by the court struggles depicted in the drama series "that are not unlike nasty office politics anywhere."
"Zhen Huan has learned to rise up to the top the hard way, having to first deal with a jealous and wicked empress and then serving a suspicious and cruel emperor," Chiu said.
"The Legend of Zhen Huan" is set in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and its main characters are fictional concubines vying for the emperor's affection. The lead role is witty Zhen Huan, who is transformed from an innocent 17-year-old into a scheming dowager empress over decades in court. Initially victimized after rivals abort her baby by using poison, Zhen Huan learns to fight back and avenge the wrong she has suffered.
Fans of "Zhen Huan" see the dialogue as insight on how to advance in today's workplace. "If you want to live in this court, you must know the emperor's likes and dislikes, and if you want to survive, you must know those of other women," says one frequently quoted line.
Liu Lianzi, 28, wrote the 76-episode drama series based on her 2007 novel. "Zhen Huan" could easily be a metaphor for her experiences striving for success among thousands of young Chinese writers on the Internet. In the cauldron of China's voluminous online literature market, the mostly female devotees are ruthless in determining whether aspiring authors succeed or fail.
"The Internet has liberated all the external factors that have for long restrained women at work ... and no one had anticipated that a woman, when breaking the silence, would have told a story that should totally distort our look at history," Chinese writer Tzeng Yuan wrote recently.
Taipei office worker Chiu Ying said she was enthralled by the court struggles depicted in the drama series "that are not unlike nasty office politics anywhere."
"Zhen Huan has learned to rise up to the top the hard way, having to first deal with a jealous and wicked empress and then serving a suspicious and cruel emperor," Chiu said.
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