WK1

Nice to see you on this page again! Dilraba has two potential blockbusters next year: The Blue Whisper and Legend of Anle. Who knows? Maybe either of those could be as epic as TLB?? But I doubt either of those dramas can generate as many comments in MDL as TLB do. No matter what, TLB will always have a special place in our hearts.

Great news! More people in Indonesia will be able to watch this on their big screen TV, instead of just on their PC or mobile phone!

I think Reba is still undecided what to do for her new projects. Maybe she has many options and she is still thinking which is the best.

Ok. I have deleted those comments. But, it seems nothing is official that Zhao Liying is taking that drama. Everything is still speculative at the moment.

Oh? Maybe that confirmed it? Either Reba does not want to take it or that it was offered to Zhao Li Ying. If so, we should no longer go to that page. Let Zhao Li Ying's fans and Deng Lun's fans take over.

So far, it has been frustrating. Nothing official about Reba's projects in 2022.

Welcome back! Do not forget to go over to the page of The Blue Whisper. If all goes well, it should be out by late Jan 2022.

Though not much details is given, Wikipedia states that Tang dynasty expanded into Xinjiang. Currently, it is a Muslim area, but we are not sure if it was like that during Li Simin's era. Wu Zetian was actually one of Li Simin's concubines, and married his son, after Li Simin died.

There is a famous drama about Wu Zetian (Empress of China, 2014), but it is really long and I did not watch it. I am sure there must be others, as she was a rather famous Empress, and there were very few Empresses in China.

We see Taoism at play, in both the manhua and drama at the Liuyuin Temple. That is a Taoist Temple. That familiar scene, when Li Changge was staring at the two big Chinese words, translated as Wu-Wei. In Chinese, it means, Do Nothing, a key Taoist princple. But, to be honest, Li Changge did not really follow that principle. If she did nothing, after looking at that large calligraphy, the consequences would have been terrible. Du Ruhui would have been killed.

So, really, Li Changge was not all much influenced by that phrase. She just became smarter and planned better. That is what changed at the Liuyuin Temple.

Regarding the influence of Confucianism during the Tang Dynasty, the most obvious would be the definition of roles for men and women. You can see this clearly at the palace, where Princes were trained in horse riding, fighting, etc. and Princesses were trained to get ready for marriage, which will mean skills like cooking, dancing, playing musical instruments, embroidery, etc. Leyan would be a typical Tang Princess. But Changge behaved more like a Prince, as she was trained in horse riding, archery, martial arts and so on. That is what makes The Long Ballad so interesting. The writer of the manhua made Li Changge a atypical Tang Princess, a change of sexual role, if you will.

See this link: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/religion-under-the-tang-dynasty/

Apart from Taoism, and Buddhism, Confucianism was also big influence during the Tang Dynasty.

I think we can see some of his openness in the last episode of TLB. We saw that Changan became a prosperous city, a very cosmopolitian capital of the Tang Dynasty, because Li Simin was a very open minded person.

I am not surprised, because Li Simin was known to be a very open minded person, and he even welcomed Christianity into the Tang Dynasty. You can read from this source, that Li Simin respected all religions: https://www.imc.org.sg/qszy-2/

If we search for online information related to Li Chunfeng, we will know that he was a well known mathematician, astronomer, and historian (ref: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Li_Chunfeng). I think his role in The Long Ballad was more prominent in the manhua than in the drama itself.

It would seem that Li Chunfeng was responsible for the development of the Chinese idea of Feng Shui, and he was a well respected astronomers during Tang Dynasty. So, to respond to your first question, was it common for emperors of those days to consult people like Li Chunfeng? The answer is very likely so. Wikipedia, citing one source, mentioned that Li Simin "openly scorning superstitions and claims of signs from the heavens". I think this source could well be wrong. If astronomers were trusted in fortune telling during those times, then Li Simin very likely relied on people like Li Chunfeng.

But, I do feel that the manhua artist may have taken some artistic license and linked some of Li Chunfeng's prediction to Li Changge. In the manhua, I think the prediction that a woman will bring the downfall of Tang was linked to Li Changge. That could be why Du Ruhui wanted to hunt down Li Changge, fearing that she could bring down Tang Dynasty. In real Chinese history, that woman would be Wu Zetian, as Li Changge is a fictitional character.

However, in the drama itself, unlike the manhua, the role of Li Chunfeng is toned down. I think the present Chinese government does not really believe in all those stuff about reading from the stars to predict the future. So, they have to tone it down, to pass the censors.

On another issue that you raised, I think Li Chunfeng was more tied to Taoism than to Buddhism, as principles of Feng Shui are strongly tied to Taoist concept of Ying and Yang, than to Buddhism. But Buddhism also had a strong influence during the Tang Dynasty, but the source of this influence did not come from Li Chunfeng. It must have come from another source. This could be the next topic for some online research.

Right now, the only certainty is that it will air in 2022. Yes, it makes more sense to air early than late.

Since Sword Snow Stride already confirmed airing in mid-Dec 2021, and it has only 38 episodes (from the original intended 50), it does look like it will end early. Airing schedule yet to be out, so we do not know exact date it will end, but it should be between 4-5 weeks. If so, TBW can easily air during the 3rd or 4th week of Jan 2022, when SSS is done. Finish TBW part 1 in Feb, and part 2 can then start in March.

That will give Youku lots of time to air Immortal Samsara and LOA.

Reba is red hot in China now. All of her dramas seem to get airing license in really quick time. LOA may well air before IS.

7 months on, and we are still very much alive and kicking!

Very impressive list of achievements for TLB! I second Gizzy's suggestion. Maybe put it in the Photos section? May come in useful, if someone asked.

I read the same news that quoted Reba as saying it will be out in 2022, so the possibility of it airing in Dec 2021 is just not there. So, now, just which part of 2022. Jan 2022 is now possible, or even likely. They need to screen early, as they have to show season 2 or part 2, in quick succession. And then, there is Legend of Anle, waiting just around the corner.

Any delay in airing TBW will also affect the airing date for LOA.

Yah. Realdealari just mentioned that. Thanks for the confirmation!

Wow! Those are wonderful news! In that case, everything is up to Youku, when they would air TBW.

Jan 2022 is a real possibility now!! One more month of waiting for this highly anticipated drama.

Just a quick update on when this drama might air. Novoland Pearl Eclipse ended its run last Sunday. Luoyang just started last week, and will end in Dec 2021. There is rumour that Sword Snow Strike might air in mid Dec. Someone on that MDL page of that drama mentioned that, but no official source was cited. If 15 Dec, it is just next week, so something official will be out in a day or two. If not, airing may be delayed. On that same page, someone said the series being trimmed to 38 Episodes. Again, nothing official was cited. If that turns out to be true, SSS may well end its run by mid Jan 2022.

So, when will The Blue Whisper part 1 or season 1 air? Several factors are important. What is the status of TBW season 2?? Are they done with post production? Bear in mind, season 1 and 2 ideally ought to be aired within weeks of each other.

So, if I were to venture a guess, the earliest could be around end Jan 2022. Doing so, they might be able to avoid head-on competition with SSS. But, it will also depend on status of season 2. If season 2 is delayed in post production, then airing in Feb or even March 2022 is possible.

Some of you are pretty fast in getting information about broadcasting license. Once we know that they have obtained airing license for season 2, it will be clearer when they will air season 1. I don't think Youku is afraid of competing against SSS. if they have to.