The Emperor in Han Dynasty

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The Emperor in Han Dynasty
Han Wu Dadi.jpg
DVD cover art
Also known asThe Emperor Han Wu
Traditional Chinese 漢武大帝
Simplified Chinese 汉武大帝
Literal meaningGreat Emperor Wu of Han
Hanyu Pinyin Hàn Wǔ Dà Dì
GenreHistorical drama
Written byJiang Qitao
Directed by Hu Mei
Yang Jun
Sai Fu
Presented byZhu Tong
Yang Buting
Li Bolun
Wang Songshan
Starring Chen Baoguo
Gua Ah-leh
Lin Jing
Jiao Huang
Yang Tongshu
Tao Hong
Theme music composerZhang Hongguang
Ruan Kunshen
Opening themeZuihou De Qingsu (最后的倾诉) performed by Han Lei
Ending themeDengdai (等待) performed by Han Lei
ComposerAsia Philharmonic Orchestra
Country of originChina
Original languageMandarin
No. of episodes58
Production
Executive producersJiang Tao
Wang Guohui
Liu Dehong
Song Zhenshan
Luo Liping
Huo Qi
Producers Han Sanping
Wu Hongliang
Hu Mei
Production locationChina
CinematographyChi Xiaoning
Zhang Yuefu
Cui Weidong
Niu Guotai
EditorsLiu Miaomiao
Zhao Kun
Running time45 minutes per episode
Production companies
Original release
Network CCTV

The Emperor in Han Dynasty, [1] also released under the title The Emperor Han Wu in some countries, is a 2005 Chinese historical drama television series based on the life of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty. It uses the historical texts Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han as its source material.

Contents

Plot

The series covers the life of Emperor Wu from his early childhood to his death and some events in the reign of Emperor Jing (Emperor Wu's father and predecessor), such as the Rebellion of the Seven States. It follows the conflicts that defined the pivotal war between the Han Empire and the Xiongnu, and depicts the major victories that the Han scored over the Xiongnu during Emperor Wu's reign. Prominent historical figures such as the generals Li Guang, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, as well as the diplomats Su Wu and Zhang Qian, also make appearances as supporting characters in the series.

Cast

Note: Some cast members played multiple roles. The roles are separated by a slash.

Production and reception

The production cost for The Emperor in Han Dynasty ran high, with a budget of 50 million yuan, covering extensive battle scenes, period costumes, props and huge backdrops. The crew chose various scenic locations in China, such as Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Henan and Zhejiang, to capture the vast expanse of the Han Empire and its frontiers. The casting featured four different actors playing Emperor Wu at different stages of his life, with the lead actor Chen Baoguo receiving the most screen time portraying the emperor's adult years. The shooting of the series began in 2003 and coincided with the SARS outbreak, causing manpower shortage and delays in production. Post-production began in 2004 and marketing clips started to appear on television talk shows and the Internet later that year.

The series was aired on CCTV-1 on 2 January 2005 to great enthusiasm from audience. While some liberties were taken with historical details, The Emperor in Han Dynasty was generally well received by viewers as a faithful portrayal of history. The series was acclaimed and won the 2005 Flying Apsaras Award for Best Long Television Series, Best Director (Hu Mei) and Best Lead Actor (Chen Baoguo).

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References

  1. Mudge, James (April 13, 2010). "Confucius (2009) Movie Review". Beyondhollywood.com.