''The Long Ballad'' (

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

: 长歌行), also known as ''Chang Ge Xing'', is a 2021 Chinese historical series based on the 2011

manhua () are Chinese-language comics produced in China and Taiwan. Whilst Chinese comics and narrated illustrations have existed in China in some shape or form throughout its imperial history, the term first appeared in 1904 in a comic titled ''Cu ...

of the same name by

Xia Da Xia Da (; born 4 April 1981) is a Chinese manhua artist. She is best known for creating the comics ''Zi Bu Yu'' and '' Chang Ge Xing.'' Five million copies of her works have been sold as of 2018. Her art has been noted for its classical style, ...

. It is directed by Zhu Ruibin and stars

Dilraba Dilmurat Dilraba Dilmurat ( ug, دىلرەبا دىلمۇرات, Dilreba Dilmurat; zh, p=Dílìrèbā Dílìmùlātí; born on June 3, 1992), known in Chinese as Dilireba ( zh, s=迪丽热巴, t=迪麗熱巴, c=, p=Dílìrèbā;), is a Chinese actress, ...

Leo Wu Wu Lei (, born December 26, 1999), also known as Leo Wu, is a Chinese actor. He is known as the "China's Little Brother" () in China. He made his first appearance in commercials at the age of three. In 2007, officially made his debut in acti ...

, Zhao Lusi and

Liu Yuning Liu Yuning (; born 8 January 1990) is a Chinese pop singer, actor, and the lead singer of Modern Brothers. In 2018 Liu rose to stardom by his covers on social media platforms, and released his debut single "Imagination" in September 15, 2018. He ...

. Set against the backdrop of the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, during the reigns of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong, the drama tells the story of an imperial princess who seeks revenge for her family, and in doing so, her fate interwines with that of a tribal prince. Although it features many real historical figures, most of the relationship between the characters and plotlines are fictional.

Plot

arning: May contain spoilers The story takes place in the political center of

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...

in the year 626 C.E of the Tang Dyanasty, revolving around Li Changge, the daughter of

Li Jiancheng Li Jiancheng (; 589 – July 2, 626, formally Crown Prince Yin (, literally, "the hidden crown prince"), nickname Vaishravana (; Sanskrit: Vaiśravaṇa), was the first crown prince of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of the foun ...

, the Crown Prince of Tang. However, her peaceful life turns upside down after her family was brutally murdered during the

Xuanwu Gate Incident The Xuanwu Gate Incident was a palace coup for the throne of the Tang dynasty on 2 July 626, when Prince Li Shimin (Prince of Qin) and his followers assassinated Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince Li Yuanji (Prince of Qi). Li Shimin, the secon ...

, a coup d'état instigated by her uncle, who is known afterwards as Emperor Taizong. Traumatized by the sudden loss of her family and the betrayal of her uncle, Li Changge's anguish evolves into a burning intent for vengeance. With her mind firmly fixed on revenge, she sets off on a journey to overthrow Taizong. Along her way, she unexpectedly meets Ashile Sun, who is later revealed to be the valiant general of the

Eastern Turkic Khaganate The Eastern Turkic Khaganate () was a Turkic khaganate formed as a result of the internecine wars in the beginning of the 7th century (AD 581–603) after the First Turkic Khaganate (founded in the 6th century in the Mongolian Plateau by ...

and

Tegin Tegin ( otk, 𐱅𐰃𐰏𐰤, Tegin, also tigin, MC *''dək-gɨn'' > Pinyin: ''Tèqín''; , erroneously ''Tèlè'' ) is a Turkic title, commonly attachable to the names of the junior members of the Khagan's family. However, Ligeti cast doub ...

of the Eagle Division. Through countless events, their fates become increasingly intertwined, and together they soon discover the forces working behind the scenes that could jeopardise the safety and peace of everything they love.

Cast

Main

as Li Changge, Princess of Yongning ** Historical prototype: Princess of Dingxiang County ( 定襄县主) :Daughter of the Crown Prince of Tang. Proficient in martial arts and military strategy. She seeks to avenge her parents who were killed by her second uncle,

Li Shimin Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty ...

. *

as Ashile Sun,

of the Eagle Division ** Historical prototype: Ashina Zhong ( 阿史那忠) :Adopted son of Yanli Qaghan. A skilled warrior and strategist who is embroiled in rivalry for the throne. *

as Hao Du ** Historical prototype: Du He (杜荷) :

Du Ruhui Du Ruhui (585–630), courtesy name Keming, posthumously known as Duke Cheng of Lai, was a Chinese official who served as a chancellor under Emperor Taizong in the early Tang dynasty. He and his colleague, Fang Xuanling, were often described a ...

's cold-blooded and loyal foster son who works for Li Shimin. * Zhao Lusi as Li Leyan, Princess Yongan ** Historical prototype: Princess Chengyang ( 城阳公主) :Li Shimin's daughter. A shy but independent princess. She is Li Changge's cousin and closest friend. *Fang Yilun as Wei Shuyu :A Tang official and the son of

Wei Zheng Wei Zheng (580–643), courtesy name Xuancheng, posthumously known as Duke Wenzhen of Zheng, was a Chinese politician and historian. He served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty for about 13 years during the reign of Emperor Taizong. He was al ...

. He grew up with Li Changge and Li Leyan.

Supporting

Tang *Geng Le as Li Shimin,

Emperor Taizong of Tang Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty ...

:Li Changge's beloved second uncle who betrayed her trust. *Oscar He Yuxiao as

Li Chengqian Li Chéngqián (李承乾) (618 – 5 January 645), courtesy name Gaoming (高明), formally Prince Min of Hengshan (恆山愍王), was a crown prince of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was Emperor Taizong's oldest son and first crown prince, but wa ...

