Wong Chao Chun

20 episodes

Foreword

One of the four legendary beauties in Chinese history, Wong Chao Chun is remembered as a beautiful and tragic heroine who undertakes great sacrifice to help bring peace to her motherland.This is a drama on her. Are you interested to find out about her history? This is also the first and only periodic drama done by Wong Chau Sang.

Story/Introduction on characters

1. Wong Chao Chun – Ngai Chau Wah
She is gentle and beautiful. She is the titular heroine. Entering the Han Dynasty palace as a consort of Emperor Yuan (Ng Wai Kwok), the alluringly beautiful Wong endures unspeakable hardships as one of many ladies-in-waiting in the inner court. Why? She is reputed to be ugly and is later framed to be sent to the cold palace.

She spends some lonely years there before Emperor Hon Mou discovers her to take her as his concubine. Though her heart eventually finds its way to the emperor, their time is poetically cut short when she is selected as bride by a visiting Mongol tribe ruler. Bravely taking up the challenge, she plays his favourite song with her pipa before she leaves.

2. Emperor Hon Mou – Ng Wai Kok
He is the indecisive emperor who has a soft ear. He often believes the wrong person. That is why he misses out a great beauty. Only when he is lured into the cold palace as Chao Chun recites a poem aloud in the garden. He chides himself for being so stupid. But when the Mongols keep on attacking his state, he has no choice but to give Chao Chun up as a peace present. They have to part reluctantly.

3. Empress Bak – Meng Ping
She is the empress and is jealous of all his consorts. But surprisingly, she conspires with Kum Chi to banish Chao Chun because she is the most beautiful among all.

4. The Empress Dowager – Lee Yuet Ching
She is a very prominent figure. She sides for Empress Bak and dislikes Chao Chun for being direct. Thus, she banishes her to the cold palace as punishment.

5. Yu Kum Chi – Lee Oi Wah
She comes from a rich family and schemes to become the empress upon entering the palace. Thus she pretends to be Empress Bak’s sidekick. She is delighted to dispose Chao Chun and she manipulates Emperor Hon Mou with her fingers. But when Chao Chun becomes Emperor Hon Mou’s favourite consort and she gets neglected, she kills herself.

6. Wong Keung – Sin Yuen Ching
She is Chao Chun’s younger sister who is very loud and never hesitates to speak her mind. She is often at loggerheads with Kum Chi as both families stay in the same province. She falls for Chang but she fails to win his heart.

7. Ng Chang – Wong Chau Sang
He is a wanderer who is in love with Chao Chun. He protects her secretly in the palace. Knowing that she is going to the Mongols, he is very upset. He is killed during the journey to the Mongolian state by the Mongol soldiers.

8. Hu Hon Tse – Cheng Lui
He is a warrior who is never interested in women. But his interest is stirred when Yin Sau shows him Chao Chun’s portrait. So he keeps attacking the Hon state, he wins in getting her in the end.

9. Mok Kou – Ng Choi Nam
He is another man in love with Chao Chun. Unlike Chang who prefers to stand beside her secretly, he will use desperate measures to get her.

10. Mou Yin Sau – Kong Tou
He is an evil court official and wants to get his niece to help him control the emperor. He is devastated when she dies. Seeking revenge, he becomes the Mongols’ spy and sets to ruin Chao Chun.

11. Luk Wai – Yu Mun Bing
He is Hon Tse’s general and dislikes Chao Chun. He always thinks of her to influence Hon Tse to stop wars. He tries to dispose her in vain.

12. Mr Yu – Ng Wing Sum
He is Kum Chi’s father who spoils her rotten. He conspires with Yin Sau to avenge Kum Chi’s death.

13. Yu Fung Sai – Kwan Chi Piew
Another corrupted official who is Yin Sau’s loyal sidekick.

14. Wong Chung – Li Hang
He is the women’s father. Chao Chun takes over his mild personality.

15. Madam Yiu – Leung Shun Yin
She is the women’s mother. She is also gentle and only concentrates on taking care of the household.

Conclusion
As predictable as it is with the real history, it is a soapy and slow moving drama. I nearly doze off although the cast try their best to act well. Chau Wah has never been as attractive as she is in other dramas. She has a lot of chemistry with the actors but she seems too pale in some scenes. You may give it a miss as you may not like the tragic ending.

Sukting's ratings :

On acting : *** (Scale of 5)

On story : **1/2 (Scale of 5)