Chinese spinoff drama on royal affairs debuts on Netflix

In the summer of 2018, many viewers were fascinated by the Story of Yanxi Palace, a series that garnered more than 18 billion clicks to top all online Chinese dramas that year.

Now, Yanxi Palace: Princess Adventures, a six-episode spinoff of the 2018 series, has been streaming on Netflix since Dec 31. Its producer and scriptwriter Yu Zheng tells China Daily the latest period drama has subtitles in 23 foreign languages, including English, Thai and Hindi, and is the first such Chinese series to be streamed on a foreign platform before being released in China.

The new tale takes place around 15 years after the end of the first one, which unfolds through 70 episodes to chronicle the rise of Wei Yingluo, a low-born royal maid who overcomes palace intrigue to be crowned the "imperial noble consort" to Emperor Qianlong (1711-99) during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

As the hostess of the Forbidden City, China's imperial palace, and the most powerful woman in the king's harem, Wei－a role reprised by actress Wu Jinyan－is seen encountering a new crisis in the latest series: Her princess daughter is urged by a Mongolian prince to cancel their engagement, as he believes the rumor that the young woman is spoiled and willful.