The 10 long linked posts are tied together through the "table of contents" below ("sections" are linked directly through titles there, although some scrolling down may be needed if MDL software does not link exactly to chapter start).
TABLE OF CONTENTS Direct links to sections:
(*) scroll down from target reached if target point remains imprecise for that "chapter" Sources : MDL, Sohu, Baidu, Weibo, Douban, Wikipedia and other articles, recordings from YouTube, Youku, Weibo or other media. (highlighted texts lead to sources ; pictures lead to their source or further information, although some links may unfortunately be obsolete as time goes by since compilation). To view the list of my other drama companion pieces (with links to them), check : HERE. |
Last revision : November 25, 2024
1. General information |
Chinese title : 珠帘玉幕 (Zhū lián yù mù / "Pearl Curtains and Jade Screens" (*)
English title : The Story of Pearl Girl (changed from "The Legend of Jewelry")
(*) Translation suggested by MDL member PeachBlossomGoddess who explained in another Discussion that this an idiom alluding to the decadent luxury of the wealthy and powerful, reminding that the ancient emperors often were depicted with a "pearl curtain" before their faces.
 Jinjiang Literature City website logo | Original Writing: 昆山玉前传 (Kūnshān yù qiánchuán /The Story of Kunshan Jade) by Tán Tiānyīn 谈天音 (Tiānyīn is a pen name borrowed from one of the 500 arhats, and the author is from Suzhou, born in the 1980s, and is a resident author in Jinjiang Literature City, one of the most influential original literary websites for women in mainland China. It has more than 5.34 million online novels, nearly 10,000 published novels, and more than 250,000 signed copyright works. On average, more than 2,800 new copyrighted works are added every month. The number of registered authors exceeds 2.4 million.) |
Short synopsis of drama version : "Duānwǔ, a pearl diver from Hepu, Lianzhou, was diligent, intelligent, sweet-tongued, and the only role model among all female slaves. However, she was betrayed by her best friend during an assassination attempt and almost died. She was picked up by Yàn Zijīng, the leader of the passing caravan, a businessman from Xiyu (Western Region) and thus stepped into the world of jewelry under the new name Sū Mùzhē, also meeting and teaming with a humble gentleman: Zhāng Jìnrán," (adapted from Baidu) "After enduring countless hardships, Hepu's pearl diver Duānwǔ escapes the brutal pearl farm and crosses paths with Yàn Zijīng, a merchant from the Western Regions, and Zhāng Jìnrán, a noble gentleman. Joining Yan's trade caravan, she fights her way up, lured by the glittering world of jewels within reach. But on the journey northwest, she unearths secrets of her own past and is drawn into Yàn Zijīng's complex web of revenge, losing loved ones and facing betrayal. Reborn as Sū Mùzhē, she ventures into Yangzhou, determined to seek the truth no matter the cost. With a clear mind free from hatred, she founds her own business, "Clear Mind," and joins forces with Zhāng Jìnrán to clear an old injustice. Yàn Zijīng, once intent on shouldering his shame and revenge alone, eventually finds peace and braves life's storms with her. As the dust settles, Sū Mùzhē reaches new heights at the Jewel Exhibition, inspiring countless women who once yielded to fate to reclaim their own paths." (Dramawiki)
|  {"e-book cover"]The novel version in Chinese has 23 chapters and an audio version as of 2024 (but download is at own risk as the site has been flagged to be unsafe). The novel was reviewed on Douban on 2023-5-29 when it was only reaching chapter 10, and it was appreciated as "quite good". Reading in original version is possible here . Instead of direct machine translation, try this better English version, noticed by baghetti in her novel discussion thread. A "novel outline" and a more detailed "plot summary" (click for links) have been added by MDL user May007 on Jul6, 2023, in the Photo section. |
2024 TV series - 40 episodes, airing from November 1, 2024
(see platforms below)
2012 Empresses in the Palace drama 2014 Red Sorghum (drama version) 2015 Legend of Mi Yue drama He worked with celebrated movie directors - Féng Xiǎogāng (2003 Cell phone, 2004 A World Without Thieves, and 2006 The Banquet), - John Woo (2009 Red Cliff2) - Zhāng Yìmóu (2009 A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop and 2010 Under the Hawthorn Tree) Xiè Zé was also the Producer of 2012 movie Painted Skin: The Resurrection. Since 2016 he has directed more than 10 dramas, among which popular
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Other Crew :
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Costume Designer: 
The production hired a History consultant, Professor Cao Jian Dun from Hénán University's School of History and Culture. He stated that "the C-drama draws upon works such as the "Historical Atlas of China" and incorporates detailed research on the Silk Road in the Tang Dynasty. Cao explained, "In the Tang Dynasty, transportation was mainly by water. So the route depicted in the series — from the South Pearl production sites of Hépǔ and from Guǎngzhōu to Cháng'ān — was mapped based on the actual transportation routes of the Táng Dynasty." (quoted from the Article by Lily Alice) |
AIRING DATES AND PLATFORMS
Release date first scheduled for October 29, before decision to air on November 1 .
ONLINE Youku [*] (direct link, click above on picture) with 4 episodes first, next: 2 daily, or alternating 1 or 2 after Nov.15, 2024 till Friday Nov.22 when SVIP members benefit from a bonus episode 37, while the remaining batch till episode 40 was on "express" (extra paywalled) release weekend of Nov23-24. TV NETWORKS : Beijing Satellite TV, Jiangsu Satellite TV, Dragon TV NETFLIX : from November 16, 2024 (Dates may vary depending on region. A commenter warned that it’s on Netflix France but the drama wouldn’t show "if your Netflix setting language is French as French subtitles are not available", therefore : check subtitles availability if you can, and change to English subtitles in settings.) [*] Needs a subscription ; for those unable to subscribe or georestricted, try on Kiss (subtitled) or Dailymotion (subtitled) |
Special airing calendars were issued :
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 Drama Weibo Page with 202,000 followers, and 27.919 million posts forwarded, as of October 31, 2024 ; almost 218,000 followers and 29.3 million posts forwarded on November 4 ; 223 ,000 followers on Nov.7.   | The drama has special pages on : Fun fact for those who visited the drama Weibo page: it often changed its header picture, to reflect the notable places (mostly imaginary) in the episode of the day. For instance, to the left : the palace of Xú Nányīng and Guǎngzhōu port (eps. 6-10) ; Bafang Tower in Wǔlǐng (eps.14-15), Zhěnláng Pavilion in Yángzhōu (eps.20-24) etc. |
Link back to Table of Contents Last revision November 25, 2024
2. Shooting dates and other production details |
Progress of the production :
Application file for the drama document copy:  Source: snapshot of the document from NRTA (National Radio and Television Administration), PRC, referenced on Baidu link. | 1.Filed for (Shanghai company) 2. Date of filing: December 2021 3. File #03429 4.Name of drama: Jade Pearl Curtain 5.Type: 古代传奇 (legendary ancient romance) 6.Episodes : 38 7. Shooting start date: March 2022 8. Shooting duration: 10 months. |
 Wrap picture : March 14, 2024
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 First concept poster of September 20, 2023 |  New Year poster for the Year of the Dragon ofFebruary 10, 2024 |  "Pearl shadow quicksand"poster of May 15, 2024 |
Official lineup (cast) announcement : October 2, 2023. Selection into Jiangsu Satellite TV’s 2024 drama list : November 7, 2023 Selection into the 2024 Youku annual film list : May 15, 2024 ; First stills of the drama released on June 10, 2024 (Dragon Boat festival day - the FL character was named after it "Duānwǔ" 端午 and a special poster was issued, together with character posters (see below) |  Duānwǔ festival poster of June 10, 2024 |
 Zhào Lùsī 赵露思 as Sū Mùzhē 苏幕遮 |  Liú Yǔníng 刘宇宁 as Yàn Zijīng 燕子京 |  "Daddi" Táng Xiǎotiān 唐晓天 as Zhāng Jìnrán 张晋然 |
 Shàng Wǎnqíng 尚皖晴 as Yuè Yúnxiù 越云岫 |  Xiè Kěyín 谢可寅as Cuī shíjiǔ 崔十九 |  Táng Zhènchāo 唐振超as Zhèng Zhīhéng 郑知衡 |
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 "Weeping Blood Pearls" version trailer of May 15, 2024 (click on my GIF excerpt to view in full on the Beijing News page) |
Official distribution license document, dated August 20, 2024, for 40 episodes |
 Zhu Qihua chapter poster of September 10, 2024 |  Shanghai vertical and horizontal poster of October 18, 2024 |  Viewing the sea of commerce version single poster series of October 29, 2024 |
 Commercial poster of October 22 |
 "Pearlescent self-shine" version trailer (2 mins) of September 17, 2024 (Click on picture to view in full on Youku) |
 Opening poster of Hongshang of October 29, 2024 |  Opening poster of Hongshang of October 29, 2024 |  Countdown to launch : 2 days left, poster of October 30, 2024 |
 Hidden Pearls poster of November 1, 2024 |  Mysterious businessman poster of November 1, 2024 |  Premiere poster of November 1, 2024 |
CAST
More about the cast in section 5, and 6, below)
簪花定情长，缘深两心结。"A hairpin affirms promise of long-lasting love, and a deep bond between two hearts." (from Zhào Lùsī's Weibo page, Nov.8, 2024)
About FL Zhào Lùsī 赵露思 : Actress, singer, guzheng player, archer and gymnast, animal lover, she debuted in 2018 Untouchable Lovers almost by fluke since she first envisioned a Kpop trainee and artist future. She still loves to sing, on stage, or for the more than 10 OST songs of her dramas ; her latest song You R is in English for her international fans. She staged a memorable singing, playing and dancing event for her fans for her 25th birthday, in Chengdu Lululand venue.) A talented and prolific, hardworking and increasingly famous petite actress, she has played in over 20 successful dramas and a handful movies since her debut, becoming a "queen of romance dramas" including 2020 Romance of Tiger and Rose, 2022 Who Rules The World and Love Like The Galaxy, 2023 Hidden Love, etc, besides being also a fashion icon endorsed by a string of top brands (Gucci, Versace, etc) and having been a torchbearer for the Paris Olympics in 2024. Check the "ultra fan guide" on MDL (a bit dated now) ; her fandom name was changed to "keluli" referring to her favorite cannelé cakes and she owns a pastry shop in Héngdiàn film city. She already played once as SFL alongside Liú Yǔníng in 2021 The Long Ballad. |
September 2024
About ML Liú Yǔníng 刘宇宁 : Former humble street singer in Dāndōng, Liáoníng, making music his first life goal, creating a group with friends which still survives in the name he keeps using (Modern Brothers Liú Yǔníng), he became a pillar of Héngdiàn film city, where he has his own recording room. His fame has first been spearheaded by his singing, including over a hundred recordings of OST songs for dramas. He slowly gained attention also as an actor, notably with his first pairing together with Zhào Lùsī as SML//FML in 2021 The Long Ballad. The 2023 drama A Journey To Love topped charts with a memorable tragic "Ning" character. A fan guide was also added on MDL previously in 2021, and there is more in this "Mini Profile" of January 2024.
