Yanxi Palace is one of the dramas under fire as rumors are going circulating over the fate of expensive dramas about historical period after Chinese state media launched an unusual attack on the genre for its extravagance and “negative impact on society.”
As article in Friday’s edition of the Beijing Daily Theory Weekly is called out the “sins” of imperial dramas, claiming they encouraged viewers to pursue the glamorous lifestyles of China’s past monarchs and promoted enjoyment and luxury above the “virtues of austerity and hard work”.
Among the dramas in the spot light are popular hit shows like “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace” (如懿传), “Story of Yanxi Palace” (延禧攻略), The Legend of Mi Yue (羋月傳), Scarlet Heart (步步驚心) and Empresses in the Palace (甄環傳).
The article said it would worsen the “balance of society” if people followed the examples of the dramas, which involved the drama characters hatching elaborate plots to back-stab each other to fulfill their intentions.
The programme makers were also accused of putting commercial profits above providing spiritual guidance to their audiences.
Some online commentators also claimed Shandong TV had replaced its regular evening showing of the hit series Story of Yanxi Palace with Ode to Joy, a contemporary drama series about five women seeking love and career success in Shanghai.
The Story Of Yanxi Palace, which was the most googled TV show in 2018, broke all records when it was released last year on the iQiyi video streaming site. The 70-episode series has since collected more than 5 billion views on Chinese streaming services and is particularly popular with women.
