□Wang Yuening (Shanxi University)
During the Spring Festival this year, Taiwan's eight major TV stations will broadcast the mainland TV series "The Legend of Zhen Huan" non-stop. The cumulative views of the five live broadcast marathons reached 7.219 million, and the total number of chat room messages was more than 2.27 million. Among them, the classic scene of "The Emperor's Death" in the drama attracted 61,000 online viewers at the same time. (February 28, China News Service)
The TV series "The Legend of Zhen Huan" is adapted from the novel written by Liu Lianzi. It tells the story of the heroine Zhen Huan, who went through hardships and grew up from a girl who was inexperienced in the world to a manipulative queen mother. After being adapted into a TV series, its exquisite script, high-level director, outstanding cast and meaningful lens language have already established its classic status in the Chinese TV series industry. This hit in Taiwan not only demonstrates its long-lasting charm, but also highlights the deep cultural connections and resonance between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The popularity of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" in Taiwan was not an accident in 2024, but a long-lasting success that lasted for more than ten years. After "The Legend of Zhen Huan" was launched on the mainland in 2011, it landed in Taiwan a year later and has been very popular since then. In the past 10 years, "The Legend of Zhen Huan" has been a hot topic and broadcast in Taiwan. The eight major TV stations in Taiwan have directly purchased the copyright of "The Legend of Zhen Huan". Starting from 2022, every Lunar New Year During the Chinese New Year, the "Marathon" 24-hour non-stop loop broadcast on the "Youtu" video platform became Taiwan's "Spring Festival Gala".
In sharp contrast, the broadcast of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" in the United States did not cause much waves. This is not only due to the drastic cuts and cultural differences in the series, but also because of the lack of deep-seated cultural resonance. This once again proves that cultural influence and identity often come from a common historical background and language culture. The same language and text of
allows Taiwanese audiences to appreciate the beauty of ancient poetry in the lines without the need for translation. This is not only a linguistic convenience, but also a cultural closeness. Audiences on both sides of the Taiwan Strait understand the strict hierarchy and etiquette traditions of the feudal dynasty, which also provides strong background support for the popularity of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" in Taiwan. This resonance in the cultural background makes it inevitable that "The Legend of Zhen Huan" will be popular in Taiwan.
The popularity of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" in Taiwan is not only the success of a TV series, but also a vivid example of cross-strait cultural exchange and integration. It once again proves the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same roots and are connected by blood. It is hoped that in the future, exchanges and cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will be closer, allowing more Chinese cultural treasures to shine on the world stage. At the same time, we also hope that more Taiwanese audiences can have a deeper understanding and recognition of Chinese culture through these works, and jointly contribute to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture.
