''The Journey: Tumultuous Times'' (

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 ...

: 信约：动荡的年代, also known as ''Tumultuous Times'') is Chinese language

period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

which aired on

MediaCorp Channel 8 Channel 8 ( zh, 8頻道) is a Singaporean free-to-air television channel, airing in Mandarin Chinese. It was created by Mediacorp, Television Singapura on 31 August 1963 with experimental broadcasts, before going official on 23 November that ye ...

. It is the second of ''The Journey'' trilogy which chronicles the history of Singapore through the eyes of immigrants during the pre-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

era until contemporary times. It stars young casts with

Shaun Chen Shaun Chen (; born 3 November 1978) is a Malaysian actor and former national badminton player who is based in Singapore. He started as a host for the variety show ''City Beat'' alongside Sharon Au, Jeff Wang and Fiona Xie. In 2003, he made h ...

Jeanette Aw Jeanette Aw Ee-Ping (born 28 June 1979), better known by her stage name Ou Xuan (), is a Singaporean actress, filmmaker, businesswoman and writer. Aw was named as one of the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp in 2006, after which she achieved wide ...

Andie Chen Andie Chen () is a Singaporean actor, host and vlogger. He was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artist from 2007 to 2017 but continues to film on an ad hoc basis. Career Chen's first appearance on television was in the Channel 5 series '' Grow ...

Felicia Chin Felicia Chin Foong Ling (; born 24 October 1984), who was also once known by her Chinese stage name Chen Jing Xuan () from 2008 to 2013 is a Singaporean actress was named as one of the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp in 2006. In 2013, she decide ...

Romeo Tan Tan Romeo (; born 9 April 1985) is a Singaporean actor, who has been named as one of the 8 Dukes of Caldecott Hill. Tan came into prominence after finishing in fourth place on the tenth season of the television series ''Star Search'' in 2010 ...

and

Chen Hanwei Tan Hung Wee (born 29 August 1969), better known by his Chinese stage name Chen Han Wei (), is a Malaysian actor based in Singapore. Early life Chen Han Wei grew up in Kampung Ungku Mohsin, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Adopted since birth, Hanwei ...

as the main cast of the second instalment. ''The Journey'' will culminate in Singapore's nation building celebrations in 2015 with '' The Journey: Our Homeland'', in time for Singapore's 50th National Day.

Plot

''The Journey: Tumultuous Times'' will depict the period of the Japanese Occupation where the adversity only served to strengthen the characters' survival instinct. When the British colonialists returned, stirrings of dissent became more apparent about their right to rule. In this period of uncertainty, there were vastly different ideals about how independence could be achieved. Yet despite all odds, they pulled through and survived. This is the story of five young people unraveled over a period of 20 years (1940-1965) spanning

and

Independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...

. Major events that will happen in the drama include the

Japanese occupation of Singapore , officially , was the name for Singapore when it was occupied and ruled by the Empire of Japan, following the fall and surrender of British military forces on 15 February 1942 during World War II. Japanese military forces occupied it after ...

Hock Lee bus riots The Hock Lee bus riots took place on 24 April 1955 in Singapore. The riots started as a result of confrontation between the police, bus workers of the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company and students who supported the bus workers. On 24 April 1 ...

