Virtues of Harmony
Encyclopedia
Virtues of Harmony is a long-running sitcom from Hong Kong
, lasting 322 episodes with two direct seasons. Produced by Tsui Yu On, the sitcom was a TVB production and aired five days a week from September 17, 2001 to December 28, 2002. The series chronicles the comical events and life of the Kam household, a rich family during a prosperous time in the Ming Dynasty
of China
. The series was inspired by the 2000 TVB comedy drama Colourful Life.
Originally planned to be an 150-episode sitcom, an extra 200 episodes were added due to the sitcom's rating success. After the episode finale, a spin-off sequel, Virtues of Harmony II
was released in 2003, as well as a spin-off musical, which starred the same cast.
The bubbly Princess Sam-tin, the emperor's favorite and only child, is of age to marry, and the emperor decides to hold a contest for scholars around the capital city
to compete for her hand in marriage. Nim-chi's oldest son Kam Nin, a young and intelligent fifth-ranking scholar-official working for the royal court, is forced to join the contest. Nin's future career would have remained stable if it wasn't for his frank tongue; in the contest, he writes a poem denouncing the princess for being too childish and oblivious to hardships of the common people. This angers the princess, and she demotes him to a lowly ninth-ranking official, sending him back to his hometown Chi Lik Kung Town to be the town's magistrate.
The emperor soon arranges Princess Sam-tin to marry the Persian
prince
after failing to find a suitor for her in the contest. Displeased, she and her eunuch Siu-yuen escapes the palace and ends up in Chi Lik Kung Town. In town, she is happy to see men working for her lily pond, but when she sees a very ugly statue of herself being built, she grows angry and smashes the statue into pieces, leading her to be tried in court, where she confronts Magistrate Nin. Nin, oblivious to the fact that she's the princess, asks her for her name. Hiding her identity, the princess invents the name "Kung Yan-so" on a whim. Upon hearing her name, Nim-chi takes the princess home, mistaking her to be the daughter of the Kam family's savior, who died to save Nin. Seeing that the Kam household is a good place for shelter, she and Siu-yuen decide to stay in the Kam household until it's safe for them to leave, simultaneously completing a chain of community labor in Nin's office as a punishment for destroying government property.
A year later, while shopping in town, a female con artist attempts to steal from Nim-chi. Nim-chi, well crafted in martial arts
, stops the girl. Nim-chi sees that the girl bears a jade that belongs to the Kung family, and immediately questions the girl for her name, in which the girl replies Kung Yan-so. Shocked to see two Kung Yan-so's, Nim-chi goes home to test the Kung Yan-so residing in the Kam household, wanting to find out which girl is the real one. Nim-chi soon realizes that the Yan-so at home is a fraud, but tries to hide it from the others. Unfortunately, the household find out and pushes her out of the family, telling her that she is a fake and does not deserve to stay with the Kam's any longer. Princess Sam-tin, not wanting to reveal her true identity as the princess, tells them that her real name is Tin-sam, and promises the family that she will leave the Kam household forever. She thanks them for their hospitality and brings Siu-yuen away with her. Although she is not the true Yan-so, the princess has stayed with Nim-chi long enough to be regarded as family. Soft-hearted, Nim-chi gives the princess some money and food for her journey back home, telling her that although she has lied about her identity, she has never done anything wrong to harm the Kam family. Nim-chi then brings the real Yan-so home, only to find her much worse than the fake one. Soon, Yan-so, under influences of her boyfriend, steals all the Kam's family fortune, turning them homeless. Realizing what she has done, she attempts to retrieve the money back from her boyfriend, but gets fatally stabbed by him. Before she dies in Nim-chi's arm, she tells her that she's very sorry for what she has done. Princess Sam-tin helps the Kams retrieve their fortune, in which the Kams are very thankful of, bringing her back into the family.