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The official lineup (cast) was announced on October 2, 2023 with the three leads and three main supporting roles, later shown in posters. The "complete" cast on Baidu included 38, later expanded to 78 identified actors and actresses. (More about those in section 5, and 6, below)
For those who have watched the dramas filmed by the leads (and other ones) before, some actors and actresses may be remembered :
- Zhāng Xīwéi 张熙唯 plays younger Duānwǔ (she already played Zhào LùSī's younger "Sāng Zhì" in Hidden Love
- Chloe Xie /Xiè Kěyín, 谢可寅 (who plays Cuī shíjiǔ 崔十九、aka Cuī Zhuóhuá 崔灼华) was "mad dog" Zhāng Xuěyáo, the female fighter in the police task force in 2024 The First Shot
- Shī Yǔ 施羽 often plays father or uncle roles as support or guest actor
- ....
DUBBING AND VOICE ACTING : under the direction of Ráo Dān (饶丹) and Zhōu Nǎigāng (周乃刚)
As is relatively common in costume dramas that involve lots of ambient noise that can't be directly filtered out, many actors are dubbed by professional voice actors, or do self-dubbing in post production. In this drama, the leads did self-dubbing : Liú Yǔníng 刘宇宁 always self-dubs (except for his first 2 dramas, Hot-Blooded Youth and Ultimate Note), so he proceeded to do so in September between finishing filming "A Dream within a Dream" and airing of "The Story of Pearl Girl". Zhào LùSī 赵露思 also recorded self dubbed voice parts, just after finishing filming "Love's Ambition" (her next drama). Baidu doesn't list names of any voice actors for the rest of the cast, so they presumably self-dubbed too when required.
Link back to Table of Contents Last revision November 25, 2024
3. OST Music |
Song names in the table below link to the MV recordings with Hanzi/Pinyin/English translations on YouTube made by PeacheyBlossom. (also available from her playlist) 
 OST poster on Weibo, October 31, 2024 |
Song Name /名称 (type of song) | Singer / 演唱 | Lyricist and Composer |
|---|---|---|
《珠光重晔》 Zhūguāng zhòng yè
(Opening song/Fate theme song) |  Jane ZhangZhāng Jìngyǐng or Zhāng Liàngyǐng 张靓颖 | L: Liú Jié 刘捷、Chén Kěxīn 陈可欣 M: Liú Jié 刘捷 |
Only Wish《惟愿》 Wéi yuàn
(Ending song/departure theme song) |  Modern brothers Liú Yǔníng 摩登兄弟刘宇宁 | L: Liào Yǔ 廖羽 M: Wáng Zǐtóng 王梓同 |
Not allowed《不得》 Bùdé
(Unforgettable theme song) |  Silence Wang / Wāng Sūlóng 汪苏泷 | L: Liú Jié 刘捷、Chén Kěxīn 陈可欣 M: Liú Jié 刘捷 |
Rénjiān yǒushí  (everlasting love song) |  Curley GXīlínnàyī Gāo 希林娜依高 | L: Liào Yǔ 廖羽 M: Wáng Zǐtóng 王梓同 |
What year is this night?《此宵是何年》 Cǐ xiāo shì hé nián
(Interlude) |  Jì Tīngrán 计听然 | L: Liào Yǔ 廖羽 M: Wáng Zǐtóng 王梓同 |
May The Rest of My Life 《愿余生》 Yuàn yúshēng |  Wú Mòchóu 吴莫愁picture from her singing live on the Live Stream event of October 30, 2024 | L: Liú Rùnjié 刘润洁 M: Gāo Yíng 高莹 |
Source: Official OST list from the Baidu drama page
Liú Yǔníng has so many OST songs these days that it is almost hard to keep track of them all, lol! He helpfully listed them in a funny livestream/interview from his livestream room in Héngdiàn, lampooning and perhaps spoiling a little TSOPG while gently promoting all those other dramas as well :
- "Fangs of Fortune" (the song 无心生大梦 Unintentional Big Dream is in a unusual style for him)
- "A beautiful lie" (that song, You Are The One, was already released a few months ago),
- “Our Days" (好团圆) now airing on YouTube (song: 这一路 This Way)
- "The Rise of Ning" aka Splendid Peace (starring Zhang Wanyi and Ren Min), singing Splashing Ink.
- "Kill Me Love Me" aka Chūnhuā yàn , singing Dare not meet spring
- "The Story of Pearl Girl" ending song Only Wish in the list above.
The near full 3hrs38' live stream including by phone with Zhào Lùsī on her way to catch a plane, is also available on YouTube, but without English subtitles.
| Although the Húnán SatelliteTVNewYearParty 2024 performance is long past, it has some vibes in common with TSoPG drama settings, in Zhào Lùsī 's dance and singing "Crescent Moon Bay". (Click on my GIF below for access to the full 4'11 performance recording on YouTube: |
 PeacheyBlossom's MV on YouTube with Hanzi/Pinyin/English lyrics (click on picture to listen and read) |  |
Link back to Table of Contents Last revision November 25, 2024
4. Character Relationship chart and alphabetical list[including a Key to the INITIALS used in some comments and reviews] |
The drama has 2/3 correlation charts, referring to the two "incarnations" of the FL character:
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF CHARACTERS(numbers refer the the ones in next sections 5 and 6 )  The character evolution poster of Duānwǔ on her journey to freedom | |
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A22. Ā Hú a cleaning servant on the ship of Yàn Zijīng (eps.3-14.) 18. Ā Tóng Cuī shíjiǔ's maid (eps.2 -39) 23. Ā Xiù a cleaning servant on the ship of Yàn Zijīng (eps.3-14.) | |
B4. [8] Lady Bā (Lady Eight), the accountant slave in Hépǔ, former lady Yán (eps. 1-2.) 61. Báicǎojìng House founder Qín Mù "brother" of Lady Bái (eps.21-32) 49. [BDB /LLD] Black Dragon bandits (Lí lóng dào) (eps.18, 29, 37 and in flashbacks of the Yàn family tragic fate on the road, like in ep. 7 where the blood pearl appeared) 8. Businessman on the ship offering a bejeweled golden hairpin (episode 1) | |
C25. Cáo dà overseer below deck on the ship of Yàn Zijīng (eps.4-10, 14-18.)45 [CBG] Cuī bāgōng eight master Cuī ruled over the mines in Wǔlǐng (eps.13-16.) 6. [CD] Cuī Dìng the Steward of Cuī 's Pearl Farm (eps. 1-2.) 20. [CJ] Cuī Jiǎ subordinate of Cuī Dìng, next of Cuī shíjiǔ (eps.1, 3-5, 10, 16.) 38. [CJS] Cuī Jìngchū elder of the Cuī family (eps.10-11, 20.) 17. [CSJ / C19] Cuī shíjiǔ, Cuī Zhuóhuá female member of the Cuī family (eps.2 and following) 18. Cuī shíjiǔ's maid 1 : Ā Tóng (eps.2-39) 19. Cuī shíjiǔ's maid 2 : Ā Tán (eps.2 -39) 38b. Cuī shì Cuī shíjiǔ's mother (ep.10 in flashback) 64. Lady Cuī / Cuī da niangzi wife of Zhèng Shìyuán, mother of Zhèng heir "4th master" (eps.22-27.) | |
D32. Dressmaker (ep. 6.)47. Doctor in Lánghuán who had treated Yàn Zijīng for poisoning (eps.17-18.) 78. Dr. Lin of the Governor's Justice Hall (ep.32) 1. [DW] Duānwǔ the pearl diver girl (eps. 1-20) 5. Young Duānwǔ (eps.1-2 flashbacks) 15. [DM] Dù Míng Zhang Jinran's subordinate (eps.2-39) | |
F 31. Lady Wǔ, "fifth lady Féng" of Zhuóbǎo zhāi (卓珤斋) jewelry House in Guǎngzhōu (eps.6-11, 24, 30) | |
G 70. [GS] Gāoshǒu martial artist and friend of Yīngtáo (eps.25-28, 31-32, 36-40) | |
H 3. Hǎigǒu ("fur seal") a diver slave on Cuī's Pearl Farm (ep.1.) 52b. Herder boy who saved Duānwǔ in the desert (ep.19) | |
J 40. [GRD / JLL] Jiā Lóuluó / "Garuda" Zhèng Zhīhéng's subordinate (eps.11, 21, 23-30, 32, 34, 37-38) | |
K 9. [KJ] Master Kāng / Kāng Jū friend and subordinate of Yàn Zijīng, (eps.1,3-40) | |
L2. Là Là, Duānwǔ 's friend from the pearl farm (eps. 1-2.)4. [8] Lady Bā (Lady Eight), the accountant slave in Hépǔ, former lady Yán (eps. 1-2.) 55. [BN] Lady Bái Niǎo (eps.20-32) 64. Lady Cuī / Cuī da niangzi wife of Zhèng Shìyuán, mother of Zhèng heir "4th master" (eps.22-27.) 62. [HL] Lady Huán Láng who helped Sū Mùzhē found Clear Mind jewelry house (eps.21-25.) 41. [YYX] Lady Shíqī (Lady 17) aka Yuè Yúnxiù Yuè zúzhǎng's adopted daughter and jade carver in Sháozhōu (ep.11-40) 31. [5] Lady Wǔ, "fifth lady Féng" (Féng wǔniáng) (eps.6-11, 23) 60. [YFF] Lady Yán Fēnfēn (eps. 21-23, 28, 30-32, 37) 58. Lady Yù mother of "5th master" Zhèng Zhīhéng (eps.21-28, 31-35) 36. Law officer on the wharf in Guǎngzhōu (ep.10.) 51. [LK] Lì Kuí, masked overlord of the Black Dragon bandits (eps.18, 35-39) 78. Dr. Lin physician in the Governor's holding hall (ep.32) | |
P28. [PXL] Pān Xínglù the guild master of Guǎngzhōu (eps.5-6.)16. Attendant Páng Yàn Zijing's subordinate (eps.1-10.) 48. [PSJ] Péi Shìjié General and inspector of Hé Xī, friend of Zhāng Jìnrán (eps.17-19) 10. [PW /P5] Mr. Péng Wǔ , a business associate of Steward Cuī Dìng (eps. 1-2.) 53. [PY] Prince Yǐng, in Cháng'ān, Zhāng Jìnrán's friend (eps.19-20 ; flashbacks eps.25-26, 32, 37-39) | |
Q
61. [QM] Qín Mù "brother" of Lady Bái and founder of Báicǎojìng House (eps.21-28, 31-32) 75. Qín Ā Wēng an old glass maker (eps.30, 32) | |