, student demonstrations, and social tensions. In the wee hours of the morning on 8 December 1941, Japanese planes attacked Singapore by air under the cloak of the night. This is the beginning of the period of unrest in Singapore. During the Sook Ching, Zhang Tianying gets captured and is killed. Zhang Huiniang dies in her two children's arms after being brutally raped by the Kempeitai. In 1954, nine years after the Japanese Surrender, Zhang Jia, now with the surname Hu, lives with his adoptive father, Hu Weiren. Zhang Min is living with her cousins, Zhang Yan, Hong Dangyong, Hong Minghui and their parents. Hu Jia has an obvious crush on Bai Lanxiang, also known as Sweet Soup Lass. Hu Jia has become a gang leader and is the heir to Liang Sihai's brand Siu Yee Tong, while another gang, The Seventh Gate of Loyalty sends a mole to join Hu Jia's gang. The Hock Lee Bus Riots causes a series of other riots like the halting of education during the State of Emergency in Singapore. One of Zhang Min's students are killed in the ensuing protest. Hu Jia then finds out about his parents' horrible deaths, all caused by Weiren. He takes revenge by drowning Weiren to honour his parents. Zhang Min is then imprisoned by Zhang Yan, who married Minghui. Zhang Yan believes that his brother-in-law is part of an underground gang of fugitives and orders Dangyong to be killed. Minghui overhears this, and files for a divorce. Sweet Soup Lass is then raped and killed after being kidnapped by the mole, Jaws. The Seventh Gate of Loyalty burns the hut where Sweet Soup Lass died. Hu Jia retrieves her body, barely surviving. He then slips into a bout of depression. Minghui tries to console him but to no avail. Meanwhile, Zhang Yan gets addicted to his power and abuses it, getting drunk and finding a new woman, Fang Lulu. Someone tries to kill Zhang Yan but Minghui takes the bullet for him. She survives. Dangyong tries to find Minghui at a hospital before being ambushed by Zhang Yan and his group. They run to a bridge before Zhang Yan shoots him, and Dangyong falls into a river. After reaching land, his comrade Ding Hao tries to betray him, but Hu Jia intervenes and takes care of Dangyong. Dangyong realises that his right hand has been crippled. Zhang Min gets raped by Zhang Yan. She decides to cheapen herself so that Dangyong will survive. Dangyong saves a PTSD-stricken Zhang Min and they get married. Zhang Min then realises her brother is not dead and has been by her side this whole time. Hu Jia and Zhang Min reconcile. Meanwhile, Hu Jia manages to hunt down Jaws and kill him. Zhang Yan, who tries to kill Dangyong himself accidentally causes the Bukit Ho Swee fire. 2000 families go homeless and Dangyong is blamed to be the arsonist. He goes to jail and studies law there. Then, Zhang Tianpeng (Li Nanxing) realises that Zhang Yan sold his company, Brothers' Balm 2 years ago and dies of a heart attack. Zhang Yan blames Lulu for instigating him to sell his company. Lulu is killed and Zhang Yan goes to jail in England. Hu Jia invites Minghui to dinner but gets stabbed by Bai Gou, the leader of the Seventh Gate of Loyalty. Hu Jia kills him and proposes to Minghui. It is 1965. Independence arrives and the Zhang and Hong family start a new life...

Cast

Main cast

as Hu Jia / Zhang Jia 胡佳 / 张佳 ** Younger version portrayed by Damien Teo, Teenage version portrayed by

Zong Zijie Zong Zijie (; born 20 February 1996) is a Chinese actor based in Singapore. He starred in ''While We Are Young'' in 2017. Personal life Zong was born in China and moved to Singapore. He studied in Bedok View Secondary School. Career In 2009 ...

as Hong Minghui 洪明慧 *

as Hong Dangyong 洪当勇 ** Younger version portrayed by Gary Tan *

as Zhang Min 张敏 ** Younger version portrayed by Lieu Yanxi *

as Steven Chong ** Younger version portrayed by Amos Lim *

Carrie Wong Carrie Wong Si Tian (; born 1 January 1994) is a Singaporean actress. She was discovered through the reality television competition '' Hey Gorgeous''. Early life The only child of a housewife mother and father who works in a security firm, ...

as Bai Lanxiang 白兰香 ** Teenage version portrayed by Alicia Lo *

as Hu Weiren 胡为人 * Allen Chen 陈祎伦 as Zhang Tianying 张天鹰 *

Joanne Peh Joanne Peh Wei Siew (; born 25 April 1983) is a Singaporean actress and host managed under The Celebrity Agency. She was named as one of the Seven Princesses of Mediacorp in 2006. She is married to Singapore-based Chinese actor Qi Yuwu. Life ...

