Cixi was the de facto ruler of the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods of the Qing Dynasty, who ruled the late Qing regime for nearly half a century, and his controversial legendary life has been brought to the screen many times.
Previously, Taiwan Feiteng Film Company, which successfully produced the TV series "Play Qianlong", and Taiwan Film Culture Company, used the same team to shoot the TV series "Play about Cixi", telling the legendary story of the naïve and lively girl Lan'er growing up to become the powerful Empress Dowager Cixi.
"Talking about Cixi" is adapted from the historical novel "The Complete Biography of Cixi" by the famous Taiwanese writer Gao Yang. The whole drama is 62 episodes long, consisting of four chapters: "Girl's Dream", "The Battle of the Princess", "Great Changes in the Deep Palace" and "Sunset Yingtai".
The TV series gathered many outstanding actors from both sides of the strait and three places, Cong Shan, He Qing, Ma Jingtao, Cui Haoran, Weng Jiaming, Li Chengtai, Yang Qinghuang and so on all participated.
Like "Play Qianlong", "Play about Cixi" is also fortunate to be filmed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, Chengde Mountain Resort and other places, which is vigorous and realistic.
Now, 29 years have passed since the show was broadcast, what is the situation of the actors in the play over the years?
Cong Shan as Cixi
Cong Shan, born in 1962 in Beijing, China, to Kunqu opera actors. Cong Shan, who loved literature and art since childhood, was admitted to the acting class of the Central Academy of Drama in 1981.
Cong Shan, who was just in the first grade, was appreciated by director Xie Jin and cooperated with Zhu Shimao in "Wrangler" to play the kind and hardworking Li Xiuzhi, and Cong Shan was nominated for the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress for the film.
After graduating from Chinese opera, Cong Shan was assigned to the China Youth Art Theater and participated in some dramas.
In the mid-80s, Cong Shan went to study at the French Higher School of Drama, but unfortunately could not complete her studies due to emotional problems.
In the 90s, the 30-year-old Cong Shan returned to China to star in "Talking about Cixi", which interpreted Cixi's legendary life from a girl to a politician.
Cong Shan is not the kind of beauty who amazes everyone, she is very suitable for playing Empress Dowager Cixi with a beautiful face, Cong Shan uses superb acting skills to interpret the loneliness and firmness of Cixi's early years, middle-aged arbitrariness, indifference and domineering, and cruelty in her later years.
Because of her proficiency in foreign languages, Cong Shan was invited to host a program in Hong Kong, during which she participated in ATV's TV series "Jing Wumen", playing the red-faced confidant of the boss of the youth gang Cai Liujin.
In 1996, Cong Shan returned to China with her son to settle down, and after a few years of rest, Cong Shan continued to develop in the entertainment industry, and the number of works was small.
Last year, she played the Queen Mother in the TV series "Being a Housemother".
He Qing as Ci'an
He Qing, born in 1964 in Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, began to study Kunqu opera in the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe at the age of 13.
By chance, He Qing entered the entertainment industry and participated in many movies, and the newly emerging He Qing was taken in by Qiong Yao and invited to Taiwan in 1992 to play Hua Youlin in "Qingqing Riverside Grass".
Qiong Yao's eye for picking beauties is impeccable, and He Qing also became popular with the hit of "Qingqing Riverside Grass".
In the same year, 28-year-old He Qing starred in "Play about Cixi", playing the kind and safe in the play, the gentle and generous Empress Dowager Ci'an, with a smile that shows nobility and elegance.
He Qing became the only actress to have played roles in all four famous Chinese TV series, playing Mercy in "Journey to the West" at the age of 20, Qin Keqing in the movie "Dream of Red Mansions" at the age of 24, Xiao Qiao in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" at the age of 29, and Master Li in "Water Margin" at the age of 32.
In 1995, he and Xu Yajun got acquainted because of the play, and their marriage was also vigorous that year, and their son Xu He was born in 2001, and two years later, their marriage came to an end.
Since then, He Qing has successively starred in TV series such as "The Legend of the Old Woman with Two Guns", "Mansion Gate 1912", "The Legend of the Female Doctor Ming Concubine" and so on.
Today, He Qing, who has not filmed for many years, occasionally appears to attend events.
Cui Haoran as Prince Gong
Cui Haoran, born in Taiwan in 1953, entered the entertainment industry in the 80s and participated in many film and television dramas in Taiwan.
Starring works include the infatuated literati Ming Xuewen in "A Generation of Empress Wu Zetian", the old Prince Gong Yi Tong in "Play Cixi", and Xue Rengui in "Moving Mountains and Falling Seas and Fan Lihua".
In recent years, due to physical reasons, he is in a semi-retired state, and occasionally takes on some film and television dramas.
Weng Jiaming as Xianfeng Emperor
Weng Jiaming, born in Taiwan in 1962, graduated from the Taiwan Academy of Arts.
In 1990, he played Chu Tianbai in Qiong Yao's drama "Wangfu Cliff", and was familiar to the audience, and because of the play, he met and fell in love with Yu Xiaofan.
Since then, he has successively starred in film and television dramas such as "Happy Dragon", "Desire", "Young Yang Family General", "Tomorrow is More Beautiful" and other film and television dramas, and played the Xianfeng Emperor in "Talking about Cixi".
Weng Jiaming and Yu Xiaofan ended their ten-year love and entered the marriage hall in 2001, and had a son and a daughter after marriage.
After marriage, Weng Jiaming was often photographed by the media in his private life chaotic, and the relationship between the two was once in crisis. After many considerations, the two did not end their marriage.
Ma Jingtao as Su Shun
Ma Jingtao, born in Taiwan Province of China in 1962, entered the entertainment industry in the mid-80s and filmed many TV series.