S35. Shí Pántuó /Shí Nawei a trader in South Sea Pearls (eps.8, 10)7. [XXM] "Shrimp" Xiǎo Xiāmi Duānwǔ's younger brother (eps. 1-18.) 56. [SMZ] Sū Mùzhē the new name of Duānwǔ (eps.21 and following) 45. Governor Sūn in Wǔlǐng (ep.16) 80. [Sxl] Sūn xínglǎo elder of the Yángzhōu Jewelers Guild (ep.34, 38, 40) | |
T11. Trader in counterfeit jade (episode 1.) | |
W52c. "Wáng (bā )" Yuè / Yuè Jīn kidnapper and gang leader (ep.19)77. [WSQ] Wáng Shǎoqīng official sent to bring back Xú Nányīng to Cháng'ān (eps.32, 34-35) 12. [WY] Accountant Wèi /Wèi Yàn on the ship of Yàn Zijīng (eps. 1, 4, 8, 10, 16-18.) 29. Wú Hēxiáng a fraudster (ep.5.) 31. [5] Lady Wǔ, "fifth lady Féng" (eps.6-10, 24, 30) | |
X24. Xiǎngzǎi ("Loud") or "Zai" a cleaning servant on the ship of Yàn Zijīng (eps.3-18.) 6. [XXM] Xiǎo Xiāmi ("shrimp"), Duānwǔ's younger brother (eps. 1-18.) 67. Xuánjī maid of Lady Bái (eps.22-23) 27. [XNY] Xú Nányīng Special envoy to Lǐngnán ; Governor of Yángzhōu (eps. 4-6, 8-11, 20, 23-32, 35, 37) 59. [XLN] Xuē Lìniáng songstress, aspiring to top the Qiónghuā beauty contest (eps.21-23, 28, 30-32, 37) | |
Y 60. [YFF] Yán Fēnfēn "always second in beauty contests" (eps.21-23, 28, 30-32) 14. [YZJ] Master Yàn Zijīng, a jeweler from the state of Kāng, interested in large pearls (episode 1-40), taking over Zhěnláng pavilion (诊琅阁 Zhěnláng gé) in Yángzhōu. 29. Yàn Zijīng as a child (flashbacks eps.2, 5, 7, 12...37) Yàn Zilīn lost and presumed dead baby sister of Yàn Zijīng (mentioned in Ep.8, briefly seen as baby in ep.12 when matching half moon jade pendants were attached to her and her brother.) 53. [PY] Prince Yǐng, in Cháng'ān, Zhāng Jìnrán's friend (eps.19-20, 36 and flashbacks eps.25, 26, 32, 37-39) 74. Ying Peng a Black dragon Bandit who set a trap for Yàn Zijīng in Yángzhōu (ep.29) 66. [YT] Yīngtáo, Xuē Lìniáng's maid who went to work for Clear Mind (eps.21-28, 30-32, 34-40) 58. Lady Yù mother of "5th master" Zhèng Zhīhéng (eps.21-28, 31-35, 38) 30.b Yù Shī father of Duānwǔ, husband of lady Yàn /"lady Bā ", master craftsman working for the Yàn's Zhěnláng Pavilion in Yángzhōu (ep.7 in flashback during the attack of the convoy to steal the jade apsara, brief glimpse of his death in ep.11.) 76. Yuán Xiāng maid of Qín Mù, from the same hometown as Lady Bái (eps.31-32) 46. [YCWY] Yù Chí Wúyì master of the Lánghuán caravan dockyard and underground city (eps.17-19, 36-39) 52c. "Wáng (bā )" Yuè / Yuè Jīn kidnapper and gang leader (ep.19) 41. [YYX] Yuè Yúnxiù aka Lady Shíqī (Lady 17) Yuè zúzhǎng's adopted daughter and jade carver in Sháozhōu (eps.11 and following) | |
 Duānwǔ met Zhāng Jìnrán first. (Zhao Lusi suggested improvements to that scene : click left to access the BTS with subtitles) | |
Z24. "Zai"/ Xiǎngzǐ ("Loud") a cleaning servant on the ship of Yàn Zijīng (eps.3-18.)13. [ZJR] Zhāng Jìnrán, rich "wandering scholar" from Cháng'ān, and friend of prince Yǐng (eps. 1 and following) 34. Steward Zhào (Zhào zhǎngshì) on the ship of Yàn Zijīng and later, caretaker of Zhěnláng Pavilion (seen briefly behind Trader, ep. 1 ; tasked by Yàn to prepare a pearl reward for the poetry festival in Guǎngzhōu, ep.4 ; eps.7-10, 20, 24, 28-30) 56. Zhè Gū Lady Yù's maid, who helped introduce Sū Mùzhē into Yángzhōu (eps.21, 28) 54. [ZSY] Zhèng Shìyuán master of Jùbǎo House, business rival of Cuī Jìngchū ; new guild master of Yángzhōu, father of Zhèng Zhīhéng and Zhèng Zhīxíng (eps.20, 22-39.) 39. [ZZH /Z5] Zhèng Zhīhéng "5th master", betrothed to Cuī shíjiǔ (eps.11, 20-35.) 65. [ZZX /Z4] Zhèng Zhīxíng -- "4th master", legitimate son and heir of Zhèng Shìyuán (eps.20, 22-27.) 72. Zhèng Shìkāng 3rd uncle Zhèng (eps.26, 37-38) 73. Zhèng Shìkuān 2nd uncle Zhèng (eps.26, 37-38) 69. Steward Zhèng (Zhèng zhǎngshì) of Jùbǎo House, perhaps the mentioned "Zhèng Yuqing" (eps.24-27.) 81. [Zxl] Zhōu xínglǎo elder of the Yángzhōu Jewelers Guild (ep.34, 38, 40) 42. Master Zhōu he had paid bride's price to marry Yuè Yúnxiù (ep.11.) |
 |  The Clear Mind team first group portrait (ep.36):GS, YT, YYX, Qin, DW, YZJ, ZJR, DM, KJ clockwise from upper left. (click on screenshot above to look at the painting full screen) |
Link back to Table of Contents Last revision November 25, 2024
5. Characters and Cast by order of appearancepart 1 |
Note : pictures, snapshots and GIF link to sources and more
| 1. Duānwǔ 端午 |
Actress, singer, guzheng player, archer and gymnast, animal lover, she has played in over 20 successful dramas and a handful movies since her debut in 2018 Untouchable Lovers. | ||
| 2. Làlà 腊腊 |
Graduate of Běijīng Film Academy; 2018 debut in the 2019 drama Memories of Peking. She also appeared in 2023 Skip a Beat and The Case Solver S3; 2024 Islands. | ||
| 3. Hǎigǒu ("fur seal") 海狗 |
A singer (including of OST songs) and actor, he appeared in 7 movies and a dozen dramas since 2014. | ||
| 4. Lady Bā ("Lady Eight") 八娘子 Bā niángzǐ | A graduate of Běijīng Film Academy, she has appeared in about 30 dramas and 7 movies since 1997, and will be in the cast of upcoming drama Northward. | ||
| 5. Young Duānwǔ |
She has appeared in about 17 dramas and a movie since 2019, and played "young Sāng Zhì" (Zhào LùSī 's younger character) in 2023 Hidden Love. | ||
| 6. Cuī Dìng 崔定 |
He has appeared in about 40 dramas or movies since 1995. | ||
| 7. "Shrimp" Xiǎo Xiāmi | He has appeared in about 38 dramas and 2 movies since 2019, and is a good friend of Zhào LùSī since they played in 2022 Who Rules the World. | ||
| 8. Businessman on the ship 商人乙 (Shāngrén yǐ) | He has appeared in over 70 dramas and 5 movies since 2010. | ||
| 9. Master Kāng |
No more info about this actor. | ||
| 10. Mr. Péng Wǔ 彭五 |
He has appeared in about 30 dramas or movies since 2013 | ||
| 11. Trader in counterfeit Hétián jade 商人丙 (Shāngrén bǐng) |
He has appeared in about 50 dramas and 6 movies since 2003. | ||
| 12. Accountant Wèi /Wèi Yàn 卫彦 |
She has appeared in about 16 dramas or movies since 2014. | ||
| 13. Mr Zhāng Jìnrán |
He has appeared in about 26 dramas since 2017 including as "Sū Míngyù" in 2023 The Ingenious One, and sung OST songs for 4 dramas. | ||
| 14. Master Yàn Zijīng |
Famous as "king of OST songs", he also played in 5 movies and about 15 dramas since 2016, among which 2021 The Long Ballad, as "Hào Dōu", alongside Zhào Lùsī. His role in 2023 A Journey To Love as "Níng Yuǎn zhōu" was also much remarked. | ||
| 15. Dù Míng 杜明 |
No more info about this actor | ||
| 16. Attendant Páng | He has appeared in about 36 dramas since 2013, including short roles in 2024 Dark Night and Dawn, and Blossoms in Adversity. | ||
| 17. Cuī shíjiǔ, Cuī Zhuóhuá 崔十九、崔灼华 |
Graduate from Nanjing University of the Arts, former member of C-Pop group The9, she has appeared in 5 dramas and one movie since 2022 Left Right, incl. 2024 The First Shot (as Zhāng Xuěyáo). | ||
| 18. Ā Tóng 阿彤 | She appeared in a dozen dramas since 2018 | ||
| 19. Ā Tán 阿檀 | She has appeared in about 7 dramas since 2021. | ||
| 20. Cuī Jiǎ 崔甲 | He has appeared in 3 other dramas since 2021. | ||
| 21. Young Yàn Zijīng |
He has appeared in about ten dramas since 2020, including as young "Mù Shēng" in 2024 Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (aka Black Lotus Tactics Manual). | ||
| 22. Ā Hú 阿胡 | She has appeared in a handful dramas since 2022 Ordinary Greatness | ||
| 23. Ā Xiù 阿秀 |
She has appeared in 2 other dramas since August 2024, including Love Game in Eastern Fantasy. | ||
| 24. Xiǎngzaǐ ("Loud") | He has appeared in a handful other dramas since 2018 The Story of Minglan, inc. in 2020 The Romance of Tiger and Rose | ||
| 25. Cáo dà 曹大 |
Since 2017, he has appeared in a handful movies and in a short drama. (Baidu) |
| 26. Xú Lín 徐林 |
He appeared in about 16 dramas and 3 movies since 2016 | ||||
| 27. Special envoy Xú Nányīng 徐南英 |
He has appeared in support roles in about 31 dramas or movies since 2014 | ||||
| 28. Pān Xínglù 潘行路 |
Graduate of Beijing Film Academy ; he has appeared in about 50 dramas (not including shelved Immortality) and 13 movies since 2004 | ||||
| 29. Wú Hēxiáng 吴呵祥 | not credited on the available cast lists | ||||
| 30. Yàn Zijīng's father and mother |
Appeared in about 20 dramas and one movie since 2007.
