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Jane: So hello and welcome back to That Chinese show. Today I’m really excited to have a special guest straight from Beijing, my good friend Li Chen Hao (李辰昊). So I’m going to ask Chen Hao to introduce himself and tell us a little bit about what he does.

Chen Hao: Sure. Thanks Jane, for having me here. I was Jane’s student at Tsinghua university on her debating class. And after I graduated from Tsinghua, I studied in NYU for two years. And now I’m back in Beijing and working as a cash bond trader in a security company. 

Jane: Okay. Well, I do have to add that you’re being very modest. You were one of my very best students. Well, I did not know you’d been at New York university. Well, last week we looked at an urban family drama Xin Ju and today we’re going to go change gears pretty radically. And we’re going to look at a series that’s in a genre, if you’re interested in Chinese TV or in Chinese culture, it’s very hard to ignore, and that is [00:01:00 ] the historical drama. Chen Hao will correct me if I get this wrong, but today we’re gonna look at Fengqi Longxi 

Chen Hao: Yes. Feng qi Longxi. 

Jane: Ah good thank you could you say that again for our listeners?

Chen Hao: Fengqi longxi so translated as Wind Blows from Long Xi, right? 

Jane: That’s right. And is that an accurate translation? 

Chen Hao: yes. Very accurate. I should say. 

Jane: And it’s a very exciting show. And one thing I have to say about this show, it is absolutely packed with really well-known Chinese movie stars. I think there’s even Angelababy, you’ve got Chen Kun, who’s kind of a classic, there are others. But this is not an easy access TV series. It covers a very particular period in history called the Three Kingdoms. So could you tell us a little bit about that period in history in China, and also tell us what an average Chinese person just know about these events? 

Chen Hao: Sure. First I have to admit that I’m [00:02:00 ] not an expert in history, but I’ve done some research that turns out that the Three Kingdom’s period started from 220 AD. and ended at 280 AD. So it has merely 60 years of history, which is very short comparing to other Chinese history of like 5,000 years. But it’s so well known I think the main reason behind that is because that we’ve all read a book called the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, 

Jane: And when was this novel written, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Is it a modern novel, or is this something that’s historical?

Chen Hao: When I say the big four China’s classic novels is all ancient. 

Jane: Right. And I think one of the really famous, some famous historical figures, like Cao Cao comes out of that period. Correct. 

Chen Hao: Cao Cao right. Yeah. And you could say there are many games that generated from that period of time like San guo wu shuang (三国无双). I’m not sure the English version of it. Dynasty Warriors? 

Jane: [00:03:00 ] Okay in that sense, it really corresponds like for an American viewer, much more recent, but like the period of the wild west was a very sort of short time in our history, but it’s a bit mythologized. So there are a lot of TV shows about this period. Some of them I’ve seen before. What is different about this particular series for you? 

Chen Hao: I think there are two main reasons. One is that this series is actually a alternative history series. So it’s somehow deviated from the novel itself so that you don’t know where the plot, will go, and that remains more attraction for the audience. And the second is that it focused on the spy part and I am a big fan of spy things myself. 

Jane: That is a major part of the show. I agree with you. I think the whole spy angle became really fascinating. And that brings me to another question. One of the themes for me anyway, that starts to come up in this series is the theme of loyalty. I just wonder [00:04:00 ] if you could tell us a little bit about that, how is loyalty presented? Cause I think the show sort of asks the question, but it doesn’t really answer that question. You know, what does loyalty really mean? 

Chen Hao: But that’s a very deep question. What, what does loyalty really means? I mean, you know in China’s history I’ll say is shi chu you ming (师出有名） which means if you’re going to start a battle, there has to be some right reasons for that. And one big reason for that is the loyalty. As we often see that three kingdoms, one of of which is Shu Han (蜀汉） the starter called Liu Bei was actually called himself the successor of the former dynasty, which somehow represents his view of loyalty to the old dynasty and there is a very famous advisor or minister of Shu Han (蜀汉） and his sole loyalty to his master. Liu Bei, and even after Liu Bei died, Liu Bei’s son, Liu Shan continues, his father’s work

Jane: yeah, I’m glad you mentioned that because I [00:05:00 ] feel like that is a real constant theme in so many Chinese literary works or in TV series is this loyalty through time to a dynasty, even when it falls, even when a new emperor has been put in place. I’ve seen this time and again, and you do see this in this series that people are very loyal to these entities that seem really abstract to the viewer, because you know, when the show opens, the Han dynasty is gone, right? There is no Han dynasty. The other thing I thought was interesting in the show is that family loyalty seems to have a very special place because Chen Gong, Xu Xun.. 

Chen Hao: Xun Xu, Yes 

Jane: they’re bound by family. Right? They are brother-in-laws and they do decide to go out on their own. So would you say family loyalty is a really important part of this series?

Chen Hao: It’s definitely a really important part. I think in this series, [00:06:00 ] you can see a lot in the betrayal among different entities. And you can also see love and brotherhood, which is loyalty on a perspective of the individuals. And as you just said, Chen Gong and Xun Xu their brotherhood is so solid that they could trust each other for no reasons and achieve their goal. So it’s definitely worth watching.. 

Jane: Cause in the part of this series where I am now, it looks pretty dark for them. So I hope it’s going to get better for them. One of the other themes of the show, I think are technological advances. Because the entire premise of the show is based on, the Wei state wants to steal some military plans.

Chen Hao: I thought this, uh no spoilers 

Jane: Yeah, you’re right. You shouldn’t. Well, I won’t reveal what happens, but there is a, uh, these, these technological inventions of the crossbow that both sides are fighting over, but there’s also there’s [00:07:00 ] actually a flying machine in the show. Did you find that to be realistic? 

Chen Hao: You know that flying machine is called a zhu que 竹鹊）in the show and which could be translated into a bamboo magpie and I did some research that turns out that the bamboo magpie was first invented in the chun chu period and it could be, could be seen as an early version of kite. I think so I’m not so sure if there is such a flying machine to carry people a hundred meters away, but I think we can just take it as an expression of art. 

Jane: I ,you’re, right. It’s sort of artistic license, but I have to say the contraption actually does look like it could be something from that period. Right. It doesn’t look too modern. And it is a bit scary when they get the things on their backs, you know, you’re like, Ooh, I don’t think that’s going to, I think they really need to watch out before they go over that cliff. Did you see any other deeper themes in the show that you might ever a Chinese person [00:08:00 ] might pick up on that perhaps is a little bit more difficult for Western audiences to see ?

Chen Hao: I just think that one fascinating thing about this show is that not only this show, but also, all type of three kingdoms period shows there are so many stratagems that could be shown to an audience. And I think that the especially Western audience may have a little bit difficulty to understand them. And for this show in particular you know, it’s a spy show and there are so many, not only stratagems, but also schemes in this show that might be difficult for the audience to understand, but this is very fascinating, I promise.. 

Jane: I wanted to ask you, would you recommend this show to a Western audience or anyone who wants to know more about China?

Chen Hao: if you want to know more about China, I think they are other shows that could be a more realistic perspective of China but this show many focus on the story between[00:09:00 ] Chen Gong Xun Xu and they are part of entity. And I think the fascinating part of them is you don’t know who is from whose side and that spy part is the most attractive to me.

Jane: Right. I think that’s a universal appeal. There are some surprises in the show, you know, you think, you know, people and then you realize.. 

Chen Hao: Turns out you don’t

Jane: oh really? I had no idea. You