, Crown Prince of Tang :Li Shimin's troublemaking eldest son. Leyan's younger brother and Changge's cousin. *Liu Jin Long as

:Changge's father. Older brother of Li Shimin. *Xu Rong Zhen as Lady Jin :Changge's mother. *Cheng Taishen as

:A Tang official and Li Shimin's loyal supporter. Hao Du's foster father. *Tan Jianchang as

:Li Jiancheng's advisor, who later becomes Li Shimin's official. *Nicholas Wang as General Wang Jun Kuo *Yang Zi Hua as Fang Xuanling :A chancellor under Li Shimin. Li Changge’s teacher. *Tian Yu Peng as

Li Jing (Tang dynasty) Li Jing (571 – July 2, 649), courtesy name Yaoshi, posthumously known as Duke Jingwu of Wei (also spelled as Duke of Wey), was a Chinese military general, strategist, and writer who lived in the early Tang dynasty and was most active during th ...

:General Li Jing, Duke Wei. Du Ruhui tries to convince him to take over the Ministry of War. *Mei Ling Zhen as Hong Fu Nu,

Hongfu Hongfu (), is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from imperial China whose birth name was Zhang Chuchen (張出塵, alternatively 張初塵). She was purported to have lived during the Transition from Sui to Tang and was originally described in '' ...

:Li Jing's wife *Kong Qi Li as Li Chunfeng :Imperial astronomer *Dong Li Wu You as Sheng Xin : Li Chengqian's servant. Ashile * Jin Song as Ashile Chuobi, Yanli Qaghan : Ruler of the Ashile Tribe and Sun's foster father. The uncle and stepfather of Ashile She'er. *Yang Mingna as

Princess Yicheng Princess Yicheng was a Chinese princess of the Sui dynasty and a khatun of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. She spent at least 30 years of her life among the Turks. Family She was an extended family member of Sui Dynasty. Her father was named Yan ...

Khatun Khatun ( Mongolian: хатан; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣, katun; ota, خاتون, hatun or قادین ''kadın''; fa, خاتون ''khātūn''; ; hi, ख़ातून ') is a female title of nobility and counterpart to " khan" or " Khagan" promine ...

of the Ashile Tribe :A princess from the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...

. The mother of Ashile She'er and Yanli Qaghan's wife. *Kudousi Jiang Ainiwaer as Ashile She'er, Young Khan of the Ashile Tribe :The only child of

. Nephew of Qaghan. Ashile Sun's biggest rival and foster brother. Leader of the Wolf Division. *Lu Yan Bei as Madame Jin Se :Ashile Chuobi's concubine. Princess Yicheng's right hand woman. Granddaughter of a Sui Dynasty duke plotting against the Tang Dynasty. *Zhu Li Qun as A Yi Er :Ashile Sun's foster mother. *Yi Daqian as Mu Jin :Ashile Sun's childhood friend and trusted general. *Jiang Xiao Lin as Su Yi She :Ashile Sun's trusted general. *Zhang Hao Zhe as Ya Luo :Ashile Sun's trusted general. *Cao Xiyue as Mimi Guli :A slave who was saved by Li Changge and became her close friend. The childhood playmate of Ashile She'er. People around Changge * Feng Junjie as A'Dou : Li Changge's apprentice whose dream is to become a general. *Lu Xingyu as Gongsun Heng :The Governor of Shouzhou. *Wang Jing Yan as Madame Gongsun :Gongsun Heng's wife. *Li Jian Yi as Qin Lao :Gongsun Heng's butler. *Wu Cheng Xu as Xu Feng :Gongsun Heng's bodyguard. * Liu Chuxuan as Luo Shiba : General Luo's last warrior who later serves Li Changge. *

Liu Haikuan Liu Haikuan ( Chinese: 刘海宽 ; pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to ...

as Situ Langlang :Li Changge's martial arts teacher. Only descendant of Yue Nu Sword. Wanders freely with Sun Simiao. *Li Guangfu as

Sun Simiao Sun Simiao (; died 682) was a Chinese physician and writer of the Sui and Tang dynasty. He was titled as China's King of Medicine (, Yaowang) for his significant contributions to Chinese medicine and tremendous care to his patients. Books Sun ...

: A

Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...

physician renowned for his medical knowledge and skills. *

Sa Dingding Sa Dingding (, born Zhou Peng () on 27 December 1979) is a Chinese folk singer and songwriter. She is of mixed Han Chinese and Mongol ancestry, and sings in languages including Mandarin Chinese, English, Standard Tibetan, as well as an imaginary ...

as Lady Jingdan :Leader of the Luiyin Taoist Temple in

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...

. Others *Zhou Aoyun as Buzhen : Mimi Guli's younger brother and the companion of the King of Sui.

Production

''The Long Ballad'' is based on

's comic ''Chang Ge Xing'', which was published from 2011 to 2016. The comic has received numerous awards such as the Golden Dragon Award for Best Girls' comic and the Newcomer Award at the first Sino-Japanese Youth Exchange Cartoon Festival.

Soundtrack

Awards and nominations

International broadcast

''The Long Ballad'' is available for streaming on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

and Viu with English & Turkish subtitles (only on YouTube).

Reception

''The Long Ballad'' is very well received by both at home and overseas. According to the distributors of the series, it scored 9.4 points out of 10 on the popular streaming site Viki, propelling it to the top of the charts for new Chinese series during its premiere week. Additionally, the first 20 episodes of the series has accumulated over 20 million views online as of April 6, 2021, just a little over three weeks of its airing.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Ballad, The Television shows based on Chinese novels 2020 Chinese television series debuts