A graduate from Shànghǎi Theatre Academy, she appeared in about 15 dramas and 2 movies since 2007. He enrolled in the PLA air force art troupe in December 1998 and performed on stage before appearing in 2 movies and 18 dramas since 2014. |
| 31. Lady Wǔ, "fifth lady Féng" 冯五娘 (Féng wǔniáng) | Hui ethnicity ballet dancer and actress born in Héféi but raised in Nánjīng, graduate from both Běijīng Dance Academy, and Communication University of China (CUC). Since 2010, she has appeared in supporting roles in 4 movies and over 30 dramas including 2019 Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre, for which she won the National Film Festival "Annual TV Drama Quality Supporting Actress" Award (for her playing as Ding Min Jun). | ||
| 32. A dressmaker | not credited on the available cast lists | ||
| 33. The fortune teller | not credited on the available cast lists | ||
| 34. Steward Zhào | He has appeared in a dozen dramas since 2014. | ||
| 35. Shí Pántuó 石盘陀 |
He has appeared in support roles in about 28 dramas and 9 movies since 2016. | ||
| 36. Law Officer | not credited on the available cast lists | ||
| 37. Yuè zúzhǎng 越族长 | He has appeared in about 54 dramas and 29 movies since 1996. | ||
| 38. Cuī Jìngchū 崔敬初 | He has appeared in about 44 dramas and 8 movies since 2004. | ||
| 38b. Cuī shì 崔氏 | Since 2016, she appeared in 4 movies and dramas, including in 2021 A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College, + The Long Ballad, 2022 Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2, and 2023 Gen Z. |
Continued in part 2, next
Link back to Table of Contents Last revision November 25, 2024
6. Characters and Cast by order of appearancepart 2 |
Note : pictures, snapshots and GIF link to sources and more
Yàn Zijīng playing sorrowful tunes on his erhu (ep.11)
| 39. Zhèng Zhīhéng 郑知衡 |
He has appeared in a half dozen dramas since 2023 The Youth Memories. | ||
| 40. Jiā Lóuluó "Garuda" 迦楼罗 |
He has appeared previously in 5 dramas since 2023. | ||
| 41. Lady Shíqī 十七娘子, Yuè Yúnxiù 越云岫 |
She has appeared in 3 dramas and has 2 more upcoming. | ||
| 42. Master Zhōu 周郎君(Zhōu lángjūn) |
He has appeared in 3 dramas since 2023 |
| 43. Cuī bāgōng 崔八公 |
He has appeared in about 45 dramas and 10 movies since 2003. | ||
| 44. Hēishān 黑山 |
He has appeared in about 11 dramas since 2015. | ||
| 45. Governor Sūn | Not credited on available cast lists. But the end credits mention a 'Zhāng cìshǐ 张刺史' (provincial governor Zhāng): perhaps there was a confusion in the names 孙/张 ? |
Night in the He Xi desert (ep.17)
| 46. Yù Chí Wúyì 尉迟无意 | Since 2006, he appeared in 4 movies and about 37 dramas. Among his main role was "Wei Qing" in 2014 The Virtuous Queen of Han (starring also Jeremy Tsui) | ||
| 47. Old doctor in Lánghuán |
| ||
| 48. Péi Shìjié 裴士杰 | He has appeared in about fifty dramas since 2012, incl. in 2020 The Romance of Tiger and Rose and in 2021 The Long Ballad and Nov. 2024 Deep Lurk. | ||
| 49. Black Dragon bandits | not credited on the available cast lists | ||
| 50. Black dragon chieftain |
| ||
| 51. Lì Kuí 雳魁 |
| ||
| 52. Yàn Zijīng 少年燕子京 (Shàonián Yàn Zǐjīng) | He has appeared in about 46 dramas and one movie since 2016 among which he played young "Lǐ Tóngguāng" in 2023 A Journey To Love and young Zhèng Běi in 2024 The First Shot. | ||
| 52b. Herder boy | not credited on the available cast lists | ||
| 52c. "Wáng (bā )" Yuè / Yuè Jīn 越金 | not credited on the available cast lists except end credits. Guō Hán appeared in a 2016 movie and some dramas, since 2022 Ordinary Greatness. | ||
| 53. Prince Yǐng 郢王 (Yǐng wáng) | Actor and singer, also known as Edward Zhang, married since 2019, with a 4 year old son. Since 2007, he has appeared in over 40 dramas (many themed Táng dynasty) and 5 movies, winning an award in 2018 for "fashion idol actor". | ||
| 54. Zhèng Shìyuán 郑世元 | Actor and also screenwriter for some other works, he has appeared in about 52 dramas and 2 movies since 1997. | ||
| 55. Bái niǎo 白袅 | She appeared in about 30+ dramas and a couple movies since 2007. | ||
| 56. Zhè Gū 鹧鸪 ("partridge") | A graduate of the musical theatre department of Běijīng Dance Academy, she appeared previously in 4 dramas since 2022, and in a TV show. | ||
| 57. Jin Xian | not credited on the available cast lists | ||
| 58. Lady Yù 玉小娘 |
| ||
| 59. Xuē Lìniáng 薛丽娘 | She appeared 4 dramas since 2021 and will appear in two upcoming ones. | ||
| 60. Yán Fēnfēn 闫芬芬 |
She appeared in two dramas since 2021. | ||
| 61. Qín Mù 秦慕 |
He appeared in 4 previous dramas and one movie since 2016. | ||
| 62. Lady Huán Láng 桓郎 |
She appeared in 20+ dramas and 5 movies since 2012 | ||
| 63. Jiāng Lí 江离 |
no further information | ||
| 64. Lady Cuī 崔大娘子 |
She appeared in about 3 movies and 40 dramas since 2013. | ||
| 65. Zhèng Zhīxíng 郑知行 |
He previously appeared in about 11 dramas and 6 movies since 2013. | ||
| 66. Yīngtáo 樱桃 ("cherry") |
She previously appeared in about 2 movies and 11 dramas since 2017. | ||
| 67. Xuánjī 璇玑 |
no more is known about her | ||
| 68. Huán xínglǎo 桓行老 |
Since 1999, he appeared in 3 movies and about 45 previous dramas. | ||
| 69. Steward Zhèng 郑掌事 (Zhèng zhǎngshì) | not credited on the available cast lists | ||
| 70. Gāoshǒu ("Master") |
He appeared in a dozen previous dramas since 2011. | ||
| [See 34.] Steward Zhào | |||
| 72. Zhèng Shìkāng 郑世康 | Actor and director (for 2020 movie The Swords of Storm) or assistant director (for 2 dramas in 2006 and 2020), he previously appeared in 3 movies and about 14 dramas since 2003. | ||
| 73. Zhèng Shìkuān 郑世宽 |
He appeared in a dozen movies and about 49 previous dramas since 2014. | ||
| 74. Ying Peng |
not credited on the available cast lists, but his face looks similar. Since 1996, he appeared in over 37 dramas and 11 movies. | ||
| 75. Qín Ā Wēng 秦阿翁 / |
He appeared in about 15 movies and 85 dramas simce 2005. | ||
| 76. Yuán Xiāng 元香 |
She has appeared in about 3 previous dramas since 2021. | ||
| 77. Wáng Shǎoqīng 王少卿 |
Since 2012, he appeared in about 25 dramas and 3 movies ; he was general "Zhou Jian" at Tushan pass, in 2023 A Journey to Love ep.7. | ||
| 78. Dr. Lin | not credited on the available cast lists | ||
| 79. Kāng Míng 康明 |
In 2016, he switched from modeling to acting. He appeared in about 4 movies and 14 dramas such as 2023 A Journey to Love (as "Calvary Zhang"). | ||
| 80. Sūn xínglǎo 孙行老 |
He has previously appeared in a dozen dramas since 2014. | ||
| 81. Zhōu xínglǎo 周行老 |
Since 2003, he appeared in a movie and 36 dramas. | ||
Link back to Table of Contents Last revision November 25, 2024
7. Popularity |
Reservations ; Maoyan index ; Top Ten Webdramas of Week ; Heat index on Youku ; Number of people watching ; posters ; Douban ; Recommendations
Even before airing, the drama was already garnering buzz.
Reservations numbered in millions :
On October 22, 2024, the production announced they had broken 2 million reservations for the drama, and issued the poster above.
October 25, 2024 : 3 million reservations
October 28, 2024 : 4 million reservations
October 29, 2024 : 5 million reservations
(To avoid mistakes or alterations on cheques etc, the characters
贰 , 叁 , 肆 , 伍
are used for numerals instead of 二 (2), 三 (3), 四 (4), 五 (5) )
POPULARITY INDEXES, TOP 10 DRAMAS OF THE WEEK STANDING
Note : To understand the various c-drama popularity charts (Vlinkage, Aiman, Datawin and weibo...) and Yunhe daily viewership count), H19279 shared a link to the overview she wrote for another drama, explaining how to read them and giving some data.