as Zhang Huiniang 张蕙娘 *

Li Nanxing Jonathan Lee Nam Heng (born 7 November 1964), better known as Li Nanxing (), is a Singaporean actor and was named as 'Ah-Ge' (大哥, "big brother") of Caldecott Hill. He is also a film director and producer. Li has acted in many Chinese-lang ...

as Zhang Tianpeng 张天鹏 * Chris Tong as Bai Mingzhu 白明珠 * Desmond Tan as Hong Shi 洪石 *

as Lin Yazi 林鸭子 * Ian Teng 丁翊 as Hong Kuan 洪宽 * Louis Lim 林泳锟 as Uncle Sweet Soup 糖水叔 *

Zheng Geping Edmund Tay Kok Peng (born 27 May 1964), also known as Zheng Geping, is a Singaporean actor and executive producer managed under The Celebrity Agency. He works on the Chinese-language Channel 8. Career Zheng, a former chef and Taekwondo instruc ...

as Liang Sihai 梁四海 * 陈翔 as Old Cai 老蔡 * 陶樱 as Ling-jie 玲姐 * Ernest Chong 张顺源 as Bullethead 弹子头 * Zakk Lim 林绍凯 as Cannon 大炮 * Alan Yeo 杨添福 as Hei Gou/Black Dog 黑狗 * Brandon Wong as Bai Gou/White Dog 白狗 * 小孟 as Boar 山猪 * Seth Ang 翁兴昂 as Jaws/Ironteeth 铁齿 * James Fong 方伟豪 as Ah Wei 阿威 * Eric Lee 李永和 as Chen Anguo 陈安国 * Chia De Zhong 谢德忠 as Pan Zhiming 潘志明 * Jay Goh Jun Hui 吴俊辉 as Li Xiaowen 李小文 * Tan Mei Kee 陈美琪 as Lin Meiyan 林美燕

Others

* 陈志强 as Uncle De 德叔 * 廖永辉 as Japanese Officer 日军官 * 许纾宁 as Yu Jie 玉洁 * 郑文 as Luo Xin 罗新 * Ray Nu D/O Su Wan as Siti 西蒂 * 叶进华 as Subordinate Lim 林高官 * 徐啸天 as Ding Hao 丁浩 * 郑扬溢 as Xiao Fang 小方 * 陈天赐 as Liu Qiang 刘强 * Nic Lee 李顺利 as Xiao Gao 小高 * 刘慧娴 as Fang Lulu 方露露

Production

The series is partly sponsored by the Media Development Authority of Singapore. Production began in June 2014. Similar to its predecessor, '' The Journey: A Voyage'', ''Tumultuous Times'' uses CGI in its production. The series is Channel 8's 2014 year-end blockbuster celebrating 51 years of television.

Original soundtrack

There are three variations of the opening sequence (i.e. images of the theme song). The third opening sequence (episodes 25–30) uses the ending song, 《诀别书》, instead of the original theme song, 《信。约》, unlike the first two opening sequences, used between episodes 1-4 and episodes 5-24 respectively.

Other media

This series was adapted as a comic and has been selling at Popular Bookstores since November 2015, targeting at upper primary and secondary students. The comic showcases the best of the series, and is promoted by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language.

Accolades

''Tumultuous Times'' garnered 19 nominations in 16 awards, the most nominations for a drama in

Star Awards 2015 Star Awards 2015 (also SA2015, Chinese: 红星大奖2015) is a double television award ceremony which is held in Singapore. It is part of the annual Star Awards organised by Mediacorp for free-to-air channel Mediacorp Channel 8. SA2015 is broa ...

, and won nine, which include Best Drama Serial. It also garnered two nominations in 10th

Seoul International Drama Awards Seoul International Drama Awards (), simply known as SDA, is an annual award ceremony based in Seoul, South Korea which honors excellence in television drama productions worldwide. Winners Grand prize (''Daesang'') Program Winners are given ...

under the Best Drama Series and Best Director categories.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Journey 2, The Singapore Chinese dramas 2014 Singaporean television series debuts 2015 Singaporean television series endings World War II television series Political drama television series Historical television series Hakka culture in Singapore Channel 8 (Singapore) original programming