Celebrating the Flower Gods (贺花神) – Spring Gala Festival 2026

Admittedly, this isn’t a typical Chinese drama post (but it has CDrama actors!), but I was so wowed by the Spring Gala Festival 5-minute performance, 贺花神, that I had to share it with everyone.

This is the kind of performance that you need lots of context and knowledge to truly appreciate. Most Chinese audiences would’ve had basic Chinese history and literature lessons, but not most of the world. So I’m here to provide some context to this magnificent performance.

First, watch the performance below:

https://youtu.be/CELpUCjLzp8?si=piMkJt6qs8Iwygr8

The inspiration for this performance is The White Jade Monthly Cycle Set (白玉月令组佩), a Qing Dynasty artifact with twelve petal-shaped jade pendants. Each “petal” represented a month, carved with the representative flower of that specific month.
Source: Sina

The Flower Deities:

January: Lin Bu (Northern Song Dynasty)

Plum blossoms
Played by Ning Li

“Thin branches cast slanting shadows on the shallow, clear water,
Subtle fragrance drifts in the twilight of the moonlit hour.”

The poet, Lin Bu, hailed from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). He is a hermit of sorts, famous for considering plum trees and cranes as his only companions.

Most memorably, Ning Li played Song Chen in Ripe Town. He has appeared in Joy of Life season 2 and The Long Night and The Bad Kids.

February: Lu You (Southern Song Dynasty)

Apricot blossoms
Played by Liu Jun

The poet Lu You (1125–1210) lived through the fall of the Northern Song dynasty. When the Jin dynasty conquered the capital of the Northen Song dynasty, his family fled south. A poet, historian, and government official, he wrote over 9,000-10,000 poems in his lifetime, making him one of the most prolific Chinese poets ever. Lu You wrote poems describing apricot blossoms and their beauty.

Liu Jun has appeared in dramas such as Romance in the Alley, Guardians of the Dafeng (Emperor Jing) and The Tale of Rose.

March: Lady Xi (Spring and Autumn period)

Peach Blossom
Played by Qin Lan.

“The peach tree is young and tender, brilliant and bright are its flowers.”

Lady Xi (also known as 息妫, Xi Gui), one of China’s Four Great Beauties, was a princess from the State of Chen during the Spring and Autumn period (around 684-680 BCE). Forcibly taken by King Wen to the palace after he killed her husband and kingdom, she refused to speak a single word for three years.

Her life has been honoured in countless poems.

Qin Lan starred in The Ingenious One, Story of Yanxi Palace, among many others.

April: Yang Guifei (Tang Dynasty)

Peony
Played by Tang Shiyi

Yang Yuhuan (719-756), better known as Yang Guifei*, was one of China’s Four Great Beauties and the beloved imperial consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. She is associated with the peony flower, which was extremely popular during the Tang Dynasty and symbolized wealth, honor, and feminine beauty – qualities that Yang Guifei herself embodied.

Tang Shiyi is the principal dancer of the China Song and Dance Opera House. I adored her “Once Upon a Time in Luoyang” dance where she played the controversial Princess Anle of the Tang Dynasty.

* Guifei is her title.

May: Zhang Qian (Han Dynasty)

Pomegranate Flower
Played by Hu Bing

The famous Han Dynasty explorer and diplomat Zhang Qian is historically credited with introducing pomegranates to China from Central Asia along the Silk Road.

June: Zhou Dunyi (Song Dynasty)

Lotus
Played by Wang Yang

“I alone love the lotus that emerges from the mud yet remains unstained.” A famous quote from his essay, “Love of the Lotus”, he praises the lotus flower as a symbol of purity and nobility, representing a gentleman who remains virtuous despite being in a corrupt environment.

Wang Yang starred in War of Faith, Joy of Life (he was Fan Xian’s beloved bodyguard) and Under the Microscope

July: Xu Wei (Ming Dynasty)

Hollyhock
Played by Zu Feng

Xu Wei (1521-1593) was a legendary Ming Dynasty painter, calligrapher, poet, and literatus. He was the founder of the bold, expressive ink wash painting style, as portrayed in this performance. Xu Wei painted and wrote poems about hollyhocks

Zu Feng has appeared in dramas like Welcome to Milele Village, Minning Town and Faith Makes Great.

August: Li Qingzhao (Southern Song Dynasty)

Osmanthus
Played by Li Qin

Li Qingzhao is celebrated as one of China’s most distinguished poets and is considered one of the greatest poets in Chinese history.

Her first marriage was deeply harmonious as her husband is a lover of poetry. After the fall of the Northern Song capital, she fled south, and her husband passed away shortly after. Her second marriage was not as harmonious as he mistreated her, and she divorced him, a courageous act for a woman then.