 Snapshot of Nov.4, 01:00 am Beijing time - click on it to check latest data.The third contender to top charts, Fangs of Fortune 大梦归离 (starring Neo Hóu Mínghào and Chén Dōulíng) was also a costume drama with fantasy elements, which remained strong in charts after a week's airing, despite being somewhat battered in Douban ratings, reputedly "harsh on idol costume dramas" (it garnered 4.9 /10 average from 11,000 ratings) whereas it was #1 in the top ten dramas watched over the week until Nov.3, with 573 points (a rather good week score). A few days later, the initial Douban rating for Love Game in Eastern Fantasy fantasy comedy was published with a favorable 7.5/10 rating. |
| STANDING AMONG THE TOP 10 WEB DRAMAS as reported on the Marcus Here! c-drama news channel (click on pictures for full reporting)  It is interesting that The Story of Pearl Girl already secured a top spot among those top ten dramas, which is rather remarkable since the drama only had 3 days records. (LGIEF was not yet in the top ten list). And while it beat LGIEF by mere 0.08 decimal points (closest tie-break ever seen), on November 10, it still became #1 : and as Marcus noted : “anything over 600 points is : a great week for the drama”. [Fangs of Fortune still stood at #3.] | watched in China over the weekly period ending : # 10 (Nov.3, 2024 -with only 3 days records) # 1 (Nov10, 2024) 611.14 points # 2 (Nov17, 2024) * # 1 (Nov24, 2024) 581 points # 5 (Dec1, 2024) # 7 (Dec8, 2024) #10 (Dec15, 2024) # 9 (Dec22, 2024) * topped by LGiEF which got 608 points for that week. |
 TheStoryOfPearlGirl continued to record high ratings on prime time Jiangsu, Dragon satellite TV stations, recorded in 55 cities on Nov.19. | On November 11, "Singles Day" which is an important day for business in China, the drama index on the three TV platforms had risen to respectable standing, which will bring in revenue for those TV channels! On the Saturday of 3rd weekend airing, while the fantasy drama was launching 'express' release of the 5 remaining episodes of its 30 eps run, MDL user Emmaline Zhang noted the #Dengta ranking 241116 : 1️⃣ #TheStoryOfPearlGirl 2️⃣ #LoveGameInEasternFantasy 3️⃣ #RomanceInTheAlley 4️⃣ #FangsOfFortune 5️⃣ #西北岁月 6️⃣ #TheSilentStorm 7️⃣ #DeepLurk 8️⃣ #OurDays 9️⃣ #SmileCode 🔟 #TheRiseOfNing |
 screenshot of part of a post by chocoZLS on X, of Nov20, 2024 audience in South-East Asia and Nigeria + Qatar. Click on picture for more. | Since Netflix took up showing the drama from Nov14/16 in a growing number of countries, it has expanded its audience, as noted by MDL user vhtnu in comment : "2024.11.20 The top ten hot list on Netflix: Top 1 - Singapore Top 2 - Malaysia Taiwan Top 4 - Hong Kong 🔺 Top 7 - Philippines Top 9 - Nigeria Top10 -Qatar/Newly added Netflix entered the top ten" |
HEAT INDEX ON YOUKU PLATFORM breaking Youku's popularity points on premiere day Nov.1, 2024 poster | as kept track on by Dreams on her Youku Heat Index Ranking page : Highest peak: 10 300+ (possibly still rising -Youku has lifted the10 000 cap on 25/07/2024)
|
 Nov.2, 2024 and Nov.3, 2024 |  |
Note: Each "platform" (Youku, WeTV, iQIYI) have their own "heat index" system while the show is still 'on air". On Youku the 10,000 benchmark was considered maximum, and as soon as dramas passed the 100, 300, 700 mark, the platform celebrated with posters boasting the achievement. Since end July 2024, the 10,000 cap was lifted in order to keep track of outstanding dramas. TSoPG had the highest rise ever recorded on premiere day, and quickly rose over 10,000.
NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WATCHING (Beijing time)
Note: As remarked in the link mentioned before, shared by H19279 , if a show has 50m average views by the end of the show, it is considered as good to excellent, and 100million avg views dramas is considered as explosive ; in 2023-2024 she remarked that very few dramas crossed 100million views per episode in a day (mentioning THE KNOCKOUT and JOY OF LIFE2 as benchmarks before July 2024).
 10 million audience counted on Nov 1, 2024, 3 pm |  50 million audience counted on Nov.2, 8 pm |  100 million audience counted on Nov.3, 7pm |
 200 million audience counted on Nov.5, 4:27 pm |  700 million audience counted on Nov.14, 10 pm |
OPENING DOUBAN Rating on Nov.19 Douban ratings can fluctuate, so here is the link to check the latest one, but because of the "idol" branding of leads and regrettable "fan war" around them, it may not rise much, and even be dragged down, since it is still airing and adversaries are still at work. This "initial rating" drew a surge of questionable raters (the system can't avoid it, as discussed here, about another drama, but it also reminds of what happened with Love Like The Galaxy, which had same director and FL, and A Journey To Love, which had same ML). | Comments on the Marcus Here! channel of Youtube were generally mixed between some who claimed they got "bored" and stopped between ep.5 and 18, and many audiences who had been watching up near to end and were expecting a better rating, evaluating the opening one as LOW. Several wrote "I would rate it 7.5 to 8," adding sometimes that they believed haters and "water army" had dragged the rating down. There definitely was an "anti fan" effect, with some comments typically from haters biased against FL and/or ML, even on that YT channel. The ratings also drew comments like : "I never take notice of douban score. All dramas are about if I like them not what they score." Which is certainly most reasonable! |
FAVORITE DRAMA CHARACTERS
| WEEK 44 : 28 OCT-03NOV TOP1 : Duānwǔ / Sū Mùzhē (The Story of Pearl Girl) TOP2: Líng Miàomiào (Love Game in Eastern Fantasy) TOP3: Yàn Zijing (The Story of Pearl Girl)  | WEEK 46: 11-12 NOV zoom on Vlinkage :  The "duel" between the two dramas was intense: the two FL were leading, and the two ML followed, before other drama characters, but as TSoPG got less into "romance" and more into "business", the fantasy drama gained ground. |
RECOMMENDATIONS
On November 3, the drama had been recommended by 64 artists including several noteworthy former colleagues on their social media, among whom Xiào Zhàn 肖战, Lù Hán 鹿晗, Wáng Ānyǔ 王安宇, Zhōu Yǔtóng 周禹彤, Zhèng Yèchéng 郑业成 and others:
GIF excerpt from Marcus Here! reporting of Nov.4, 2024 (linked)
“The Story of Pearl Girl is not focused on the stories of noblewomen but zooms in on ancient working-class women struggling to survive, portraying the harsh yet legendary world of pearl divers. The protagonist's business journey reflects the struggle of women and showcases the beauty of traditional Chinese jewelry craftsmanship," noted Lù Jiāníng, an associate professor at the Communication University of China [see REVIEWS in next section 8].
DRAMA FANDOM : 珠理人 [Zhūlǐ rén]
Although it was not a "light-hearted" romance, the drama drew quite a number of fans, who offered personal contributions such as cute drawings. To the left, shared from the Discussion started by MDL user insideout91: her 'chibi stickers" starting bottom right with Yàn Zijing playing the erhu (from the episodes on the ship) and bottom right Duānwǔ (from the first episodes in the desert and moonlight) ; upper row as rival bosses of jewelry shops in Yangzhou. The "cockroach" reference is not a slur, but a humorous reference to the play on words in the November 6 interview (see below, section 8). To the right, from the drama Weibo page of Nov,17, a similar style picture urged audience to watch the drama. [#珠帘玉幕# 休息日到🥳～“六”帘不舍看珠帘，一遍不够刷六遍。小蚌壳拍了拍你并对你说“快来追剧吧”!]
Some short "drama edits" of TSoPG could be found in this other Discussion : Fan-Edits Of The Story Of Pearl Girl (unfortunately those were deleted in 2025, but other ones can still be found). |
Everyone please remember that THIS is the REAL ending of Link back to Table of Contents Last update December 23, 2024
8. Live streams, vlog, interviews, articles, reviews |
selected items
LIVE STREAMS
A Live stream was announced for October30, 2024, before airing launched :
Live Stream pictures (my GIF from screenshots) : the full live stream (2hr37') no subtitles, can be seen, clicking on the gif. It was recorded and posted to YouTube on Youku's exclusive channel - it started with 1h+ of trailer watch, before the actual live stream kicked in, around time stamp 1:06:22. The MC first let the actors and actresses introduce themselves (with a thing related to drama), before switching to a session of pre-programmed questions and answers and some live questions from selected members of audience. Next, there was a long acting-game where the participants had to interpret from storyboard pictures with funny poses, dancing a few steps. They played other games such as finding pearls in huge clams and retrieving the fitting pearl wristband for their character, appearing together in one frame with symbolic props... They had a small pause watching an excerpt of trailer and listening to a singer, before moving on to the last part of the show, preparing autographed photo cards for the fans, saying goodbye and waving the red fans with the drama title.
Before the November 6 vlog : two huge guys "kidnapping" a tiny girl !! (Weibo video in full here, including the supermarket and the sidewalk food stall foray; GIF copied from jov who added subtitles on X, and posted Nov13, 2024; the full 4'46 video, subtitled in Hanzi with optional English subtitles, is also on YouTube).
 Another event was announced for November 6, 18:00 Běijīng time. Recorded earlier as a "Lantern festival" vlog, the three leads had gone shopping in a supermarket (video posted by Liú Yǔníng superfan Lemonpuff on YouTube) :  |  Years ago, Liú Yǔníng had paid his first guitar with the money he earned as a cook, so he took charge rather professionally, while Zhào Lùsī was happy doing the stir-fry.Daddi Táng looked on, unsure of what he could help with except enjoying the food! He impishly added too much salt to one dish, making LYN and ZLS grimace when they tasted his doing. Once at the table, the conversation started in earnest, from love of good food to love of people and wishing audience to enjoy the show. On X, "Jov" noted the play on words : Zhāng Jìnrán =Zhāngláng (láng) jūn 蟑螂郎君 = Mr cockroach ; Duān wǔ = xiǎo zhū jī (little pearl dancer: xiǎo zhū wǔ zhě 小珠舞者) = lil piggy (小猪猪 xiǎo zhūzhū) ; Yàn Zijīng = Yēzǐ jī 椰子鸡 = coconut chicken. (snippet reposted from xiaohongshu below, click on the Gif for full 58'17 recording with English subtitles on YouTube)  |
LIU YUNING livestream about TSoPG, songs and morefan 帆！added a running translation to a series of pictures which read like a humorous photonovel. Here are a selection from this long series (click on the GIF to read it in full!) ; below, the special excerpt comparing his real erhu playing skill to what was heard in the drama (LYN dared to show his lovely modest self derision, click on picture to access the post with sound) :
|
ROAD SHOW RECORDINGOn the way to airing, a special stage appearance in Hángzhōu brought together the main cast for half an hour's questions, answers, and games. It is optionally subtitled in English on YouTube ; click on picture below to watch it in full :  |
INTERVIEWS
Youku released some interviews that were recorded during the shoot. The following is Zhào Lùsī 's reactions to her character, what "role model" she thinks Duānwǔ could be, and what she believes audiences hope for in a drama. "I believe those who've lived [through trouble] can feel for Duānwǔ ; she represents countless others like her." To the interviewer's reply "I could have just empathised with her", Zhào Lùsī answered half jokingly "Have you ever tried running a business and failed?" Indeed, life has and can still be hard for women, but Zhào Lùsī believes the philosophy to take home is that of resilience, and staying true to one's original aspirations. 