A high-ranking eunuch, Eunuch Ling, comes to the Kam family and forcefully takes the princess back to the palace to marry the Persian Prince. Nin, who at that time has already fallen in love with the princess, decides to go to the capital to confront the princess to ask her if she truly loved him. Nim-chi secretly meets with the princess in the capital, hoping to convince her to elope with Nin, but Princess Sa-tin refuses to meet with Nin, lying to Nim-chi that she desires to be the Persian Queen. Devastated at what she said, Nin breaks into the palace, crying that he wants to meet the princess. Furious at Nin's breakthrough, the emperor orders the guards to behead Nin, which is stopped by the princess. Nin tells the emperor that he and the princess are in love, and questions the Persian Prince about the scrolls of Confucius
and Mencius
, saying that a wise man will not tear two lovers apart. The Persian Prince asks the Princess of the validity of Nin's statement, in which she says yes. The reason why she agreed to the marriage was because she wanted to keep the peace treaty between China and Persia. Nin cries that he would rather die if he cannot marry the Princess. The emperor then orders Nin to drink fatal poisonous wine, in which Nin does. In response, Princess Sam-tin cries that if he is to die, she will die with him, and also drinks the wine. Touched by the two lovers, the Persian Prince tells the emperor to cancel his marriage with the Princess. The emperor then tells Nin and Princess Sam-Tin that the liquid they drank was not poisonous liquid, but a test to see Nin's love for the princess. Overjoyed, Nin marries the Princess and brings his family to the palace to live with them.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, lasting 322 episodes with two direct seasons. Produced by Tsui Yu On, the sitcom was a TVB production and aired five days a week from September 17, 2001 to December 28, 2002. The series chronicles the comical events and life of the Kam household, a rich family during a prosperous time in the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
of 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...
. The series was inspired by the 2000 TVB comedy drama Colourful Life.
Originally planned to be an 150-episode sitcom, an extra 200 episodes were added due to the sitcom's rating success. After the episode finale, a spin-off sequel, Virtues of Harmony II
Virtues of Harmony II
The Virtues of Harmony II is a long-running TVB television series, which follows its first series, Virtues of Harmony, a series set in Ancient China.This new, second series of the Virtues of Harmony is set in Modern Hong Kong.-Show statistics:...
was released in 2003, as well as a spin-off musical, which starred the same cast.
First story arc
The first story arc begins introducing the comedic ups and downs of life for the Kam household, a rich family living in the town of Chi Lik Kung Town. Yau Nim-chi is the leader of the Kam household and the mother of the 24 year-old Kam triplets. The Kam family owns a restaurant in town, famous for its noodles, which are notoriously cooked by Nim-chi's arrogant younger brother, Yau Nim-fu.The bubbly Princess Sam-tin, the emperor's favorite and only child, is of age to marry, and the emperor decides to hold a contest for scholars around the capital city
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
to compete for her hand in marriage. Nim-chi's oldest son Kam Nin, a young and intelligent fifth-ranking scholar-official working for the royal court, is forced to join the contest. Nin's future career would have remained stable if it wasn't for his frank tongue; in the contest, he writes a poem denouncing the princess for being too childish and oblivious to hardships of the common people. This angers the princess, and she demotes him to a lowly ninth-ranking official, sending him back to his hometown Chi Lik Kung Town to be the town's magistrate.
The emperor soon arranges Princess Sam-tin to marry the Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
after failing to find a suitor for her in the contest. Displeased, she and her eunuch Siu-yuen escapes the palace and ends up in Chi Lik Kung Town. In town, she is happy to see men working for her lily pond, but when she sees a very ugly statue of herself being built, she grows angry and smashes the statue into pieces, leading her to be tried in court, where she confronts Magistrate Nin. Nin, oblivious to the fact that she's the princess, asks her for her name. Hiding her identity, the princess invents the name "Kung Yan-so" on a whim. Upon hearing her name, Nim-chi takes the princess home, mistaking her to be the daughter of the Kam family's savior, who died to save Nin. Seeing that the Kam household is a good place for shelter, she and Siu-yuen decide to stay in the Kam household until it's safe for them to leave, simultaneously completing a chain of community labor in Nin's office as a punishment for destroying government property.