In the early 90s, Qiong Yao dramas such as "Qingqing Riverside Grass", "Plum Blossom Brand" and "Water and Clouds" became popular all over the two sides of the strait.
Ma Jingtao made a cameo appearance in "Talking about Cixi", a prominent minister of Gu Ming, who was beheaded by Cixi in Caishikou.
Subsequently, Yang Peipei invited him to star in his production of "The Legend of Relying on the Sky and Slaying the Dragon", playing the male advocate Wuji.
In 1998, he took over the filming of the Singapore mythological drama "Journey to the East", playing the roles of Donghua Shangxian and male No. 1 Lu Dongbin, and his career reached a higher level.
In 2002, with the vigorous development of the mainland film and television industry, Ma Jingtao went to the mainland to develop, and cooperated with director You Xiaogang in "The Secret History of Xiaozhuang", playing the actor Dolgon. His soulful interpretation of Dolgon is still a classic in the hearts of audiences.
Later, he starred in dramas such as "The Secret History of the Crown Prince" and "Fengming Qishan" on the God List, and as he grew older, his acting career also fell flat.
Today, Ma Jingtao, who is 60 years old, participates in some commercial performances in the mainland to make money.
Huang Wenhao as Prince Alcohol
Huang Wenhao, born in Taiwan in 1962, worked as a stuntman in the crew in his early years, and finally got the opportunity to start participating in film and television dramas.
In the early 90s, he played mostly supporting roles with few roles, playing the role of Prince Yizhen of Alcohol in "Talking about Cixi".
In 1997, he was familiar to the audience for his role in the costume martial arts drama "The Lady of the Bodyguard", and cooperated with He Qing again at the end of the play, this time the two played a couple, and there were many rival scenes.
Since then, he has successively participated in TV series such as "Ma Yongzhen", "Dao Song's Amorous Knife", "Virgin Martyr Girl and Heroic Girl" and other TV series, which have been tepid.
After 2005, he focused on the mainland, and successively starred in many martial arts dramas such as "Smiling Rivers and Lakes", "Four Famous Catches of Youth", "Taiji Grandmaster's Taiji Gate", "Flying Knives and Flying Knives" and so on.
In recent years, Huang Wenhao has remained at home abroad and has not participated in the filming of new works.
Ni Qimin as Ronglu
Ni Qimin, born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1964, joined the Taiwan TV actor training class in 1989 and began filming after graduation.
With good luck, he soon got the opportunity to play Rong Lu, a minister who had a personal relationship with Cixi in "Talking about Cixi", and began to enter the audience's field of vision.
Since then, he has successively starred in TV series such as "The Sky Has Eyes", "Shi Gongqi Case" and "The Daughter-in-law of the Eldest Man".
In 2005, Ni Qimin co-starred with Yuen Yongyi in the TV series "True Love Million Bride", which was well known to more audiences.
Today, Ni Qimin, who is still active in Taiwan, is properly maintained and lives happily.
Ji Yu as Prince Gong Fujin
Ji Yu, formerly known as Ji Peijie, was born in Beijing in 1967 and is also an amateur actress as a temporary worker in a Beijing leather shoe factory. 17-year-old Ji Yu met the opportunity to enter the crew of "Dream of Red Mansions".
In the 87th version of "Dream of Red Mansions", she played Miaoyu, one of the twelve masters of Jinling, so she changed her life, and she changed her name to Ji Yu.
After that, she successively participated in film and television dramas such as "Guan Gong", "Kangxi the Great", "Old Mill", "Return to the World of Love" and other film and television dramas, and played Prince Gong Fujin in "Talking about Cixi".
Although some works are broadcast, there is no splash, let alone compared to "Miaoyu".
The unsatisfactory acting career, coupled with the unsatisfactory emotional life, made Ji Yu frustrated and faded out of the entertainment industry. Began to concentrate on careers related to Buddhism.
Li Chengtai as Tongzhi Emperor
Li Chengtai, formerly known as Li Chengfang, was born in Taiwan in 1965, starring in the Phantom Wave Prince in "Phoenix in the Fire Phoenix" and the Tongzhi Emperor in "Talking about Cixi".
Lee Seung-tae left the entertainment industry in the late 90s to study and live in Japan and opened his own restaurant. Since then, an EP has also been released.
Ming Jie as Concubine Zhen
Born in Taiwan in 1966, she entered the entertainment industry in the mid-80s as a member of the girl idol group "City Girls".
In the late 80s, he began to participate in film and television dramas, and everyone was familiar with the ruthless Ximen Shuang in the center of "Little Hero Dragon Whirlwind", the true love of Emperor Guangxu Zhenfei in "Joke about Cixi", and the arrogant and willful Zhu Jiuzhen in "The Legend of Relying on the Sky and Slaying the Dragon".
While filming the TV series, Ming Jie also served as the host of a variety show, which has not been popular for many years.
In 2011, Ming Jie married her boyfriend Liu Jijun outside the circle, and gradually faded out of the entertainment industry after marriage. Recently made a comeback filming in Taiwan.
Yang Qinghuang as Emperor Guangxu
Yang Qinghuang, born in Taiwan in 1960, participated in more than ten films in the 80s and released many albums.
Because he sang Meng Fei's version of the theme song "Snow Mountain Flying Fox" "Love in the Snow", he began to attract attention.
Then began filming TV series, playing the Guangxu Emperor who loved Concubine Zhen deeply in "Talking about Cixi", and participated in many units in "Bao Qingtian".
In recent years, Yang Qinghuang has been developing in Taiwan, and he has appeared in dramas such as "The First Taste of the World", "The Heart of a Woman in the World" and "Happiness in My Home".
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