There have been several other more recent interviews. Emmaline Zhang mentioned in comments this interesting thought collected on an X fan account on Nov.12, from Zhào Lùsī : #ZhaoLusi sharing her thoughts about #TheStoryOfPearIGirl:
| “Whether it’s girls or children facing adversity, it’s important for our work to showcase stories beyond just the lovey dovey feel good moments to pass time, we need to offer something that gives people strength/energy feel that the works we create now should carry these kind of emotions. I think it will be sufficient if we can incorporate that into our work” |  |
澎湃新闻 [ Peng Pai News ] Interview with Director Xiè Zé 谢泽(reported on Weibo, Nov,19 and translated and reposted on X)From first reading the script, reimagining it, he was convinced of its enormous potential, and put in the means to make it the most challenging and ambitious work for Zhào Lùsī, as heroine Duānwǔ on her journey from slave girl to entrepreneurship, rooted in realism. At the end of the interview, he expressed his hope that the drama would find a public abroad too, get curious and love the elements of traditional Chinese culture, and resonating with the belief that humanity transcends cultural differences. |   | |||
 | "The underwater scene is one of the most important scenes in the show, and we started working on it two months before the show started. We found a swimming pool in Hengdian and raised it 5 meters with concrete and steel bars, then drained all the water and started making the scene. We watched a lot of underwater reference films, found the most suitable and best-looking seabed, and then started to create the 'underwater world'," Xiè Zé recalls. "we experimented with the temperature for a long time before we started shooting" : it would cloud if too warm, be clearer when colder... (@ZLYM_TLOJ post on X for Underwater preparations part of the interview ) | |||
| Feeling her plight and sufferings : "The first half of the book is about being alive and free. This is the so-called growth line. ... After gradually finding the meaning of life, she wants to live a better life. After living a better life, she can have her own business and help others. The heroine is not a saintly mother who suddenly wants to save others, which is difficult for the general public to relate to. " (@ZLYM_TLOJ post on X for Duānwǔ ’s role, plight and growth part of the interview) Transitioning from sweet drama to Big Heroine Role, Zhào Lùsī portrayed the growth of her character from impulsiveness to maturity (@ZLYM_TLOJ post on X for Need of growth part of the interview) despite the complexity of shooting sometimes Duānwǔ in the morning and Sū Mùzhē in the afternoon on same days (complexity part of the interview). Finally (attractions to overseas audiences) |
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INTERVIEW of Xiè Kěyín GIF excerpt ; click on it to watch and hear the full 4 minutes video posted on YouTube on Nov19, 2024. | She presented her character as Cuī shíjiǔ (Cuī 19) the crossdressing "tragic daughter" of the antagonist family. This was her first time in a costume drama. She said she added the ring (of power) and the bracelet (of buddhist beads) and asked Liú Yǔníng who is fond of those, about how to wear them as "male accessories". On set, she was welcomed by fellow Sichuanese Zhào Lùsī, so they often talked in their common dialect. Finally, she explained how it felt to be an introvert there. |
INTERVIEW of Liú Yǔníng(posted to YouTube by translator fan on Nov.24, 2024, about 14 mins)Additional interesting and both serious and humorous views by the actor on the character he played, and about the songs (he sang a few lines). |  |
ARTICLES / REVIEWS
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MDL user Lily Alice published three articles on MDL about the drama, on October 22, November1, and November 11 2024 :
While Lily Alice insisted on the realism in this historical drama, confirmed by learned authorities, she also reported the actress' modest outlook on the imaginary quality of the drama, and her warning against taking the character too seriously as "role model" since she believed that in the vastly different (present day) work environment of women, "I think we should protect ourselves first, and make ourselves happy first." Losses and regrets can happen, often do, but "in the workplace, what matters is feeling comfortable and achieving what you want (Staying true to your original intentions). That's enough." Illustrations from the drama were carefully chosen with beautiful posters and pictures. Click below or above to read the articles in full.
(Nevertheless, the response, notably to the title of the third article, was not only surprise about its apparent opposition to the drama, but triggering some anger as "misleading" and "click-bait"... Is the article writer a dispassionate reporter (fascinated by both dramas) or a blatant anti-fan (of D or E fandom) ? It seemed a legitimate question, considering that the user only lists South Korean dramas on her watch list, has apparently not entered TSoPG into her watchlist and is content with reporting from unspecified sources except perhaps having watched a couple excerpts from the Youku interview after the diving scene, which I mentioned in previous subsection. Furthermore, she showered MDL with more "reporting", with a November 8 title that LGiEF "beats" TSoPG, as if that was a win in a "fan war". Fact is that the two dramas have completely different genres, storylines, characters, production companies, platforms, so it is like comparing candy to cannelé cakes; both are popular, and viewership of both was soaring to 700 million at almost same time in the evening of November 14). Avenue X in her "final review" at mid point, was not totally opposed to the drama, which she "stopped watching" at episode 18, convinced that she had seen enough to rate it in between no or "one gold mine" in her positive scale. Her criticism targeted in fact more young Xiè Kěyín : she admitted to being disappointed after having rather liked Xiè Kěyín 's recent role in The First Shot a few weeks ago. She was also dissatisfied with some weaknesses in the plot and execution : implausibilities among which "no tan for the pearl diver", "mermaid swirl", only for prettiness -but American and other movies and dramas are also full of those "impeccably made up", "dry in seconds" and well combed stars. Besides, would audience watch if the star looked overly suffering?! I'd say more regrettable are a few inconsistencies and plot holes, like Yīngtáo scolding Gāoshǒu for 'not having been there' when Clear Mind was attacked by Huán and henchmen, although Gāoshǒu precisely threw out the henchmen ; that was a "sloppy" mishap in editing and/or dialogue probably, but I did not notice too many. These after all, can be considered as minor bumps on the road of a drama which was still engaging for millions, and was opted in for the Netflix catalogue for wider global broadcast. | ||||||||||||||
A FIRST SERIES OF REVIEWS IN CHINA :as reported by MDL user MikaM in a comment: glowingly positive first reviews, lauding the quality of the drama, have been published for TSoPG , excerpted in a thread of posts on X by @ZLYM_TLOJ also to be found on FB :
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Link back to Table of Contents Last update November 25, 2024
9. THE TRAVELS OF THE CONVOY |
The story starts in Lǐngnán 岭南 (a part of southern China comprising twin provinces of Guǎngdōng (广东) and Guǎngxī (广西), the names of which mean "eastern expanse" and "western expanse", respectively). Lǐngnán has since most ancient times its own characteristics with own language ("Cantonese") and customs (heavily influenced by sea-faring trade), so Lǐngnán culture is synonymous with Cantonese culture.
Hépǔ 合浦 was a much bigger pearl harvesting area around Běihǎi 北海 in Guǎngxī province . Btw. although the river which runs across Guǎngzhōu is called the Pearl River (Zhūjiāng 珠江), this is not the city where pearls were harvested : the name "Pearl River" comes from the pearl-colored shells that lie within the Pearl's riverbed as it flows through the city of Guǎngzhōu.
Chinese Wikipedia informs : Sháozhōu 韶州 was a small state north of Guǎngzhōu 广州: it was the hub of ancient Shíxiá culture (石峡文化). Historically, Sháozhōu was "known as the "Famous County in Lǐngnán" and gave birth to a number of historical celebrities such as Zhāng Jiǔlíng 张九龄 and Yú Jìng 余靖." It was suppressed for 28 years before being restablished in 627 during Táng dynasty (唐代); it later came under Qūjiāng county (曲江) and the only memory now is a "Sháozhōu road" in Guǎngdōng province.
Wǔlǐng 五岭 mountains is the other name of Nánlǐng 南岭 mountains, a major mountain range in Southern China that separates the Pearl River Basin from the Yangtze Valley and serves as the dividing line between south and central subtropical zones. Its name means "five ridges", the mountains are mostly of karst and red coloured sandstone with spectacular steep cliffs of the Dānxiá landform. The mountains are not very high and there are trough valleys which became natural channels, for people-to-people exchanges, with five ancient roads. One part of the mountains is in Jiāngxī province, which is rich in mineral resources, leading the provinces of China in deposits of copper, tungsten, gold, silver, uranium, thorium, tantalum, niobium and lithium. Guǎngdōng also has 34 minerals ranking in the top five deposits nationwide. Its deposits of peat, vein quartz, kaolin clay, trachyte, germanium and tellurium all rank first in the country and Zhàoqìng 肇庆 has "50 minerals, including iron, gold and copper". Zhàoqìng is a city which acts as a hub and gateway connecting the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region to China’s south‑west region ; its ancient name was Duānzhōu 端州 and it is nicknamed "home of gold" of Guǎngdōng (with mines), also known for inkstone, a unique ornamental stone :"duānyàn" 端硯 ranks first among the four famous inkstones in China. In 2004, Zhàoqìng was named the "capital of inkstones in China". The Duān inkstone is mentioned in a poem by Liún Yǔxī 刘禹锡 : "The scholar of the Táng Dynasty received a Duānzhōu purple stone inkstone and responded with a poem" 唐秀才赠端州紫石砚以诗答之. (Let's suppose Wǔlǐng mining village in the drama is inspired by Zhàoqìng/Duānzhōu ).
The map below is my composite from Google map (50 km scale parts) and a World History Map (sketch map) of the Maritime and Land "Silk Road", illustrating the travels of Yàn Zijīng's ship "The Mirage" and of the planned expedition inland to gem stone country around Héxī corridor between mountains and deserts, reached in episode 17, when the traders stop in "Lánghuán caravan dock" and underground city (fictitious, see note on fictitious places below). The area around Yínchuān 银川 (Níngxià province) was used for the spectacular desert, canyons, oasis, lakes, and to show the interactions of local Han and Sogdian travelers and residents from far-away state of Kāng (Samarkand). "During the period of the Chinese Táng dynasty, Sogdian was the lingua franca in Central Asia of the Silk Road, it was one of the most important Middle Iranian languages, along with Bactrian, Khotanese Saka, Middle Persian, and Parthian."
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Physical map of China : The following map shows the plains and mountains, together with main cities and ports with present-day names. At the time of Táng dynasty, many names were different, and the capital of the country was Cháng'ān 长安 (today Xī'ān 西安). The Héxī corridor is a long valley that starts near Lánzhōu 兰州 and stretches between the Great Wall and the Qílián shān 祁连山 ("shan" =mountain range), from Xīníng to Yùmén guān (Jade Gate pass, a famous gate through the Great Wall to Inner Mongolia) close to Dūnhuáng 敦煌 (which was a main oasis on the Silk Road) ; the trail is continued through desert to Turpan the next big oasis (also known as Xīzhōu 西州 in Táng dynasty times). The Western areas of China start from Xīníng ("xī" means West) and the Ordos Loop, which is the huge bend to the north through the part desert loess plateau which the Yellow River (Huáng Hé, "hé" means river) cuts before flowing and fertilizing the lands on its way to the East China Sea. That river, contrary to the YangTse/Cháng Jiāng ("long river": "jiāng is another word for "river") cannot be navigated easily by ships, because of the huge deposits of silt. So bigger ships would usually sail up from the sea along the Cháng Jiāng, docking at ports such as Yángzhōu 扬州, or further upriver Hànkǒu (present-day Wǔhàn) up to Chóngqìng area. But the plains were criss-crossed with canals, some very large and deep like the Grand Canal of the Suí (隋) dynasty, which became a life line for the Táng dynasty economy and influence (see map further below). (Note: Yangtze or YangTse are other transcriptions for Yángzǐ jiāng 扬子江, the old name of the Cháng Jiāng, especially its lower reaches around Yángzhōu 扬州).
