The Chinese Game of Thrones

The "history of the Yanxi Palace" have you never heard of? If you Google it. You wouldn't be alone. The Chinese series was online last year, the most-searched TV Show in the world. And, although Google is blocked in China. The 70-piece series is something like the Chinese "Game of Thrones".

The Plot is quickly explained: in the middle of the 18th century. Century the young Chinese Wei Yingluo comes to the Imperial court in Beijing to the mysterious death of her sister educate. There, the rebellious woman wins the heart of the Emperor and his court. The equivalent of 45 million Swiss francs, the cost of production for the series. 15 billion Times episodes were retrieved solely on Chinese Internet platforms. 530 million people watched the series in August in just one day. For comparison: The final result of 7. Season of "Game of Thrones" tuned in to 16.5 million people.

In China, it is almost normal, when people in the Restaurant when eating by the way, a series run, at work, your cell phone next to the Computer, in the subway anyway. Series of a substance are in China. Cai, Shenshen, from the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne called the Format in their publications, the "dominant Form of storytelling" in China.

530 million people watched the series in a single day.

TV is the most important Medium in the country. 97 percent of the population have access to a device. In the process, TV dramas take up at individual stations for up to ten hours of the program of the day. 30'000 episodes produced for the domestic film industry per year over the fast-paced changes in the country, the difficult living conditions of migrant workers, the urbanization and the conflicts between the generations. Many series can be viewed on the net also in Europe. Including the "history of the Yanzi-Palace". Often with English or German subtitles.

The dynasty Drama has funded the market-leading streaming platform iQiyi. Sinologist Cai believes that the series would give people outside the major cities, the feeling, the change of the country to participate. At the same time they served as an outlet for the Stress and economic pressure on many people. Only since the country from the ideological grip of Mao Zedong's released, there are enough free spaces for modern TV productions. Through the liberalisation and commercialisation of the film industry, investors have developed private to the most important decision makers in the industry.

With domestic series of the Image

In the autocrat polishing governed China means the popularity that the television must continue to support the political Agenda of the party. "The state has never pulled as a Regulator of the industry," writes Cai. Instead of developing each other is a hostile relationship, cooperating state and TV market as accomplices. The government keeps out of the planning of the programme, but calls for Changes and prohibits series, do not fit the political Agenda. 2016 ban on China, "vulgar, immoral and unhealthy content," which would show the alleged "dark side of the society".

the Other productions of the state, however, promotes. Korean and Japanese dramas have worldwide Fans; Beijing hopes that domestic series of the Image revamp. They told "good Chinese stories", as the recent state of the transmitter CGTN said. To strengthen China's soft power.

A good ruler of

That dramas can politically act in China is nothing New: "you lip-service places to the principle that the people is the root of the state. But still officials are pressing the masses." The lines of the writer Wu Han, are considered today as one of the starting points for the outbreak of the cultural revolution in the 60s. His play "Hai Rui's dismissal of his office" was by an official from the Ming dynasty, turned against the policy of the Emperor. Mao Zedong understood the lines as a criticism of his governance.

drama the Emperor's time, although something completely different, but also very popular. So far, the censors were dramas also satisfied with the dynasty. After all, these promote a strong Central government, and strengthen the Faith of a good ruler, the action against corruption and the well-being of the Nation go its own interest – at least in theory.

the virtue of parsimony

However, under President Xi, the control grows. The concern of the censors: Even if the government no longer sits in the forbidden city, but your main has added district to the West of the Imperial Palace in a closed complex of buildings, could remember the intrigue in the closest circle of power of the country to the machinations within the Imperial Palace.

In an article In the state magazine "Theory Weekly threw" the TV series, "carry the sins". Viewers would be encouraged to lead a glamorous life-style of the Emperor, instead of focusing on the "virtues of thrift and hard work". After the publication of the article, the station painted several series of the programs.

Welcome to productions such as "In the name of the people", 2017, however, are a mega success. In the Drama, an investigator is fighting in his city against the corruption within the party. Many viewers saw in the Show Parallels to the anti-corruption campaign of President Xi. A Evergreen are also dramas of the War, about the Invasion of the Japanese. You are zapping through the TV program, it sometimes seems, as the two countries were still at war. There, the censors only intervene if the Japanese soldiers seem to be friendly.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 08.02.2019, 20:51 PM