Riveting period drama scores big overseas

The Long Ballad tells the tale of a fictional Chinese princess who flees the capital city after surviving a palace coup during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Dilraba Dilmurat stars as Li Chang'ge, the princess and daughter of the crown prince, seeking revenge for her slaughtered family.

In an attempt to overthrow the emperor, Li escapes north and tries to assemble an army. However, she changes her mind after witnessing the sufferings of people struggling to live in the war-torn era. She finally puts aside her personal grudges to join hands with a prince of a powerful nomadic tribe to restore peace.

Yan Bei, the drama's executive producer, says she is excited that the popularity of the period drama has attracted a large number of viewers overseas. Most of the drama's foreign fans are from Southeast Asia.

She says the production team hopes the drama could reach a wider international audience as the Chinese television industry makes more effort to expand overseas distribution.

"The story is set in the Tang Dynasty, a golden age of Chinese arts and culture," Yan says. "With geographical closeness and cultural affinity, overseas viewers may be willing and curious to learn more about the culture and customs of ancient China through historical tales."