[for the fun, here is a Chinese pop song which refers to these places and to the concept of "jiānghú" wandering or martial artists roaming along "rivers and lakes", made popular by wǔxiá novels and dramas, sung by the Jǐng 井 twins].
Note: Some names on the map below use both the UN accepted pinyin, and the American Wade-Giles transcription which is not official any longer (eg Peking for Běijīng).
Click on the map to view it full screen, you can zoom in by clicking on the map in link.
"The construction of the Grand Canal rapidly improved the urban status of Kāifēng (开封). In the Sui and Táng Dynasties, China’s economic focus was on the region in the south of the Yangtze River. "[...] . The dependency relationship between the politics in the north and the economy in the south in the Táng Dynasty, was described as follows: "the north acquired the wealth of 43 states in the southeast, all were from the Grand Canal. After the Middle Táng Dynasty ended, the Grand Canal became the Táng Dynasty’s lifeline as the dependency relationship between the Yellow River and Yangtze–Huái Hé River basins was increasingly deepened. The Grand Canal, depending on whether it was blocked or unblocked, directly affected the rise and fall of the Táng Dynasty regime and the rise, fall, and alternation of many cities along the canal in Cháng'ān , Luòyáng and [Biànzhōu 汴州 /Biànjīng 汴京 /]Kāifēng. Therefore, canal transportation had more critical significance in the political, economic, and military senses.
In the Táng Dynasty, Biànzhōu (Kāifēng today) stretched across the canal and was the communication hub of the south–north transportation." (Text quoted from The Rise and Fall of the Grand Canal).
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The China National Silk Museum has interesting stories about some real life people who lived at the time of the Silk Road, illustrated with artifacts and small sculptures of the people of those times :
(7) The story of "Sàbǎo" 薩保 (caravan leader) Master Shǐ jūnmù 史君墓 and his wife from Xīpíng (present-day Xīníng in Qīnghǎi) in China, who were traveling back and forth, and eventually were buried in Cháng'ān. The couple was of the State of Shi [zh] and the State of Kāng 康 (Samarkand origin, far west from the Chinese borders, inhabited by a people called "Sogdians"), respectively. Kāngjū 康居 in Táng dynasty times was part of the Göktürk Khaganate which spread from the Black Sea to Manchuria across the Mongolian plateau ; but Táng China conquered the Eastern Turkic Khaganate in 630 and the Western Turkic Khaganate in 657 in a series of military campaigns. A Second Turkic Khaganate emerged in 682 and lasted until 744.
(8) The next story is that of the wealthy money-lender Zuǒ Chōngxǐ 佐憧喜; he was a " Qiántíng 前庭 assault-resisting garrison" soldier from Gāochāng 高昌 . Gāochāng, a now ruined ancient oasis city close to Turpan (Tǔ lǔ fān 吐鲁番, Xīnjiāng), also known in Táng dynasty times as Xīzhōu 西州 was the seat of Qū shì Kingdom (麹氏王国, 501-640 CE ruled by the Qū family, originally from Gānsù; Qū Wéntài 麴文泰 welcomed the Táng pilgrim Xuánzàn 玄奘 with great enthusiasm in 629 AD.
(Gāochāng seems to be one model for the caravan stop of "Lánghuán"; the ruins evoke in places underground dwellings, and the karez water system is indeed underground in Turpan.)
Travels of Zhāng Qiān in Hàn dynasty :  | Chapter 123 of the Shǐjì 史记 aka Record of the Grand Historian, by famous Chinese historian Sīmǎ Qiān 司马迁 , records a visit by the Chinese traveller and diplomat Zhāng Qiān 張騫 who visited Kāngjū 康居 c. 128 BCE. He commented that the people were nomads, their small country bordered with Greek-descendants peopled Dàyuān 大宛 (Ferghana). Also inhabited by nomads, who supplied jade to the Chinese, was Samarkand of Yúezhì 禺氏 , to which Kāngjū paid tribute in ancient times before 6th century CE. The capitals of the two states were located in present-day Tashkent and Samarkand of Uzbekistan. (click here for a : map of the Sogdia area in present times). |
Adding here a map of the Tang protectorates to the north circa 660 CE, including the "Anbei Protectorate" (安北都护府 Ānběi dūhù fǔ) or "Protectorate General to Pacify the North":
Pìtí quán 鸊鵜泉: In the Táng Dynasty, it was located in the west of Fēngzhōu 丰州 , near the Yīn Mountains, Yīnshān 阴山 aka Dàqīng shān Mountains 大青山, which are mountains in the Eastern Gobi Desert steppe of Inner Mongolia, north of Xīshòuxiáng 西受降 (northwest of the Hétào 河套 Ordos Loop, in Inner Mongolia). The 鸊鵜 pìtí is the name of a freshwater diving bird, the grebe, which is found in many countries. Xīshòuxiáng was a Táng garrison, and can be read about in the 2012 book by Jonathan Karam Skaff: Sui-Tang China and Its Turko-Mongol Neighbors: Culture, Power, and Connections, 580-800 (pages 49–50, 189, 249, 268, 323) which stressed the role of Turko-Mongol pastoral nomads traversing the Eurasian steppe together with that of Silk Road monks and merchants, over China’s tributary diplomacy.
Another paper stated: "In 647 [Táng Dynasty emperor] Tàizōng (598-649) issued an edict to establish sixty-eight posts south of the desert, where envoys and guests coming in for visit could be supplied with horses, milk and meat. The road followed the ancient Qín "zhídào" 直道 (Direct Road) from Gānquán 甘泉 near Xiányáng (Qín capital, close to later Cháng'ān), to Fēngzhōu 豐州 (Xīshòuxiáng), passing by the “Western Fortress to Receive the Surrendered” 西受降城, and it extended to Yīzhōu 伊州 and Gāochāng 高昌.
Note: there was in the 8th century a garrison post called Héxī.
Quirky and fictitious place names
"Lánghuán caravan dock ： 琅嬛福地 Láng huán fúdì (Langhuan paradise) in Chinese mythology is the celestial library, the place where the Lord of Heaven 天帝 Tiāndì stores his books! That it becomes a fortified building 琅嬛坞 (Lánghuánwù) on the outskirts of the Empire, in a troubled region beset by bloodthirsty marauders like the "Black Dragon bandits" 骊龙盗 (Lí lóng dào) such as in the drama, is somewhat tongue-in-cheek!
The Black Dragon (黑龍 Hēilóng), also called "Dark Dragon" or "Mysterious Dragon" (玄龍 Xuánlóng), is the Dragon God of the north and the essence of winter. The black dragon, or in fact black with a tinge of redness (a color called xuán) is irascible, responsible for floods and disaster, a bringer of bad fortune. | In Eastern traditions, "loong" 龙 or "lóng", the name of the Dragon has a pronunciation close to 狼 "láng" (wolf) but symbolizes prosperity and good fortune, embodying a positive force in spiritual journeys. They have different colors, associated with certain benefits and risks, as well as elements. Here is a chart of the dragon's five colors and characteristics : |
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In ep.17, Yàn Zijīng 燕子京 told a story of wandering stars to Duānwǔ. He promised to take her to that "legendary lake" (紫荆湖 Zǐjīng hú) at the foot of "Mount Zǐjīng" (紫荆湖 Zǐjīng shān) ; but whereas 紫荆 Zǐjīng (homophone to his given name!) is the name of the Bauhinia "purple orchid tree" with five petals (emblem of Hong Kong!!) there is no such famous and legendary lake or mountain to find in China. (Except a modern artificial lake of that name in Fùshùn 富顺 county of Sìchuān; and a Zǐjīng Lake at the foot of Zǐjīng Mountain, adjacent to the former residence of modern painter Qí Báishí 齐白石 (1864-1957) in Báishípù Town 白石铺, Xiāngtán County 湘潭, south of Chángshā 长沙 in Húnán province; there is a curious story of this famous painter's homes in Běijīng, the last of which is a museum showcasing his art - click on his name above to watch him paint shrimps! ).
But there is a near homophone 紫金山 zǐjīn shān : Purple Mountain , also known as Jiǎng shān (Jiǎng Mountain) 蒋山, Zhōngshān 锺山 and Shénliè Mountain 神烈山. It is the site of an ancient mountain mausoleum (going back to Eastern Hàn dynasty : a hero called Jiǎng Zǐwén 蒋子文 was buried there ; later, under Three Kingdoms, he was seen as a spirit and emperor Sūn Quán 孫權 canonized him as the Mountain God of Zhōngshān). It is located on the east side of Nánjīng city 南京 in Jiāngsū Province. It is called Purple Mountain because the purple gravel is exposed in some faults. When the sun shines on it, it looks purple-gold when viewed from a distance. It is also the site of a national observatory for astronomy, from which asteroids are watched and a new comet was spotted in February 2023.
Link back to Table of Contents Last revision November 25, 2024
10. Diving and pearls, jade |
The diving scenes were shot in a large and deep pool where the bottom was transformed by bringing sand and rocks, to resemble an actual sea bed.
Zhào Lùsī did her diving scenes herself, only with the protection of a swimming suited pro in case: the outcome was spectacular, but the filming was not without hazards: she injured her leg on a rock and bled, before getting out of the water and be bandaged. Besides, the water in the pool chosen for filming, was very cold, so she got sick for after having done those scenes, which had her visibly shiver. But she quickly got well again, and the mishap was not even mentioned in the "funny" BTS below : full link also shows the discussions about the expectations and acting for the pearl diver.
Results : the pearl diver extracting a pearl from the giant Tridacna clam (my GIF from ep.1) :
From Marcus Here short : The scrape and small injuries (click on for sound and full video) :
In a recent interview (as reported by jov on X) Zhao Lusi commented :"I actually have a slight phobia for the deep sea so I used to never sit on boats. I didn't really do underwater sports too. So initially, the production team found a swimming pool studio. Our props for #TheStoryOfPearlGirl were done very meticulously. The sand and gravel that are from the deep waters were buried in the waters. Our production team did it themselves. The first time I dived underwater, I actually couldn't really see clearly when I opened my eyes in the water. I'm also not very good in water by nature but afterwards, I started feeling more secure and also because I thought, since I'm already here, I should do my best!"