A year later, while shopping in town, a female con artist attempts to steal from Nim-chi. Nim-chi, well crafted in martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, stops the girl. Nim-chi sees that the girl bears a jade that belongs to the Kung family, and immediately questions the girl for her name, in which the girl replies Kung Yan-so. Shocked to see two Kung Yan-so's, Nim-chi goes home to test the Kung Yan-so residing in the Kam household, wanting to find out which girl is the real one. Nim-chi soon realizes that the Yan-so at home is a fraud, but tries to hide it from the others. Unfortunately, the household find out and pushes her out of the family, telling her that she is a fake and does not deserve to stay with the Kam's any longer. Princess Sam-tin, not wanting to reveal her true identity as the princess, tells them that her real name is Tin-sam, and promises the family that she will leave the Kam household forever. She thanks them for their hospitality and brings Siu-yuen away with her. Although she is not the true Yan-so, the princess has stayed with Nim-chi long enough to be regarded as family. Soft-hearted, Nim-chi gives the princess some money and food for her journey back home, telling her that although she has lied about her identity, she has never done anything wrong to harm the Kam family. Nim-chi then brings the real Yan-so home, only to find her much worse than the fake one. Soon, Yan-so, under influences of her boyfriend, steals all the Kam's family fortune, turning them homeless. Realizing what she has done, she attempts to retrieve the money back from her boyfriend, but gets fatally stabbed by him. Before she dies in Nim-chi's arm, she tells her that she's very sorry for what she has done. Princess Sam-tin helps the Kams retrieve their fortune, in which the Kams are very thankful of, bringing her back into the family.
A high-ranking eunuch, Eunuch Ling, comes to the Kam family and forcefully takes the princess back to the palace to marry the Persian Prince. Nin, who at that time has already fallen in love with the princess, decides to go to the capital to confront the princess to ask her if she truly loved him. Nim-chi secretly meets with the princess in the capital, hoping to convince her to elope with Nin, but Princess Sa-tin refuses to meet with Nin, lying to Nim-chi that she desires to be the Persian Queen. Devastated at what she said, Nin breaks into the palace, crying that he wants to meet the princess. Furious at Nin's breakthrough, the emperor orders the guards to behead Nin, which is stopped by the princess. Nin tells the emperor that he and the princess are in love, and questions the Persian Prince about the scrolls of Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
and Mencius
Mencius
Mencius was a Chinese philosopher who was arguably the most famous Confucian after Confucius himself.-Life:Mencius, also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou, now forming the territory of the county-level city of Zoucheng , Shandong province, only thirty kilometres ...
, saying that a wise man will not tear two lovers apart. The Persian Prince asks the Princess of the validity of Nin's statement, in which she says yes. The reason why she agreed to the marriage was because she wanted to keep the peace treaty between China and Persia. Nin cries that he would rather die if he cannot marry the Princess. The emperor then orders Nin to drink fatal poisonous wine, in which Nin does. In response, Princess Sam-tin cries that if he is to die, she will die with him, and also drinks the wine. Touched by the two lovers, the Persian Prince tells the emperor to cancel his marriage with the Princess. The emperor then tells Nin and Princess Sam-Tin that the liquid they drank was not poisonous liquid, but a test to see Nin's love for the princess. Overjoyed, Nin marries the Princess and brings his family to the palace to live with them.
Main characters
- Nancy SitNancy SitNancy Sit Ka Yin is a Hong Kong actress on the TVB network. Her acting career dated back to the 1960s, when she was a popular teen idol alongside Connie Chan Po-chu, and Josephine Siao...
portrays Yau Nim-chi (游念慈), the owner of Tung Mat Yuen and the mother of the Kam triplets. Nim-chi is an extremely skilled martial artist. Before she started her family, she a heroic outlaw known by the name Choi Fung-wong (賽鳳凰; meaning "the competitive fenghuangFenghuangFenghuang are mythological birds of East Asia that reign over all other birds. The males are called Feng and the females Huang. In modern times, however, such a distinction of gender is often no longer made and the Feng and Huang are blurred into a single feminine entity so that the bird can be...
") and part of a mountain gang.
- Frankie LamFrankie LamFrankie Lam Man Lung is a Hong Kong actor for TVB. He is married to TVB Actress Kenix Kwok. He started off his career with a singing contest which he won and subsequently, signed a contract with TVB.-TV series:-Films:...
portrays Kam Nin (金年), the eldest son of the triplets. Originally a fifth-rank scholar-official residing in the capital city, Nin is demoted to a ninth-rank official after he accidentally upsets Princess Sam-tin by denouncing her in a poem. Nin returns to his family in Chi Lik Kung Town and becomes the town's magistrate.
- Michael TseMichael TseMichael Tse Tin Wah is a Hong Kong TVB actor.-Career highlights:Michael Tse graduated from TVB's Dance Training Class and worked with TVB as a dancer for 5 years. He then left TVB and formed a boy band group called 風火海 with Jordan Chan and Jason Chu...
portrays Kam Yuet (金月), the second son of the triplets.
- Joyce Chen portrays Kam Yat (金日), the youngest daughter of the triplets.
