Palace drama a huge hit in Malaysia
HONG KONG: The intrigue-riddled period drama Story of Yanxi Palace is a massive hit in Malaysia, according to streaming giant iQiyi.
A statement from iQiyi said: “The show has developed an avid following in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, being the most watched programme in Hong Kong … in its second week of airing.”
The drama centres on backstabbing imperial concubines set in the Qing Dynasty. Hong Kong actress Charmaine Sheh stars as one of the scariest crooked concubines, in a sharp departure from her usual TV roles.
When the question was posed on Quora.com on whether the series is popular in Vietnam, one respondent wrote: “Literally all of my cousins watch it. My colleagues watch it. Miss Vietnam watch (es) it. Many Vietnamese singers and actors watch it. Well, I think nobody (does) not know about it.”
The 70- episode series has fuelled discussions over whether it has the mojo to take all of Asia by storm given its wild popularity in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
“The popularity of ‘Yanxi Palace’ especially in Southeast Asia testifies to Chinese dramas’ potential and their uniqueness in the global market,” said Niu Hongying, a journalism and mass communications professor at Shaanxi Normal University in Northwest China.
“The key takeaway is that Chinese dramas do have a cultural competitiveness to win over global audiences. We are rich in cultural resources and unique in aesthetics, these are our specialties,” she said.
The series was produced by iQiyi Inc., sometimes called China’s Netflix, which is part of a new generation of privately funded producers of movies and drama series catering to the nation’s 800 million internet users. The series is available, or soon will be, through TV channels or online platforms in over 70 markets.