Li Qin recently appeared in Fated Hearts, which I adored.

September: Tao Yuanming (Eastern Jin Dynasty)

Chrysanthemum
Played by Yu Ailei

Tao Yuanming (365-427), also known as Tao Qian, was a famous Chinese poet from the Eastern Jin Dynasty who is particularly associated with chrysanthemums. He famously loved these flowers and often wrote about them in his poetry, especially celebrating their symbolism of integrity, resilience, and noble character blooming in autumn when other flowers fade. He is considered one of China’s greatest pastoral poets.

Appearing in Joy of Life (season 2), Hunting and Silent Honour.

October: Wang Zhaojun (Western Han Dynasty)

Hibiscus / Cotton Rose
Played by Wang Churan

Wang Zhaojun (c. 50-15 BCE) was one of China’s Four Great Beauties and a famous court lady of the Western Han Dynasty. She was sent to marry a Xiongnu chieftain as part of a peace treaty, leaving the Han court to live among the northern nomads. In one of the legends about her, it is said that on her journey northward, it was said that she was overcome with sadness and began to play her pipa in sorrow. A flock of geese, overcome by the music, forgot to flap their wings and fell to the ground.

Wang Churan has starred in How Dare You?!, Are you the One, Joy of Life season 2

November: Bai Juyi (Tang Dynasty)

Camelia
Played by Liu Xueyi

Bai Juyi (772-846) was one of the most famous poets of the Tang Dynasty, known for his accessible and socially conscious poetry — he often criticized government corruption and the suffering of common people. “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow” (长恨歌) is about the tragic love of Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei. It is among his most famous narrative poems. Many of Bai’s poems are quoted in the Japanese classic The Tale of Genji.

Incidentally, Liu Xueyi also played a flower God in Love Never Fails, except that his true form is a Peony flower.

December: Goddess of the Luo River

Narcissus
Played by Li Yunxiao

Goddess of the Luo River is a famous figure from Chinese mythology, originally from a poem by Cao Zhi during the Three Kingdoms period. She is associated with the narcissus flower, which blooms in winter and is considered a symbol of good fortune and prosperity during the Chinese New Year season.

Li Yunxiao is a Chinese actress and Yue opera actress. You can hear her performing this in her sequence.

I just found out that Liu Xueyi was supposed to have a cameo in A League of Nobleman—as Prince Huai, the Emperor's gay uncle!!! It was cut for the obvious reasons. :(

What a disappointment. @liztai our cdrama interests would have overlapped perfectly for once!

Instagram post about this: https://www.instagram.com/p/Con-3_4rZ9K/?hl=en&img_index=1. Liu Xueyi is also listed in the MyDramaList cast as "Royal uncle, guest role": https://mydramalist.com/61971-the-society-of-four-leaves/cast

#LiuXueyi #ALeagueOfNobleman #ZhangGongAn #ImperialUncle #cdrama

The Princess’ Gambit (桃花映江山) Chinese drama review

To save her brother, Princess Jiang Taohua of Beiyuan offers herself as a bride in a political marriage to the Qi Kingdom.

Though born royalty, she is more prisoner than princess. Her entourage is not there to serve her but to guard her, and she is dogged by countless assassins.

In a twist of fate, she finds herself compelled to marry the formidable Shen Zaiye, a man widely feared for his ruthlessness and deep involvement in Qi’s power struggles.

Furious at being deceived into marriage, Shen Zaiye grows wary of his new concubine—especially when he discovers she is no pampered princess, but a woman with a Machiavellian cunning that can match his. Is she his most dangerous enemy, or his most perfect partner?

Characters

Shen Zaiye (Liu Xueyi): The ruthless and cruel “left” chancellor of the Qi Kingdom. Hated by the royal family and noble houses, but highly favoured by the emperor.

Jiang Taohua (Meng Ziyi): The princess of Beiyuan Kingdom. Ordered by the Queen of Beiyuan to marry into the Qi royal family to secure peace. (No, to act as a spy!)

Mu Wuyin (Gao Han): The Fourth Prince of Qi. He is not favoured by the King of Qi, appearing isolated in the power struggles of the court.

Meng Zhenzhen (Liu Lingzhi): Shen Zaiye’s legal wife who has a kind and demure facade, but is a hidden viper of the Meng family planted next to Zaiye.

Mu Wuxia (Bian Cheng): A member of one of the princes and as shady as they come.

Xiang Qingying: Shen Zaiye’s sister. While she enjoys traveling the world as a hero, she can be quite naive.

