If You're A Drama Fan You Need To Watch 'Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace'

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If you're wondering what show has the perfect blend of drama, romance, and history tied together with amazing craftsmanship, we just might have the right series for you.

Emperor Qianlong was the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty and the longest reigning emperor in Chinese history. Due to Qianlong's good command, the Qing dynasty was brought to its highest degree of power, and China was able to reach its widest limits.

'Ruyi' chronicles Qianlong's relationships with his many wives, and how each of them try to fight for his love and attention. 

However, Emperor Qianlong had always sayang his childhood sweetheart, Ruyi, even more than Fuca, his first wife. Due to palace politics, Ruyi became the second empress after Fuca passed away. Unfortunately, the road to becoming an empress is dangerous, and Ruyi must learn to survive being wrongly framed. 

Even though she manages to prove her innocence time and time again, the love and trust Qianlong had for her slowly disappeared. Their relationship became irreparable, forcing Ruyi to endure the unhappy marriage on top of the harsh reality of life in the palace.

Psst -  It's available with English subtitles, so you can faham the drama! :D

Wallace Huo is an award-winning actor and the recipient of the prestigious Golden Bell Award among many others. He was even nominated for the Huading Awards for Best Actor regarding his role as emperor in 'Ruyi'!

He also starred in the successful series 'The Journey of Flower', which was the first Chinese drama to surpass 20 billion views online. Besides his outstanding achievements, Wallace is also extremely good-looking in real life and could totally pass off as a model.

Zhou Xun has won multiple China TV Golden Eagle Awards, equivalent to winning an Oscar. She's also super fashionable and has modeled for H&M, which explains why you might have seen her in their Chinese New Year posters in 2015! Besides that, Zhou Xun is also an ambassador for Chanel.

Joan Chen, who plays Empress Yixiu and Ruyi's aunt, is also another highly accomplished actress you can expect a stellar performance from. Besides winning multiple awards for acting, she has also proven herself to be an amazing director, screenwriter and producer, with the various awards she has received in those categories.

In addition to her success in the Chinese media industry, she also managed to carve a name for herself in Hollywood, starring in shows such as Serangoon Road on HBO, and Marco Polo on Netflix. No doubt, Joan is a talented lady, so get ready to be wow-ed by her astounding delivery.

With that being said, make sure you hold on tight and brace yourselves for the emotional roller coaster these actors are going to take you on.

According to China Daily HK, many authentic props were purchased from Beijing's biggest and best-known antique market. These props were hand-picked to showcase the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty, as well as replicate the original artifacts to the T.

At least 4,000 luxurious costumes were tailor-made, and were so skillfully designed that they are considered to be the most exquisite and realistic restoration of the costumes in history.

All the props and costumes contribute to an extremely extravagant look, making for a remarkably visually pleasing show.

'Ruyi' demonstrates how women will do anything just to win one man's heart. With internal palace politics, women fighting among each other, and conflict between the Emperor and Empress Dowager on top of other family tension, there is guaranteed to be never-ending suspense.

What's a show without all the drama? That's what keeps it exciting! From family feuds to tangled love lines, 'Ruyi' is filled with plenty of it, ensuring that there's never a dull moment to stop you from binge-watching the entire series. You're bound to see many slapping scenes and witness the plotting of traps that will cause the downfall of others. It's confirm drama gilerrrr, guys!

For example, right from the first episode we get to see all of the tension that comes from the process of Qianlong choosing his wife. It's moments like these when you're just waiting to see what decisions the characters will make that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Stress betul......

According to China Daily, 'Ruyi' had a whooping budget of 300 million yuan (RM182 million)! In addition to all the lavish props they were able to purchase, the crew also recruited 18 chefs to cook the scrumptious royal dishes for the grand dining scenes.

Due to their humongous budget, they were also able to shoot 'Ruyi' in multiple locations including Hengdian World Studios, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, and Hangzhou. Shooting at these various places meant that there were different, beautiful sceneries to include, adding on to the visual aesthetics.

If you can't stop obsessing over 'Story of Yanxi Palace', then there's no reason why you shouldn't catch 'Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace'. Even though they both have similar narratives, you can expect a sequence of events in 'Ruyi' that will take you aback, leaving you with a completely different impression. It also gives an interesting perspective as the hero in one drama may be the villain in the other.

For example, in 'Story of Yanxi Palace', Empress Ruyi was portrayed as evil and scheming. However, in 'Ruyi', she is represented as being good, and a victim of the other concubines.

1. Download the Astro GO app.

2. Sign up and register using your mobile number or email address.

3. Go to Settings page and link your account using Astro Account, owner’s NRIC, Smartcard number or Account Number.

4. And you’re set to watch this drama. Enjoy binging and don’t forget to activate the English subtitles*!
   *Activate by clicking the subtitle icon at the bottom right of the video player

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