Carol of Zhenguan is a Chinese historical television series directed by Wu Ziniu. It was first aired on CCTV-1 in China in 2007. The series is based on the events in the Zhenguan era of the reign of Emperor Taizong during the Tang dynasty.

Plot

In 626 during the Tang dynasty, Li Shimin, the Prince of Qin, assassinated two of his brothers, Li Jiancheng, the Crown Prince, and Li Yuanji, the Prince of Qi, in a palace coup historically known as the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Two months later, he ascended the throne in Chang'an and changed the era name to "Zhenguan" to mark the start of his reign. Shortly after he became emperor, Li Shimin had to deal with the threat posed by the aggressive Tujue in the north while consolidating power and solidifying his control over the Tang Empire. Under Li Shimin's rule, China flourished in various aspects and the Zhenguan era is considered one of the golden ages in Chinese history.

Cast

Imperial family

Tang imperial court

Tujue

Others

Fictional characters

Critical reception

On 28 January 2007, one day after Carol of Zhenguan premiered on CCTV-1, many negative comments about the drama surfaced on the internet, ranging from the inaccuracies with the costumes and filming locations to inconsistencies with historical sources. On the same day, director Wu Ziniu responded in an interview that he believed that the negative comments were unfounded and intentionally created to reduce ratings because Carol of Zhenguan was competing for viewership with other similar television series such as The Rise of the Tang Empire. Wu said, "(This is) an 82 episodes long television series, I suggest audiences watch first before commenting." Some points raised by netizens include: