Qiao's Grand Courtyard (2006 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Qiao's Grand Courtyard is a 2006
Chinese
historical drama television series. The TV series is set during the late Qing Dynasty
and chronicles the life of Shanxi
financier, businessman and philanthropist Qiao Zhiyong (1818―1907), with artistic license
applied. Part of the series was shot at Qiao's Compound
, which was Qiao Zhiyong's ancestral home at Qi County, Shanxi
(it was also the locale for Zhang Yimou
's 1991 film
Raise the Red Lantern
).
The series debuted on CCTV-1
on February 13, 2006 and comprises 45 episodes. It was directed by Hu Mei
, known for her historical dramas Yongzheng Dynasty
(1997) and Han Wu Dadi (2005).
Lead actor and actress Chen Jianbin and Jiang Qinqin won the Audience's Favorite Actor/Actress Awards at 2006 Golden Eagle TV Art Festival for their roles in this series. The pair was married in 2006. Qiao's Grand Courtyard clinched Best Drama Series at the 1st Seoul Drama Awards.
, Shanxi
. The series start during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor
when Qiao Zhiyong, a young scholar, leaves for Beijing
for the Imperial Examination
. The death of his sick elder brother Qiao Zhiguang forces Zhiyong to return home without sitting for the papers. His sister-in-law, Madam Cao, compels Qiao to take on the family's business, although he is initially relunctant to do so because he prefers academic studies. But with the Qiao's family business in arrears, Qiao marries Lu Yuhan, daughter of the wealthy Shanxi merchant Lu Dake, against his will, to save his family from bankruptcy
. As a result he forgoes marrying his childhood sweetheart, maternal cousin Jiang Xueying.
Under his charge, the family business becomes profitable again. Zhiyong's wife Lu Yuhan wins his heart after a series of selfless acts for his cause. Working in tandem with a former scholar, Sun Maocai, who becomes Qiao's advisor, Qiao Zhiyong opens up tea
routes from the Wuyi Mountains
, the heart of Chinese tea cultivation, to the Russian Empire
and becomes a renowned tea merchant.
Success with tea merchandising stirs Qiao's interest in banking. With his father-in-law's help Qiao becomes a famous financier, determined to achieve a dream of facilitating national trade by erecting banking posts (票號, an early form of banking institution) throughout China
. His fame however lands him in serious trouble with the Imperial Court and with Empress Dowager Cixi
, who forces him to finance the Manchu
's fight against the Taiping rebels
.
The series ends as an elderly Qiao achieves his goal – erecting banking houses throughout China to facilitate trade (汇通天下，货通天下) – but at the expense of spending ten years under ignominious house arrest
, and with the country's wealth drained after the Jiawu War
of 1894-5 and the Boxer Protocol
of 1901.
2006 in television
2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television...
Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
historical drama television series. The TV series is set during the late Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
and chronicles the life of Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
financier, businessman and philanthropist Qiao Zhiyong (1818―1907), with artistic license
Artistic license
Artistic licence is a colloquial term, sometimes euphemism, used to denote the distortion of fact, alteration of the conventions of grammar or language, or rewording of pre-existing text made by an artist to improve a piece of...
applied. Part of the series was shot at Qiao's Compound
Qiao's Compound
The Qiao Compound is located 30 kilometers north west of the historic Pingyao city, China. It is famous for being the chief location in the film Raise the Red Lantern...
, which was Qiao Zhiyong's ancestral home at Qi County, Shanxi
Qi County, Shanxi
Qi County, Shanxi is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Jinzhong city.-References:*...
(it was also the locale for Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum....
's 1991 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Raise the Red Lantern
Raise the Red Lantern
Raise the Red Lantern is a 1991 film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li. It is an adaption by Ni Zhen of the 1990 novel Wives and Concubines by Su Tong...
).
The series debuted on CCTV-1
CCTV-1
CCTV-1 is the primary channel of the Chinese television network, CCTV in the People's Republic of China. It has a mixture of all kinds of TV programs, and is available to both cable and terrestrial television viewers.-External links:*...
on February 13, 2006 and comprises 45 episodes. It was directed by Hu Mei
Hu Mei
Hu Mei is a Chinese director and producer. Usually classed as a Fifth Generation director, since she graduated from the Directors' class of the 1982 Beijing Film Academy cohort, she is a classmate of more famous Fifth Generation directors like Chen Kaige and Tian Zhuangzhuang.In 1997, she...
, known for her historical dramas Yongzheng Dynasty
Yongzheng Dynasty
Yongzheng Dynasty is a Chinese television series based on the novel Yongzheng Huangdi by Eryue He. The series was followed by a 2001 prequel, Kangxi Dynasty, and a 2002 sequel, Qianlong Dynasty, both of which were also based on Eryue He's novels.-Plot:In 1722 during the Qing Dynasty, the Kangxi...
(1997) and Han Wu Dadi (2005).
Lead actor and actress Chen Jianbin and Jiang Qinqin won the Audience's Favorite Actor/Actress Awards at 2006 Golden Eagle TV Art Festival for their roles in this series. The pair was married in 2006. Qiao's Grand Courtyard clinched Best Drama Series at the 1st Seoul Drama Awards.
Plot
The series chronicles the life of late Qing Dynasty financier and businessman Qiao Zhiyong, the most famous member of the Qiao Family from Qi CountyQi County, Shanxi
Qi County, Shanxi is a county of Shanxi, China. It is under the administration of Jinzhong city.-References:*...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
. The series start during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor
Xianfeng Emperor
The Xianfeng Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro I Ju, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.-Family and his early years:...
when Qiao Zhiyong, a young scholar, leaves for Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
for the Imperial Examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
. The death of his sick elder brother Qiao Zhiguang forces Zhiyong to return home without sitting for the papers. His sister-in-law, Madam Cao, compels Qiao to take on the family's business, although he is initially relunctant to do so because he prefers academic studies. But with the Qiao's family business in arrears, Qiao marries Lu Yuhan, daughter of the wealthy Shanxi merchant Lu Dake, against his will, to save his family from bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. As a result he forgoes marrying his childhood sweetheart, maternal cousin Jiang Xueying.
Under his charge, the family business becomes profitable again. Zhiyong's wife Lu Yuhan wins his heart after a series of selfless acts for his cause. Working in tandem with a former scholar, Sun Maocai, who becomes Qiao's advisor, Qiao Zhiyong opens up tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
routes from the Wuyi Mountains
Wuyi Mountains
The Wuyi Mountains are a mountain range located in the prefecture of Nanping, in the northern border of Fujian province with Jiangxi province, China. The mountains cover an area of 60 km². In 1999, Mount Wuyi entered UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites, both natural and cultural...
, the heart of Chinese tea cultivation, to the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and becomes a renowned tea merchant.
Success with tea merchandising stirs Qiao's interest in banking. With his father-in-law's help Qiao becomes a famous financier, determined to achieve a dream of facilitating national trade by erecting banking posts (票號, an early form of banking institution) throughout China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. His fame however lands him in serious trouble with the Imperial Court and with Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....
, who forces him to finance the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
's fight against the Taiping rebels
Taiping Rebellion
The Taiping Rebellion was a widespread civil war in southern China from 1850 to 1864, led by heterodox Christian convert Hong Xiuquan, who, having received visions, maintained that he was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, against the ruling Manchu-led Qing Dynasty...
.
The series ends as an elderly Qiao achieves his goal – erecting banking houses throughout China to facilitate trade (汇通天下，货通天下) – but at the expense of spending ten years under ignominious house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
, and with the country's wealth drained after the Jiawu War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
of 1894-5 and the Boxer Protocol
Boxer Protocol
The Boxer Protocol was signed on September 7, 1901 between the Qing Empire of China and the Eight-Nation Alliance that had provided military forces plus Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands after China's defeat in the intervention to put down the Boxer Rebellion at the hands of the...
of 1901.
Main Cast (simplified Chinese)
- Chen Jianbin (陈建斌) as Qiao Zhiyong (乔致庸)
- Jiang QinqinJiang QinqinJiang Qinqin is a Chinese actress. She is sometimes credited as Shui Ling , a stage name given to her by Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao while she was involved in the production of the television series Tears in Heaven....
(蒋勤勤) as Lu Yuhan (陆玉菡) - Ma Yili (马伊俐) as Jiang Xueying (江雪瑛)
- Ni Dahong (倪大宏) as Sun Maocai (孙茂才)
- Lei Kesheng (雷恪生) as Lu Dake (陆大可)
- Juanzi (娟子) as Cao Yuezhi/First Mistress (曹月枝/大太太)
- Wang Huichun (王绘春) as Hu Ruanpu (胡沅浦)
- Ma Weifu (马维福) as Cui Mingjiu (崔鸣九)