My Fair Princess
| My Fair Princess | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Princess Returning Pearl Princess Returned Pearl Princess Pearl Princess Huan Zhu The Return Princess Return of the Pearl Princess |
| Traditional Chinese | 還珠格格 |
| Simplified Chinese | 还珠格格 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Huán Zhū Gége |
| Jyutping | Waan4 Zyu1 Gaak3-Gaak3 |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Chiung Yao |
| Developed by | Chen Chung-wei |
| Written by | Chiung Yao |
| Directed by | Sun Shu-pei Li Ping (Season 2 only) |
| Presented by | Chiung Yao Ping Hsin-tao Ouyang Changlin |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | Season 1: "Dang" (當) performed by Power Station Season 2: "Zicong You Le Ni" (自從有了你) performed by Zhao Wei |
| Ending theme | Season 1: "Yu die" (雨蝶) performed by Lee E-jun Season 2: 1. "You Yige Guniang" (有一個姑娘) performed by Zhao Wei 2. "Ni Shi Feng'er Wo Shi Sha" (你是風兒我是沙) performed by Ruby Lin and Zhou Jie |
| Composer | Xu Jingxin |
| Country of origin | (Taiwan) |
| Original languages | Mandarin some Tibetan (Season 1) some Uyghur (Season 2) |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 24 (Season 1) 48 (Season 2) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Chen Tao-lung (Season 1) Tu Chi-chung (Season 2) |
| Producers |
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| Production locations | Beijing Chengde Mountain Resort Bashang Plateau |
| Running time | 48 minutes |
| Production companies | Yi Ren Communications Co. Hunan Broadcasting System |
| Original release | |
| Network | China Television |
| Release | 28 April 1998 – 25 June 1999 |
| Related | |
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My Fair Princess, also known as Return of the Pearl Princess or Princess Returning Pearl (Chinese: 還珠格格), is a Chinese-language period drama jointly produced by Yi Ren Communications Co. (怡人傳播公司) of Taiwan and Hunan Economic Television (湖南經濟電視台) (now under Hunan Broadcasting System (HBS)) of China. Season 1 (1998) and Season 2 (1999) were first aired on China Television in Taiwan, followed by Hunan Economic Television in China. Season 3 (2003) was filmed with a largely different cast, receiving mixed reviews and less popularity.
Written by Chiung Yao, the story is set in 18th-century Qing dynasty during the Qianlong Emperor's reign. It follows tomboyish and innocent Xiaoyanzi, an orphaned and semi-literate vagrant in Beijing who, after befriending the emperor's illegitimate daughter Xia Ziwei, becomes a princess in place of her by accident. Although partially based on historical events and figures, the drama employs considerable artistic license.
Originally produced on a small budget with a cast of little-known young actors, My Fair Princess became one of the most successful Chinese shows of all time, launching the careers of Zhao Wei, Ruby Lin and Fan Bingbing. The frequently replayed show went off air in China from 2015 to 2017 after Chiung Yao severed ties with HBS and revoked its copyright due to her dispute with Yu Zheng over his plagiarism of her work in another HBS show. Chiung Yao reconciled with HBS and regranted the copyright in 2018. Since 2021, the first two seasons of the show have been blacklisted in China following Fan Bingbing’s tax scandal and the government’s ban on Zhao Wei.