Director Xie Ze also offered his memories about the Behind The Scenes of Duan Wu's pearl diving scenes, praising her dedication that went beyond usual acting work. (Post recording original and translation on X, by jov on Nov.19, 2024)
PEARLS [zhēn zhū 珍珠 or 真珠]Gemstones have attracted humankind since ancient times, and have long been used for jewelry. A few noncrystalline materials of organic origin (e.g., pearl, red coral, and amber) also are classified as gemstones. (Britannica)
"Pearl farming in China is mainly concentrated in the southeastern part of the country, with the waterways of Zhejiang province serving as the source for China's freshwater pearls. Production has greatly increased through the 1990s and 2000s, with China, according to Times Online, producing 90% of pearl necklaces globally.Times Online indicated that in 2007 "China produced 1,600 tonnes of pearls..., more than 95 per cent of world production." -- According to the Gems and Jewelry Trade Association of China, in 2007, China produced "1,600 tons of pearls - over 95 percent of the world's total output". One city of Zhejiang, Zhūjì 诸暨, is even nicknamed "The Pearl City". But it is possible to acquire pearls in other provinces :
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Pearls come from different mollusks or oysters : Freshwater pearls (most from river mussels, aka unionids, in China) . Freshwater pearls are produced from mussels such as Cristaria plicata, the cockscomb pearl mussel, Hyriopsis Cumingi aka Biwa shell, or Hyriopsis Schlegeli, aka Triangle shell mussels (pictured above). One Hyriopsis mussel can produce as many as 50 pearls. They live in rivers and lakes with flowing water.
1. Akoya pearls (sea water pearls from the Pinctada fucata 阿古屋貝 oysters of Japan) Akoya pearls are saltwater cultured pearls that are cultivated in the seas of Japan. They are typically less than 9 mm. The perfectly spherical, calibered, almost "ball bearing" mirror-like, light reflecting white pearls carefully grown with a surgical technique developed in 1893 by Kokichi Mikimoto, have become famous and popular through marketing, and Mikimoto has become a famous brand. 2. South Sea pearls (sea water pearls from the Pinctada maxima oysters of South Pacific, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia...) The colorful and intensely iridescent shells of the pinctada maxima oyster from which white and golden South Sea pearls are produced, were equally highly sought after by British colonists for use in buttons and mother of pearl inlay designs in the 17th to 19th centuries, and so this large and beautiful oyster was nearly over-harvested to the point of extinction, along the coast of Australia, as well as the Philippines and Indonesia. The first pearl farms were started in 1956 at Kuri Bay by an American entrepreneur and a Japanese grafting technician. The famous Paspaley Pearl Company opened their first pearl farm in 1962, and pearl farming contributed to save the oysters! These pearls typically range in size from 8 mm to 18 mm. 3. Tahitian black pearls (from the Pinctada margaritifera oysters of the Tahitian archipelago) In a similar way, oysters of Tahiti, were also almost going extinct before pearl farms started in the late 1960s. Black Tahitian pearls (in fact not really black, but dark green shades) were revered by the Polynesians as gifts from their god of love and fertility. Now, the Tahitian pearl makes up about 20% of the pearl market, and is one of the most popular pearl types for jewelry buyers. They range in size from 8 mm to 14 mm.
The Sea of Cortez is between Baja, California and Northwestern Mexico. For over 400 years, it has been known for the quality of colorful, lustrous pearls, widely appreciated by rulers and powerful people of past centuries from the 1600s till nowadays, when one famous pearl (La Peregrina) was gifted to Elizabeth Taylor. The “Rainbow Lip” oyster, can produce pearls in a wide variety of colors : Blue-Green, Green, Pistachio, Mauve, Aubergine, Copper, Lime and Rose... Today, the Cortez pearl farm in Guyamas, Mexico is the only one that regularly produces fine, jewelry-quality pearls. 5. A more recent development in pearl farming is that of abalone pearls, which used to be only natural and rare ones from South America. Chile has historically been a major producer of abalone meat from the large foot of the Haliotis mollusk. Around 2012, scientists at the University of Antofagasta managed to culture bead nucleated abalone pearls in the red abalone Haliotis rufescens (a technique producing "mabe" type half pearls or blister pearls on the inside of the shell). A new variety of cultured sea pearls has thus emerged since 2022. SHAPES - 99% of present-day pearls are from cultured pearls. They come in various forms (spherical "round", tear-drops, or "baroque"), colors and lustre. Despite being cultured, the pearls will never reach the evenness of glass pearls. Less than 20% freshwater or seawater pearls will be really round, and many will bear blemishes or "inclusions" such as "pin pricks". "Like a snowflake, or the infamous “jardins” or “gardens” (which is the French name for inclusions in Emeralds), a pearl’s markings declare each gem as a totally unique and individual creation of Mother Nature." Among those markings are some that have got special names, such as the "knobs and tips" or "circles" (which became a fashion launched for black Tahitian pearls), that contribute to "baroque pearls" : these are not counted as "blemishes", which lessen the value of pearls, but can still be acceptable. CARE - Pearls should be kept away from harsh chemicals (perfumes, hairspray, cleaning agents, etc.), sharp or rough objects to avoid scratching, and they should be wiped clean after wear and stored in a soft pouch or case. One thing to know is that pearls need to be worn to keep their lustre; leaving them in to long in a pouch will have them turn yellow. |
_-_Unionidae_-_Mollusc_shell.jpeg)
CLAMS [information adapted from Wikipedia] : "Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve mollusc. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and spend most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the sea floor or riverbeds. ... Clams have two shells of equal size connected by two adductor muscles and have a powerful burrowing foot but are not attached to a substrate (whereas oysters and mussels do) and do not live near the bottom (whereas scallops do)."
The Giant clam: Tridacna gigas is native to shallow waters of coral reefs in warm seas of the Indo-Pacific region. It is edible, but on the critically endangered species list (there are other less endangered Tridacnas, which have often been used for aquariums). The Tridacna have heavy shells, fluted with 4 to 6 folds. The mantle is often brightly coloured and the mantle border is covered in several hundred to several thousand pinhole eyespots approximately 0.5 mm (0.020 in) in diameter.] Each one consists of a small cavity containing a pupil-like aperture and a base of 100 or more photoreceptors sensitive to three different ranges of light, including UV, so T. gigas partially close their shells in response to dimming of light, change in the direction of light, or the movement of an object. Tridacna clams can produce large white pearls with an undulating, porcelain-like surface. Clam pearls, technically calcareous concretions, most often come from Tridacna squamosa, the giant fluted clam, although they can be found in Tridacna gigas. The Tridacna squamosa is much smaller than Tridacna gigas, whose enormous shells have been used as baptismal fonts. But these "non nacreous pearls" have a disputed status as such, as they are "blister pearls" from the shell that need them to be cut out from it (i.e. they were in fact just part of the shell), not really precious, and there are many tales of dubious authenticity about them. An old article about the Pearl of Lao Tzu (tale below) stated : "It is not unusual for a diver to be caught in the jaws of one of these giant clams, which clamp shut with the suddenness and strength of a bear trap, leaving him helpless to drown." But this has been largely debunked in an interesting articler about The History, Myth, and Future of the Giant Clam (excerpted from The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans, 2021 book by Cynthia Barnett).
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Baptismal font, Eglise Saint Sulpice, Paris
Interestingly, the drama triggered a surge in visits to the Hepu Han Dynasty Cultural Museum and the Maritime Silk Road Museum there, with workshops themed around making hairpins adorned with pearls like in the drama. Below, my GIF excerpt from the 1'51 video (click on GIF to watch it in full).
Baidu informed : "The drama also shows ancient Chinese jewelry culture, from white jewelry to colored jewelry; from pearls to colored glaze and jade; from flat carving craftsmanship to round carving craftsmanship. The jewelry in the drama is inspired by a large number of archaeological materials, such as the cultural relics unearthed in Lǐ Jìngxùn 's tomb (李静训墓), or in Hé jiā Village (何家村), and by research results such as "History of Ancient Chinese Jewelry" 《中国古代首饰史》. The production also consulted American sinologist and linguist Xuē Aihuá(薛爱华)'s book "The Golden Peach of Samarkand: A Study of Imported Products from the Táng Dynasty" which has a special chapter covering a lot of knowledge about jewelry. The book makes a careful research on the jewelry introduced to the Táng Dynasty... The jewelry in the drama is faithfully copying the names and styles of the Táng Dynasty.
" The scenes and forms of ancient Chinese commercial activities displayed, are basically in line with the development of the commodity economy in the Táng Dynasty. A detailed research was made about price levels in various periods of the Táng Dynasty, referring to treatises such as "Research on Agricultural Products Price Issues in the Táng Dynasty" 《唐代农产品价格问题研究》. At the same time, the income status of officials in various periods of the Táng Dynasty was also examined to facilitate comparison. The prices of the jewelry in the play were roughly calculated to be more in line with common sense. Regarding the price of pearls in the Táng Dynasty, the literature records are not detailed, but reference could be taken from the Sòng Dynasty.
The "jade group pendants" gradually disappeared by the end of the Hàn dynasty (although it still existed in Táng dynasty as this find shows. ) so we rarely see them in dramas set in ulterior times. Nevertheless, a jade pendant yù pèi 玉佩 with a tassel below does appear at the belt of Yàn Zijīng in episode 39 attached to the leather belt Kuǎ 銙 lined with plaques at variable distances, it also had rings or ornaments suspended from its lower edge in order to allow the wearer to attach objects (e.g. knives, tallies, etc.) (snapshot above). In ep 37, Li Kui wore a traditional belt, called diéxiè 蹀躞, similar to the kua (銙) belt, except that it had strips of leather instead of rings suspended to it. Some accessories like leather pouches could be attached to those belts.
Of course, jade was also found as jewels (bangles, beads, pendants, on hairpins, and even as buttons for clothes, etc) or for small decorative sculptures.
But "The Táng period is more notable for silver wares, Buddhist sculptures and glazed pottery. Jade is not known as a Táng accomplishment. In known excavated sites, jade is seldom found. Among the over two thousand relics in the most noted Táng excavation in Héjiācūn in Shǎnxī, only twelve pieces were jade, with the remain silver and gold metal wares. Yet jade in the Táng dynasty has its own style and character, distinct from other periods and can stand out on its own." (from The Evolution of Chinese jade article) Most jade found from Táng dynasty was imported as already finished ornaments, since trade routes were flourishing ; little seem to have been carved domestically in that specific period, as raw jade was not extracted in the emppire. (Above are four specifically Táng ornaments : Luck bringing bat pendant ; Tomb guardian (funeral ornament) ; Fish dragon with a pearl in its mouth ; Dragon head belt buckle. (Most carvings are tied to Chinese legends and superstitions, to bring luck now and beyond the grave: the fish jumping up a waterfall to transform into a dragon is a well-known Chinese legend). Although jade is not totally unbreakable, it is very hard, especially difficult to carve and can not be repaired easily (there is no glue that works there, but clasping it together with metals such as gold is possible, as shown in the drama). |
Link back to Table of Contents This section completed on Nov.22, 2024