- Bondy ChiuBondy ChiuBondy Hok Yee Chiu is an actress and singer with Television Broadcasts Limited in Hong Kong. She is best known for her role as Lam Yuk Lo the long-running TVB series Virtues of Harmony...
portrays Lam Yuk-lo (林玉露), Yuet's official wife.
- Cutie MuiCutie MuiCutie Mui Siu Wai is an actress and television host associated with Television Broadcasts Limited. Her notable roles include Sek Mei in Virtues of Harmony and Loose Head Zhi in Justice Of Life.-Filmography:*The Seasons...
portrays Shek Mei (石美), Yuet's concubine.
- Louis YuenLouis YuenLouis Yuen is a Hong Kong TVB actor. He co-hosted the Super Trio series, Supreme Trio Supreme, in season 8 with Eric Tsang, Chin Kar-lok, and Wong Cho-lam.Finalist in the 1986 5th TVB New Talent Singing Awards.-Filmography:Actor...
portrays Yau Nim-fu (游念富), Nim-chi's younger brother.
- Yvonne Lam portrays Wan Ying-kei (雲影姬), Nim-fu's wife.
- Johnny Tang portrays Ko Yee-hong (高爾康), Yat's husband.
- Bernice LiuBernice LiuBernice Jan Liu is a Chinese Canadian actress, singer, and commercial model based in Hong Kong. She has previously held the title Miss Chinese Vancouver 2000 as well as Miss Chinese International 2001, the latter position bringing her fame in Hong Kong.Liu is best known for her role as Princess...
portrays Princess Sam-tin (深田公主), the Emperor's only daughter. She and her eunuch, Siu-yuen, escape the palace to avoid marrying the Persian prince, and ends up in Chi Lik Kung Town, meeting Nin's family. Nim-chi mistakenly identifies her as the family's saviour, and the Princess begins taking up the name Kung Yan-so (恭欣素) to cover her identity.
- Hawick LauHawick LauHawick Lau Hoi-wai is a Hong Kong actor and singer, most famous for his performances in the TVB series A Kindred Spirit, Virtues of Harmony and its sequel Virtues of Harmony II, and My Family....
portrays Yuen Sau (阮壽), the Princess' personal eunuch and best friend. Born Yuen King-dan (阮鯨單), he entered the palace at a younger age and is referred to Siu-yuen (小阮).
- Johnny NganJohnny NganJohnny Ngan Kwok Leung is a Hong Kong film actor and television actor. He was an actor for ATV from 1980-1981 before joing TVB.-Acting career:...
portrays Shek Tai-chuen (石大川), Mei's father.
- Helen Ma portrays Chan Kiu (陳嬌), Tai-chuen's wife and the mother of Mei, Biu, and Tai.
- Timmy HungTimmy HungTimmy Hung Tin Ming is a Hong Kong actor and the eldest son of martial arts superstar Sammo Hung. He is half Korean, his mother is Sammo Hung's first wife.-Film:-Television series:-External links:* at the Hong Kong Movie Database*...
portrays Shek Biu (石彪), a constable working under Nin, his best friend. He is Mei's younger brother.
- Sherming Yiu portrays Shek Tai (石娣), Shek Mei's younger sister.
- Lau DanLau DanLau Dan is a Hong Kong actor.- Works :Lau is known to portray good characters, but could play cunning and sly characters with ease...
as The Emperor
- Kingdom YuenKingdom Yuen-Filmography:-References:...
as Princess Sa-sa, (Second story arc), the Emperor's younger sister
- Stephanie CheStephanie CheStephanie Che is a Chinese actor and singer born on December 28, 1974 in Hong Kong. Che started her career as the winner of New Talent Singing Awards in 1992.-Filmography:-References:...
as Consort Man (Second story arc), the Emperor's favorite concubine
- Lee Kwok Lun as Man Kwok-Kei (Second story arc), Consort Man's older brother
- Maggie Shiu as Consort Po Ling-kau (Second story arc), the Emperor's favorite concubine
- Lo Ho Hai as Ling Ling-fat, high-ranking eunuch
- Liu Kai ChiLiu Kai ChiLiu Kai-chi is a Hong Kong actor, best known for his "everyman" supporting roles. He is a Christian, and has appeared in several Christian themed projects. For 25 years he worked for TVB, Hong Kong's first over-the-air commercial station, but did not renew his contract in 2005.On April 5, 2006,...
as Bo Lo-to, high-ranking eunuch