What I liked

• Liu Xueyi’s acting, of course! Now, it would’ve been perfect if they had allowed him to use his original voice.
• I also admire the quiet restraint of Liu Lingzhi’s character, Meng Zhen Zhen, a conflicted schemer trapped by her duty to the clan. Great actress, and hope she gets more roles.
• The cinematography is above average. There is no heavy use of filters nor overly bright sets, so the drama is beautiful to look like.
• The costumes, which are made by the same stylists for the drama Kill Me Love Me, are beautiful.

What I didn’t like

• It was really, really tough getting used to Liu Xueyi’s dubbed voice. Liu Xueyi is one of those actors whom you really shouldn’t dub because he’s just that good. While the voice actor was not bad, he doesn’t hit the same emotional highs and tensions like Liu Xueyi can. (We know that he did those lines better as the trailers were dubbed by Liu Xueyi.)
• Oddly, for such a fast-paced drama, I found it difficult to really get into the drama. As a person who is more interested in character development than twisty plots, this could be the reason. I couldn’t connect with the characters in the first 8 episodes. They seem more like chest pieces than actual people.
• There was a lack of chemistry between Zaiye and Taohua … most probably because there were so few moments of emotional intimacy or vulnerabilities between the two. And this is probably due to …
• The story literally fell off the cliff after Taohua … fell off a cliff. But after that, the plot got stuck for 10 very long episodes in one spot with our characters going in circles, stuck in a tangle of misunderstandings. And we’re forced to endure …
• Excessive side-plots of supporting characters we don’t really care about. Case in point: Qingying, a paper-thin character who barely has any history or personality. And a very long story of the third prince and Empress Lu of Beiyuan.
• The last eight episodes was a mess of rushed and illogical plots. Even the set-up is illogical. For example, we get characters travelling one foreign country to another in mere days. And maybe I’m being pedantic, but I can’t get over the fact that Taohua travelled, on foot, to a dusty, dessert city, in an expensive hanfu, her head full of golden, dangling jewellery, her make-up perfect. How she was not robbed on the way to the desolate city, is a huge wonder.

Thoughts about the ending

Well, what can I say? It is a happy ending according to the script, which said that they “lived happily till the end of their days”, but it was shot in a way that could lead to some people thinking that it’s a dream, or in heaven or something. But since it ended like the script (though with some weird jokes from Qingtao edited out, thank god) I, like most of Chinese social media, believes it’s a happy ending.

But would it kill them to show us a happy montage of them in their new, simple lives in the mountains like they fantasized throughout the drama? That’s what we want the most after so much turmoil.

Conclusion

This drama had so much potential, but I suspect it fell victim to Chinese entertainment industry drama. Meaning, the drama was used as a promotional vehicle for younger idols, and that meant investment money directed the direction of the script.

Apparently around 11 scriptwriters had their turn butchering, I mean, writing their script. And it would seem that each of them had their own agenda, which meant one thing: Goodbye, cohesive plot!

It’s saying a lot that I think Kill Me Love Me had a better plot than this one, and that Love Never Fails is far more engaging! (Both are Liu Xueyi dramas.)

I do feel that it’s a waste of Liu Xueyi’s talent, but since this drama was taken up during his days with an unsupportive agency, and he hadn’t made much of a splash back then, it was understandable that he didn’t get the pick of his scripts.

My only prayer is that he gets better scripts soon!

If you’re interested in a quality drama starring Liu Xueyi, I highly recommend A Moment But Forever. It’s probably his best role so far, though I think Murong Jinghe in Kill Me Love Me is where he showed outstanding range.)

As for Meng Ziyi, I wasn’t super impressed with her acting abilities even in the hit drama Blossom. I suspect in that drama, she was directed well, but in this drama, she wasn’t. I hope she demonstrates a better range in her next project.

Story: Choppy, uneven, exaggerated and unsatisfying. I wish there was something good to be said about it …
Acting: Liu Xueyi, as usual, did very well. Meng Ziyi, aiks, not very well. I feel that she doesn’t have much range beyond widening her eyes.
Costumes and sets: The stylist is the one that styled for Si Teng and Kill Me Love Me, known for their lush costumes, so this one is as beautiful, though not as distinctive as those two dramas.
Camerawork: Slightly above average
Rewatchability: To be honest, very little, because the story arcs were not very enjoyable to me.

Final rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

#25Stars #CDrama #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #LiuXueyi #MengZeyi #TV

This drama had such potential. The trailers hinted of a dark, seductive tale of a couple caught in a manipulative game.
Sadly, it became a victim of Chinese entertainment shenanigans; the script got so messed up that the plot literally fell off the cliff ...
But most of the actors were amazing. The sets and camerawork are stunning. But nothing can save a bad script. Watch it for the pretty, I guess?
#Cdrama #TV #LiuXueyi #MengZiyi

https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2025/07/16/the-princess-gambit-chinese-drama-review/

But do you like his shoulders??

#LiuXueyi #AMomentButForever #Cdrama