Friday 5 June 2020

The Golden Hairpin

Web Drama: The Golden Hairpin
Chinese Title: 青簪行 / Qing Zan Xing
Broadcast Website: Tencent

Broadcast Date: TBA

Genre: Detective, Historical, Romance
Language: Mandarin
Episodes: 40
Director: Lam Yuk Fan
Screenwriter: Jin Haishu
Production Company: Tencent Penguin Pictures, NCM Television, Fonghong Pictures
Origin: China
Source: Adapted from the novel Memoir of the Golden Hairpin (簪中录) by Ce Ce Qing Han
Watch Episodes On: Youtube

Love Meter

Synopsis and Plot Summary

It follows the story of love and hatred of Huang Zixia who is on the run from authorities and has disguised herself as the eunuch of a prince. While in pursuit of her family's killer, she discovers a chilling secret kept within the Tang imperial family.

During the fourteenth year of Xiantong of the Tang Dynasty lived a kind-hearted Huang Zixia (Yang Zi) who is the daughter of a local official. Being a prodigy, she is naturally adept at aiding her father in solving cases and has made many extraordinary achievements at a young age. However, she loses her family in a massacre and becomes a fugitive overnight.

She travels thousands of miles to Beiyan to ask for Li Shubai's (Kris Wu) help to look into the case of the Huang family massacre. Li Shubai is a prince and younger brother of the king whose fate is tied to a prophecy. In exchange for Li Shubai's help, Huang Zixia goes undercover as his eunuch and takes the task of solving a case in Beiyan city. She manages to weed out the corrupt officials with ease and becomes Li Shubai's trusted advisor.

In selecting Li Shubai's betrothed, Wang Ruo who is the daughter of the Langya Wang proves to be a strong candidate. However, many disasters ensue that result in someone getting killed in a great fire. In trying to solve the mysteries together, they uncover unknown truths about family, love and friendship. Huang Zixia eventually breaks Li Shubai's cold shell as they embark on a journey to find justice.

Fun Facts

It is Kris Wu's first Chinese drama.
Cryptic posts on social media from Yang Zi and Kris Wu's respective managers drew even more concerns over top billing. There have been fan wars as to who between the two stars should get top billing which means that their name will be listed first among the cast.
Following the news on Jul 31, 2021 of Kris Wu being detained by Chinese Police on suspicion of rape, The Golden Hairpin has deleted all Weibo posts pertaining to him and left only one post about other cast members. With the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in China, filming was temporarily halted for some time before it was resumed.
Yang Zi trended due to the protective gear she wore at the airport when she was reportedly flying in to resume filming. Kris Wu who flew in from Canada had to undergo 14-day quarantine before he can resume filming.
As issues surrounding top billing and yin yang script cropped up, Yang Zi made a statement on June 6, 2020 asking everyone to give the drama a chance. She said that she will focus solely on acting and leave the rest to her staff.
Filming took place in Xiangshan Global Studios.
Filming began August 2019 and ended on July 17, 2020.
As filming wrapped, Kris Wu who rarely writes his sentiments on social media wrote a long post asking viewers not to be swayed by the negativity on the production. Yang Zi wrote something similar. Both shared posters of The Golden Hairpin with a message of peace and love.

Cast